Bob Armstrong - Cessnock Agricultural Association. Interview 2 Part 2 of 2. Rec 14 November 1983. by UONCC

Time period covered: 1920-1960

In Jack's second interview with Bob Armstrong (conducted three years after the previous on Tape 8), they discuss transportation in the coafields, including horse buses in the Cessnock area. They also touch on various strikes, lock-outs and depressions and their effects.

00:52
Wilkinson’s Butchery
Keith Essey’s mail run and milk run to Wollombi. Bert Strange.
George Brown
Jim Andrews
Thelma, Heather, Gordon Andrews
Batrow leases Andrew’s property

07:27
Paddy Ryan was a pub owner who used to cut the price of goods “to get them in”, especially sugar. He went broke. The receivers were Newcastle accountants. Stevens came from Armidale to take over trying to save the place. Hewitt Bros.
Bob went to the new shop. Miller and Stevens were the co-owners.

Jack Pryor worked as Barney Kemp’s book keeper. Darky Schultz came from Bulahdelah worked for Bob’s mother. Aged 16 Bob remembers buying an Old English Game fighting cockerel off Guy Stevenson. Bob’s story about Darky letting the fighting cock into Bob’s mother’s fowls and killed the entire lot.

21:45
Roy and Ray Davis were an early family in Cessnock. Roy was a grocer and involved in the soccer/football club. He owned a Lancia car. Ray ran the paper and grew mushrooms.

23:00
Tarring the road from Maitlandto Neath. It was done during 1926. Vincent Road preceded it.

26:00
These road works were done as Relief Work during the Depression and BHP’s first tarred road was done during the 1930’s.

27:00
Jack asks questions about the early bus services in the Cessnock area.
Some names mentioned were Bill Baxter and his buses, Ditton and Hill, Essey, Edgar Walker, Fred Thompson in the 30’s.

30:51
The Mail Contractor could take 12 to 14 passengers during the war years. They also took schoolchildren. It was a diesel powered truck – Leyland, Wooleys Knight and a Commers.

34:09
End (Tape 9/ Side B)

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