OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl. OBST Albert Beryl.
“Broad Acres Farm” on Nth Boongadoo Rd, Nyabing
1963-1972
By Beryl Obst
Albert and I left our home in Taplan, about 24kms east of Loxton, South Australia, after sadly saying our goodbyes to our family and friends. With our children Debbie and Brenton, and one on the way, we left in our 1961 blue Holden panel van, about the 29th February 1963.
We packed our furniture and belongings (74 packages) and sent them by train from Taplan which was then transferred to another train at Port Pirie because the line was a different gauge. It then swapped again at Kalgoorlie, then Perth to Katanning. Only a lemon squeezer and one glass was broken on arrival so we were quite happy, especially with so much moving around, costing us about £200 ($400) for freight.
Debbie, Albert & Brenton during our trip over the Nullarbor 1963
We took five to six days to drive about 1693 miles (2, 725 km) and 900 miles (1448 km) of that wasn’t sealed. Just dirt and bulldust which made for a very rough road over the Nullarbor, with pot holes, covering us with dust. Debbie had her 4th birthday during the trip. Fortunately we had no break downs although it was certainly an experience!
It was a pleasure to arrive at our first Western Australian home, ‘Broad Acres Farm’. The farm was owned by Albert’s brother Vic and Ilsa Obst who had bought the farm of about 1500 acres (about 600 ha) from Dick Collins. We got a bit of a shock with the distances between towns after living near the Riverland S.A. But soon got used to it.
Broadacres Farm House
We were welcomed into the district at the Datatine Hall with Brian and Joan Jolley and family who were from York Peninsular, S.A. They came over about the same time and we soon felt at home in a very friendly neighbourhood. Ian and Peta Patterson were our closest friendly neighbour and there were a few pranks and jokes that went on between us.
We would have a get together with our neighbours when one of our children had a birthday party, visit each other, and usually got together on New Year’s Eve to welcome the New Year in. We all made our own fun and had enjoyable days and good times!!
We had a few road trips back to S.A for holidays to visit family and friends and, with four little kids, we would drive straight through 30-36 hours (we must have been mad we reckon!). The road was sealed a few extra miles each trip, and eventually it was all sealed and was a pleasure to drive on!
Albert worked for Vic for wages and then did some share farming with him, along with Noble Patterson and Les Crosby for a few years. There were many family days with picnic lunches spent out in the paddocks picking mallee roots, some into heaps and throwing them onto the truck then unloading them back at the house, we all had a ball even though we were very tired by the end of the day.
Brenton disappeared from the house one morning at the age of 2 ½ years. Beryl frantically checked the house dam and surrounds, but no Brenton. We weren’t used to dams and when she went out to Albert two miles (1.6 km) away harvesting, there was the little scamp, his little legs must have moved. He was quite happy but what a relief to see him.
One day Debbie went to collect the eggs but our not very friendly rooster took after her. Just as well she was a fast runner or he would have caught her. She didn’t offer to collect the eggs in a hurry but it did look funny!!
We had a milking cow and Debbie milked it quite often and separated the cream from the milk. We would rear day old chickens up, sell the eggs, kill and dress the young roosters, and sell them to the Co-op. We had pigs and would take the weaners into Katanning markets to sell, so the profits from the sales was a little extra cash for us. We had a dog Lenny that Bob Cheetham gave to us, a white cat, pink and grey galah and two pet lambs.
During shearing Beryl cooked for nine men, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
We went shopping fortnightly, on a Friday, to Katanning; the Co-Op being the main place we shopped. One day Beryl went shopping with the four children. On the way home, about three kms from Les and Kath Crosby’s, she got a flat tyre and couldn’t get the pusher from among the groceries. She finally did and put the two little ones in and, with the two older ones, walked to Les and Kaths’. It was just on dark when we arrived exhausted and frazzled after pushing the kids through a sand and gravel road. It was soooo good to see them. Kath looked after us, then Les took us back to the car, changed the culprit tyre for me after taking all the groceries out of the back of the car to get to the spare. I was then on my way home, boy… what a day.
