Diary of Maude Elizabeth Edmondson, 1941 - Part 2

a slight bang & followed by "Mother told me
a lie" I could not contain myself further
as I heard the anesthetist speaking crossly. When
I got across to the table. Jack was sitting up &
the mask at the other side of the room.
Jack again immediately said again "Mother you
told me a lie & I did not think you would"
any way after a little debate & an apology from
me he got it all over & all was well and
more bad news.
We came home & commenced again our lesson
every subject, & some really good books on
"The wonder Books etc" we also included
his bed making & the buttons, sewing etc
& by that time Jack was a fairly good rider &
was able to be of assistance in driving the
sheep home & help draft the sheep. He had
during the past few years, saved his money
to buy the odd sheep sold in the market etc
& each year found him with some dear little
lambs & his wool clip was no small
matter. he had has at 8 yrs of age the proud
possessor of 62 sheep & wool was getting rather
a rise in the market. Jack sheep never
mixed with the flock sheep. his were in smaller
paddocks near & around the house, as the
originals had all been pets he could get his
little flock home by calling & some just in a
saucepan. — Commenced primary Feb/23/ 8½ yrs
Christmas over & a new pony for school. Not
so quiet as the old one but reasonable so,
& many times he came home from the
paddocks walking & Bessie home awaiting him.
Jack rode about 5 miles each way to school. &
got along really well. and after about a week of
tests commenced in the upper 3^rd Class doing
fractions, money sums, geography excellent &
his mapping really good. & his scripture was in
advance of them.
Later the teacher told me he made up his
mind to what he called "Stump him". So
in his first week. The composition was to be
"Why he should not tell a lie". I think it was
me he was trying "to stump" instead of Jack.
So it was why we should not tell a lie.
The teacher said Jack wrote for a while &
then played with his pen, — all the rest of
the class writing furiously. After a while teacher

said "You had better get on with your
composition Jack. the others are on their second
page" Jack reply " I have finished Sir"
teacher said he looked at Jacks scrappy
little bit, later he repeated rather sharply
"Get on with your composition Jack" Jacks
reply the same again. "I have finished sir"
When the books came out most all had
2 pages & some more", Jacks read —
"When you to tell a lie, you have to tell a lot
more to bolster it up, anyway it is only
a coward that would tell a lie, & every one
detests cowards" .
Teacher "Where did you get that idea Jack"
Jack "My granfather (my father) told it to me
& any way it is right. I don't care who says
it isn't. it is right, because my Granfather
said so, & he does not tell a lie"
where upon Jack sat down as though his
say was final. So much for the first
week school, Jack obtained his Q.C. in his
3 yrs at school, but as the principal at Hurlstone
Agric College, said best to enter Hurlstone at 12 yrs
so he repeated his last year at Primary.
Came back up for Christmas & Jacks last day
at primary. Speaking to the boys generally &
itemising others. he said to Jack "he was
very sorry that he Jack had to move on & so
part with the old school but said he was
very proud of Jack & had never once had to
give him the cane. & how excellently they
had all got on together.
Jack just arose out of his seat walked to
the front — as I was not in the know. I
was a little alarmed — but Jack immediately
thanked the teacher & went on whith with
delivering his little speech regarding his
leaving the school etc. Then popping his
hand in his blazer pocket produced a
packet saying he had really enjoyed his
days ^at school. Thanked teacher for everything, etc. etc. but & ended up by saying
"If ever he had caused any worry or trouble
during that period" & handing teacher his
little parcel, "would he please like the
Indians smoke the pipe of peace" Jack
had been saving his money. I bought a
really nice pipe in a case thinking that was for his Father I heard
Dad just behind me say "My are Grey" 

