OXLADE FAMILY HISTORY
"Dwellers in the Valley of the Oaks"
BOTANY BAY
March 30th 1879.
My dear Wife,
I wrote you from Brisbane and telegraphed from here the moment I arrived. We had a splendid passage down scarcely a movement in the vessel until near Sydney. We left Brisbane at exactly 10am and as I wrote you, I wired Bob I was leaving, we all expected it would take 48 to 55 hours to get down but we landed here at exactly 7am and were only 43 hours. Of course Bob was not there to meet me so I went to the Hotel at which I stayed when here before.
I had breakfast and then made for the telegraph office to wire Bob when and where to meet me.I was just entering the room to write the telegram when I ran chock
against Daniel Gott, Supt. at Port Darwin, he sung out "Good God George is that you?" We had a talk and parted, he had to be on board the steamer for San Francisco on his way home for 12 months leave of absence.I had not seen him for over 9 years but he recognises me at a glance.I wired Bob and. went back to the Hotel to wait for him. I
had not been there over half an hour when I was a tall well draped
fellow step in. Instinct I suppose told me who it was and I followed, I found Bob looking to my eye as big a man as Weale. You can imagine it was hail fellow well met.We went into a. private room and had a long chat,then he took me to Tunches for dinner.Speculated in a new hat for me,and then had a stroll thro the gardens comparing notes.
We left York St at 6pm for home - Botany Bay - 6 miles from Sydneyby the bus.
I found he had a splendid little home and a really good thoroughly lady like little woman for a wife. I may as well say now that I have never met a more ladylike, homely, honest, unstuckup little woman in my life (except you). She commenced at once by calling ne George -and ,my own sisters could not have been more kind., familiar and anxious to please me. All ceremony was thrown -to the winds, I might have known her from childhood.. I am certain Louie you would find more than a sister in her. She is continually talking of you and wants very rnuch to get you here so as to have someone to whom she can open her mind and treat as a sister.
On Saturday I did nothing but walk around Sydney and gather what information I could, from a good look at the writing etc. I found Sydney contains some most magnificent work and some rubbish too.
I went on Saturday to your Uncles and was made very welcome. Mrs. Golding was just recovering, or rather getting about as you women call it after her confinement ,a fortnight ago - a girl. It is to be named after Annie.
Mrs. G. is very much like your father in features and has coal black hair. She is very pleasant and carries her age wonderfully. She looks quite
young compared with your father. It was no use going on Saturday afternoon hunting for work, so contented myself with Mr. Golding's promise to take me to see Mr. Taylor, the 2nd. Draughtsman in the Surveyor Generals Office on the Sunday.
We started and. called upon some friends of your Father's at Ashfield.. 1 think the name was Endsley, or some similar one. They were very high toned people living in style etc: Mrs. Endsley was the widow of some gentleman who was Cashier in one of the Banks many years ago. Mr. G. says they lived with, your Father's Mother for some time. They are great friends of your Aunt.
Mr. Taylor the draughtsman married one of Mrs. E's daughters. He lived a little way off and after about a couple of hours with the Endsleys we called. upon him. He also lived in style but seemed a thorough gentleman and had a very agreeable way with him. Mr. G. introduced the subject and Mr. T then told. me the situation was pretty stiff but added there were many amateurs employed also, and that one of the chief things requisite was ability to draw and letter well. He gave me his address and I am to call upon him this Monday morning. If I am not successful there I am then going round all the painters and will try the town right through between this and next Thursday. If I am successful by then I will telegraph.
No telegraph between this and next Sunday will mean that I have not yet got work.Robt,Mr & Mrs G. etc are all very anxious for us to live here and will do all they can to help us.Mr G will introduce me to some painters in a quiet way.
I do not like this being alone and almost wish I had brought you down with me. It is a continual worry to me thinking how you are getting on, I miss you both more than you can imagine.
Poor little Billy. How did he look when he found I was not in bed, in the morning? Kiss him 1,000 times for me. Directly I see my way clear I will send for you and you must come immediately I do.
I told you in my telegram I would write on Friday, but found there was no steamer until this afternoon. When you. get this you might send me a telegram if you can raise the 2/- addressed to G. Oxlade care R. Oxlade, La Perouse, Sydney, saying if all is right with you and Willie. No news from you will drive me back quicker than ever.
I will not fail to let you know the moment 1 see a way of getting our living here. I don't want to return for work as I think after I become a little better known there will be much better chances here for me than in Queensland.
.I got up very early this morning in order to finish this so as to get it in the post early.None of the rest are moving yet and it is close upon 7 !
Well Louie I must leave you until the next steamer when I will write again. I hope and trust you are both well and I am certain you will by hook or crook manage another week and by that time we shall know the result.
Good bye my girl, you have all the love its possible for me to
give or possess -divided between you and. Willie and with a kiss to both. (I wish I could give them otherwise than on paper).
Your loving husband
GEORGE
George OXLADE must have left his wife Louisa Maria BYERS and their son Willie(named after George's Father and Brother) behind in Toowoomba, Queensland while he looked for work in Sydney, N.S.W. This was quite a journey. He would have travelled in a Cobb & Co. coach from Toowoomba to Brisbane which was about 80 miles (130k) away, on very rough roads down the very steep mountain range. Even today there are safety ramps all the way down for cars which lose their brakes during the steep descent. From Brisbane, as he tells Louie it was anything up to about 60 hours by steamship to Sydney.
George seems to have left York at age 15 and come to Brisbane, possibly with a relative Charles Thomas OXLAD (this family have retained this version of the old spelling to this day) in 1863. It is unclear whether he returned to England but he was in Darwin around 1870-71 when the undersea cable arrived. Both his brothers Willie and Robert were in the Far East with the Cable Company and it is thought that George may have been also. George won a Gold Medal for drawing at the Paris Exposition about 1870 so he may have been employed by the Cable Company to record the process.
Robert was 8 when George left England and by the way George speaks of Robert in his letter to Louie he hadn't seen him as an adult. Robert worked for the Cable Company in New Zealand where he married Sara Stanton before coming to Botany Bay in Sydney around 1878.
George doesn't appear to have found work in Sydney as in 1883 he opened his own firm of Signwriters and Paint and Artist Supplies which exists to this day.
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