Brenton Obst, Vivienne Patterson, Jenny Phillips & Debbie Obst on the way to school bus
The children walked or rode their bikes about a mile (1.5 km) to the school bus stop. We put an old truck cab at the gate for shelter where Peta and Ian Patterson’s children got on Mr Gil McLaren’s bus run. He was much respected and their bus driver for the nine years they were at Nyabing School. The children did dancing lessons at school and enjoyed their sport days. For interschool sports we travelled to Pingrup, Kukerin and Dumbleyung. They were great days getting together with friends. We would take Brenton and some other boys to Broomehill and Katanning to play football on Saturday mornings. Debbie was in the Girl Guides, Peta Patterson was leader later and Janine joined the Brownies. They enjoyed the camps. When Peta left, Jo Addis took over as Leader.
Albert harvesting for Vic Obst on Broadacres, Debbie & Brenton on bin with him – about 1964
Beryl taught herself to sew, with a little help from Ilsa and Kath, for the children’s clothing which were made mainly from good second hand clothes. Quite a few mums did as clothes were very expensive those days. It’s cheaper to buy kids’ clothes now days, so different!!
Nancy Patterson, Margaret Phillips and myself would take it in turns during swimming lessons driving our children to Katanning each day from Monday to Friday for two weeks (with 8-9 kids in the car). We wouldn’t do that these days!!
August 1970 at Oaks Farm, Warren Road – Bradley, Janine, Brenton and Debbie.
When we went to the Katanning Show we would all dress up to the ‘nines’ with new dresses, maybe shoes, hats, even gloves sometimes as it was a special day out. When we went shopping we would be dressed in our best clothes and we would drive to the Katanning Lutheran Church once or twice a month – always dressed in our Sunday best. Women had to wear hats or a scarf on their head in churches those days; a real contrast to today’s fashions!!
Beryl played netball for Nyabing. In 1970 we travelled to Katanning to play. We didn’t win the premiership but had a lot of fun!!
Albert played darts at Frank Ramm’s and the Nyabing Hotel, with many a fun night had by all as you could imagine. He also played a bit of golf, went to the dances, and the Nyabing shows. There was a lot of effort put into these special days.
Then the wheat quotas came in so no more share farming; we had bought some machinery over the years and applied for a virgin block near Kwobrup but weren’t successful. In hindsight, we were grateful as it would have been very difficult for us to make a living. So Albert went shed handing for Noble Patterson, Harry Phillips and Les Crosby. At Crosby’s he was busy taking the bellies off the sheep while Wally Filmer rolled his cigarettes and for a joke he put sheep manure in the middle of a couple. After lunch he smoked one in the house and Kath was nearly sick from the smell, and so was he. Consequently, he wasn’t allowed to smoke in the house any more.
At Roy Filmer’s shed he got up to a few pranks and made a song up about:
Jimmy the Shearer, the hungry old fool,
hasn’t got time to set up his tool,
he runs in the pen and runs out again,
takes off the bellies, the pizzles and tits
and gives Roy the sh…..ts!
Frank Ramm’s daughter Kaye was Albert’s protector in their shearing shed. A shearer tried to cut his hair so she hit him with a straw broom. No one was allowed to go near Albert and he worked for various other farmers during seeding and harvest time or whatever work he could get.
We were often getting bogged in the paddocks. They were really wet years which we weren’t used to coming from an 11 inch (280 mm) per year rainfall. We had to call our very friendly neighbours every so often to help us out. Another time, we had been to Nyabing and were coming home at night not far from our school bus stop. The creek was flooded so our friendly neighbours Peta and Ian Patterson came to the rescue again.
When our third child was due, we had a lovely older lady for three weeks from the Lady Mitchell Emergency Scheme (The Lady Mitchell Emergency Housekeeper Scheme assisted country families by supplying a housekeeper during times of sickness or emergency. However, the LMEHKS closed when it became impossible to find housekeepers who were able to go to the country to work. ed.). It was subsidised by the government and we paid what we could. It was run by the Country Women’s Association of WA. She took good care of our two older children while Beryl was in hospital. We were shearing at the time so she managed to cook for them as well.
