Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Monday 6 December 1954, page 4


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By VOX

Tasmanian Digger Looks Up Adelaide Friends

PASSENGER * for England in the Strathaird, F. Roy Shoobridge was in Ade

laiae on r naay Auuiuug up old friends of World War I- particularly Percy Thiel, physics master at the School of. Mines, and Frank Silver, remembered by many trainees hi War IL as 'Hi-Yo,' a basic training and PT instructor. In an interlude between serving in France, the three men were associated in running a measles and mumps compound at No. 3 Command Depot. Hurdcott. Salisbury Plain. Clem ('Busty') Holder, son of Sir Frederick and Lady Holder, was one of the mumpies. All three old soldiers have daughters who are nursing sisters. Roy Shoobridge served with the 3rd Field Ambulance on Gallipoli and 2nd Field Ambulance in France; he was wounded and gassed . Tisminian Pi-nnrt ?'His great-grandfather, William Shoobridge, chartered the ship Denmark Hill and took several families with him to Tasmania in 1822. . The Shoobridges introduced hops to Tasmania, were the original exporters of apples from that State. . Roseneath, near Hobart, Roy's home when he enlisted for War I., was taken over by the Federal Government and made the Tasmanian base hospital. He has long been interested in local affairs In north-west Tasmania, and.

aitnough not active now as a dairy farmer, is secretary of the Mowbray Swamp Drainage Trust, which controls SO miles of drain.

In the area ISO farmers ire noted for dairying and rat cattle raising. Mr. Shoobridge has charge of the Mella post office and carries the mail between Mella and Smithton; his wife, a past president of Mella CWA, will take charge while he is away. Roy is on his way to visit a daughter, who married a ship's officer and lives in MiOerston, a suburb of Glasgow. He expects to return in the Himalaya next May. Tw Cattle MiMgtrt They live in the big spaces of our far northeast and although they have often spoken to each other over the wireless phone, they had never met until they came to Adelaide last week to their headquarters, & Kidman & Co., where Mr. Walter Kidman Introduced me. Their names: Jack McCauley, manager of Durrle station (2,694 square miles) ; Les Irving, manager of Innamincka (9.175 square miles); it took him 61 flying hours to reach Adelaide via Broken Hill. A car journey would take five days. These men are real station stalwarts. Jack McCauley told me he was born at Innamincka and has been in that country all his life. He is staying with his mother at Norwood and he and his wife are on their way to see her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Keats, near Ballarat. You will realise how essential big cattle stations are in that arid country when I tell you that Innamincka had a little more than two inches of rain last year; this year, less than 1½ inches.

rrintpirt Cfcanfis Jack remembers when me of the Gaffneysl who lad the Birdsville Hotel, ook the first motor car nto that country, a T model ?'ord in 1918. Some of the old bands ised to say the motor would lever take the place of samels; today trucks range xom one to eight tons. 'We are going through he same thing now with he aeroplane,' he said. ?You can get out of that sountry quick and lively without digging your way through the sandhills. 'The Flying Doctor service and the transmitter have been' wonderful hi that country. You can ring in emergency call any tick Df the clock. 'It is a healthy country. Donald McKenzte who told me he was born at Nelson, Bouth-East, is still riding round stock on Monkiva at B6. 'Jack Button (76), who comes from round Hawker, has been on Durrie for 25 years. He has an easy Job round the homestead. , Buiw Bacn ... 'We had a race meeting at Betoota recently Birdsville was the annual meeting a few years ago but that is in abeyance. A picture show there livens it up a little bit' ? Les Irving' had been out to see Mr. and Mrs. Ted Conrick the night before I met him. He was saying that Innamincka township is nothing but a heap of rubbish now, the pub shut, the police station and hospital gone 'No hotel, no beer to lay the dust, no race meeting, he said. 'If you want to let off steam you must go down to the Nocundra

meeting on New*' Year* Day.' '; Les went to Innamincka -from Naryilco two years ago.' Since 1939': he has worked on Goorimpa, Momba, Yancannia,_Bootra, Yandama and, fof- a year, with Dolph Crossing atTongo. . V' He is staying at the Duke of York and will leave for home on Wednesday.'.: ,.? Churchllliin ' Bright story about- tho Churchills told by Grovt Paterson (editor and. lead-ing citizen in Toledo, USA, for 5P years) in his new book, 'I Like P«ople':-~ 'We were d»ning -one evening at Lord'Rothermere's when the Prime Minister, as usual, lit up one of his big, fat cigars. Also,' as usual, he let the ashes fall where they would. 'Finally, when his shirt-, front was literally covered with ashes, Mrs. Churchill could be silent UP longer. ''Winston,' she said sharply, 'don't you think you could be Just a little more careful with that ''The PM replied petulantly, 'My dear Clementine. I do wish you'd- be good enough to reserve your domestic criticism for- the homeward Journey.' '