During all his life he had not nor would
he eat any kinds of meat - not even drink
soups made with meats ^until he was past 8 yrs & in all his
after life meat was never a necessity
he may have it or he may not just
as he felt like it and poultry was to
him just the same he may enjoy the
seasoning & gravy without the meats.
During the four years that he rode
a horse to primary - I opened the front gate
each morning without except on the days that he did
go. He had to miss quite a bit as from
about the age of 3 yrs he had bronchal
asthma very badly & very very many were
the nights that I had to be up all night
_^& he had it consistently until the age of 14 yrs.
He had never been except a short few
hours (& then rarely) at the sea side &
never paddled as other children did.
When he did set off for school (after telling
me good bye for dozens of times & each time
finding a little bit more to tell me) it
would be with a rush. He came home the
same way into the house — tied up his
horse & flew into the house & say "I'm here"
or "Oh you are here" & then out & attend to
his horse — he just had to see me —
I just might add that he never had a
return of the bronchal trouble until after
entering the Army at the outbreak of war.
in 1939. They were camped at the beach at
Barrenjoey Lighthouse. He was so consistently
frightfully ill. I did not think he would live
& continued all the army training. After
leaving Australia on the Queen Mary he was
never ill with it again nor was he on the
desert.
At the Primary School the roll was 13 pupils so
they had plenty of attention. Jack obtained his Q.C.
in 3 yrs at school (but he started in his 3 yr class after. Very
advanced at everything. As he was too young
by one year to enter Hurlstone College he had
to do another year & went in with advanced
High School pass — after 4 yrs at primary.
Entered Hurlstone Feb /27.
The first pupil on the first day in
the first class

Commencing at Hurlstone, he could not
ride a horse & the Principal advised in
his case against boarding. which was
also our wishes. he had to get a
bicycle which of course he could ride
he soon settled in. After a few weeks
of leading his bike home - The other
pupils learning to ride the bike usually
left a few pieces missing. but he
eventually got a chain & lock & all was well

Note relating to family of
Elizabeth Edmondson, born Hurst,
as told by her to my mother
Olive Havard, of "Beanera" Liverpool.
Elizabeth Hurst was a grand-daughter
of — Angel, who was transported
to Australia after being convicted of
a crime of which he was innocent.
The perpetrator of this crime later
confessed. Angel accompanied
Hume & Hovell to on their famous
expedition to Port Philip, & later
settled in the Riverina. Here he
treated Aborigines with humanity
& would kill a bullock to feed
them. It is interesting that Hume
was known for his good
relations with the aborigines &
perhaps had some influence on
Angel. Elizabeth Hurst as a
child was taught by

Mary Gilmore (see Gilmore's poem
"Edmondson V.C." in the scrapbook
of Newsclippings.
My sister Senja & I first met
Mr & Mrs Edmondson when our
parents led a group from the RAHS
on a walking excursion across the
paddocks from Edmondsons "Forest
Home" to Denham Court & Leppington.
Lunching at Bunbury Curian on the
hill overlooking Varroville, we ended
our walk at Ingleburn Army Camp.
We often saw the Edmondsons in
Liverpool, & about 1950 I liked to
walk across the paddocks from
Bernera, through Schoeffels, to visit
Mrs Edmondson (Daniel Havard)
Windage
Fresh wind, 10-12 M.P.H
2
3 Strong wind 15-12 M.P.H
4
2
3
4

Mary Gilmore (see Gilmore's poem
"Edmondson V.C." in the scrapbook
of Newsclippings.
My sister Senja & I first met
Mr & Mrs Edmondson when our
parents led a group from the RAHS
on a walking excursion across the
paddocks from Edmondsons "Forest
Home" to Denham Court & Leppington.
Lunching at Bunbury Curian on the
hill overlooking Varroville, we ended
our walk at Ingleburn Army Camp.
We often saw the Edmondsons in
Liverpool, & about 1950 I liked to
walk across the paddocks from
Bernera, through Schoeffels, to visit
Mrs Edmondson (Daniel Havard)
Windage
Fresh wind, 10-12 M.P.H
2
3 Strong wind 15-12 M.P.H
4
2
3
4