Our third child, Janine, was born in August, 1963 in Dumbleyung. We were very lucky to make it as some of the roads had water running over them. A few weeks later we had to go to Katanning to pick up 100 day old chickens. The Warren Road was closed due to flooding so we went on the Nyabing Road, which was fine until we got to the Coblinnine Nature Reserve, and that road was flooded. There was a grader towing the cars through. Harry and Margaret Phillips were behind in their truck so they took our three children with them. Just as well, as some water came in the doors; very frightening. (Wouldn’t do that now days).
Albert watching Debbie, Brenton, Janine & Bradley cool off in the pool – 1965
Our fourth child, Bradley, was born in Katanning in November, 1965. There was no water over the Warren Road this time but there was a big mob of sheep being driven slowly near Newton Road, not good when in a hurry. Some persistent tooting on the horn gave us room to get past and ready for a quick trip to the hospital (just made it).
We moved to “The Oaks” farm house on the Warren Road, with some kind neighbours help, about 15kms from Broad Acres in 1967. It was leased by Gaven and Sylvia Beeck from his brother Allan Beeck. The nice house had been vacant for five years so, with a spring clean, we soon settled in happily. The children still had the same distance to catch the same school bus to Nyabing.
We took all our animals with us and then got four guinea pigs and a baby kangaroo we fed with an eye dropper.
One morning before the kids went to school we saw a brown, four foot long, snake near the outside bathroom door. Albert had gone to work. Beryl was terrified it might get inside so she armed herself with the rifle and the four kids had spades and rakes. It went along near the wall. She rang Brian Jolley to see if it was okay to shoot it there thinking the bullet might ricochet off the wall and hit one of us. She had a few shots and killed it, then we mangled it with the spade. It was a major operation, but it was scary!!
We went to the rifle range for social days and played tennis a few times, they were great days.
In 1971 Debbie started high school so we drove her to catch the Katanning School bus, driven by Mr Oats, at Peter Caldwell’s turnoff each day.
Albert worked for Mel and Daph Harris, Gaven Beeck and Brian Jolley. When shed handing one day they went to use the wool press and there was a carpet snake wrapped around the top of it, so there was a quick exit…. Brian just picked it up and took it out side; it stayed around the sheds to keep the mice down.
Beryl cooked for Gaven’s shearers which was usually eight to nine guys and a few times they were a ¼ hour late or more so she turned the power off a couple times. They soon got the message and were on time after that. The team were a good lot and could have a bit of fun. Tank Keley, Nick Thomas and Mick Kennedy were part of the team, plus shed hands.
While Albert was busting up with the scarifier before seeding for Les Crosby, he had to do a couple of days’ shed handing so Beryl went on the tractor after she got the kids off to school. She got a big root caught in a couple of tyres and it took a bit to get it out, then she carried on. She enjoyed the tractor driving, then came home and cooked tea; the good old days!! Beryl cooked for the shearers and shed hands (nine men) at shearing time for Noble Patterson for two years. She also did some house cleaning at Boongadoo Bill’s (Collins) house.
In 1972, we sold our machinery which only consisted of a 20-row combine, 18-foot scarifier and a Chamberlain tractor, and decided to buy a house and moved to Katanning in May. The older children were going to high school and we both got jobs.
Our children married and we have nine lovely grandchildren, seven girls and two boys.
Debbie – Keith Richardson
Brenton – Debbie Quartermaine
Janine – Ross Nicholson (Separated)
Bradley – Amanda Petch (Divorced, Partner- Anita Van Zyl)
We had wonderful neighbours around us in both places after only knowing Vic and Ilsa Obst when we arrived in W.A.
They were very happy years spent out on the farms. A great lifestyle for our children. We have many fond memories of our time living in the Nyabing District and made some great life time friends!
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