Chapter 11 - The Charleys of Australia

 

Chapter 11

The Charleys of Australia

It was through Jesse Charley of the Birmingham Charleys who was 80 years old on the one occasion the writer met him at his home in Clapham Junction, London, that she heard there were Charleys in Australia. He was rambling and disjointed in his facts, though much he recounted has been confirmed from other sources. Jesse Charley spoke of great wealth in the Charley family and how he had gone to Australia, financed by his brothers in Birmingham, to dispute the will of a Charley who had died intestate. He returned with no information whatsoever and did not meet any member of the family. He however knew vaguely of the romantic story about a Charley finding silver at Broken Hill.

Little was discovered about this branch of the family until the writer’s elder brother Reginald Charley, then of Stafford, went out to Australia in 1947 on business for the English Electric Co. He enquired about the family from the town clerk of Sydney who suggested he should meet the Charley solicitors and they introduced him to a garage company named Charley and Lord. Through them he met Nell Charley, now Mrs. Harnett.

A letter addressed to Colonel Harold Charley of Belfast from Mrs. Blackwell of Australia, whose father, a Hill Charley was a son of the Finaghy, Belfast, Charleys, was sent to the author for answer. She then wrote and asked Mrs. Blackwell if she could help trace Philip Charley as the family had no knowledge of their forbears. Mrs. Blackwell went to Ballarat and procured a copy of the birth certificate of Philip George Charley who was born there in 1863. The certificate states that Philip Charley aged 41, coach painter of North Moulton, Devonshire, England, whose wife was Catherine Thompson aged 33, of Hackney, London had a son Philip George who was born June 17^th, 1863 at Ballarat, East Victoria. They were married at Haggerston, Middlesex, England. Other children of this couple at this time were William (deceased), Harriet 6 years, Mary Ann 4 years, Rebecca 2 years. Another son William Thomas was born later; he became a Colonel in the Australian Cavalry. There was also another son later called John.

The birth of Philip George was registered on July 20^th, 1863 at Ballarat. Dr. Hillas was the accoucheur. These facts were not known to the Charleys in Australia until learned in this way. From the help and interest of the family in Sydney and elsewhere a romantic story has been woven and will be recounted as accurately as possible.

The first Philip Charley of North Moulton, Devonshire, born in 1822, it can be surmised, was a bad lad of the family. He settled in Ballarat where in 1851 the gold rush was attracting adventurers from all over the world. As mentioned in Chapter 10, his father was James Charley, a tallow melter from Devonshire.

His early death from drink left his children orphans, as Mrs. Charley died when her last child was born. A request that the children should be brought up in the Protestant faith is, it is thought, significant when the fate of the Chorleys of Chorley is remembered. These children spent their early years in an orphanage. No trace has been left of their father.

Philip George was not a strong lad and he was first articled in the firm of McCullocks, solicitors of Melbourne.

When visiting the National Smelting Corporation of Avonmouth, during the Second World War in connection with the writer’s work with the Royal College of Nursing and the development of industrial nursing, the manager referred to her name and asked if she knew the story of the beginning of the Broken Hill silver mine. It appeared that young Philip Charley was jackarooing (rounding up sheep) on Mount Gipps Station where he worked when his horse threw him. On investigation he found in the hoof a lump of soil which glittered and sparkled. A game of euchre in which he and his partners took part, played an important part in the story. With David James Rasp, G.A.M. Lind, J. Poole, G. McCullock, Paddy Green, D. James and Philip Charley a syndicate of seven was formed and this was the beginning of Broken Hill Proprietory (B.H.P.) Mines. This historic game of Euchre was played on September 5^th, 1883. Shortly afterwards Philip discovered extensive deposits of chlorides of silver. It was estimated that by the beginning of World War II £157,000,000 of silver had been mined. The first mine was named Rasps Shaft. The Hill of Mullock (named in derision because no minerals had been found) is another name given to this site. The original share in this mine was bought by Philip Charley for £100 and six years later was worth £1.25 million. He was then 25 years old. This story is fully recounted in the book about the early days of B.H.P. called “From Silver to Steel” by Roy Bridges, Melbourne 1920.

It was well known in Australia that Philip Charley was a much respected citizen. He amassed a great fortune and built an enormous mansion named Belmont Park, Richmond, New South Wales. He also owned Greystones totalling 10,000 acres. Besides his primary interest in mining, he was a pioneer cattle breeder and introduced red poll cattle from England to Australia. He was founder of the Royal Agricultural Society of Australia, the annual show being one of the greatest social events in New South Wales. He led the Australian Light Horse at the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, Mrs. Charley and their daughter Adeline watching from a window overlooking the Strand.

Rebecca Charley, youngest sister of old Philip, married John Love. Their children were Nigel, Agnes, John, Marjorie, Dorothy and Muriel (Pinkie and Pearl, twins).

It was a pleasure for the writer to meet Nigel and his wife in England in 1950. He is a keen yachtsman and then owned “South Winds” built in Sweden. She also met Muriel Edwards, Nigel’s sister, a charming writer and playwright for the Australian Broadcasting Co. Harriet died young; it is understood she married a Mr. Foster and had four children. Mary Ann married James Shannon and had James, Ernest, Eva, Ethel and Jean. John married Stella Shepard and had one son, Walter and two daughters, Ethel (unmarried) and Vera who married a Mr. Spragg.

Colonel William Thomas Charley, old Philip’s brother, married May Tasker. His children are William and Claire. He experimented in growing tobacco in Australia.

From the Official History of Australia 1914-1918, Volume II, it is noted that Major William Thomas Charley and other officers led two squadrons to seize the pass at Khan Ayash near Damascus in Syria. The action took place on October 1^st, 1918. He belonged to the 9^th Light Horse Regiment. A footnote states he was born in Ballarat, Victoria, September 7^th, 1867.

Belmont Park was built by Philip Charley in 1892, the foundation stone being laid by Adeline, then 5 years old. It cost £56,000 only nine years after his lucky discovery of silver. Lying high over the green plains of Richmond and Hawkesbury Valley, with the misty Blue Mountains in the distance, it has a fine position. Into its erection went elaborate architectural planning, the work of Greenaway, a pardoned convict who later became an architect. The mansion has 15 rooms. It is flanked by twin turrets and dominated by a watch tower. There are steps of imported marble leading to a vestibule with a mosaic floor. An Italian marble bathroom, billiard room, glass domed bedroom and in the garden a grotto, fern houses and a kangaroo house were other features. The woodwork inside is of amazing beauty, carved and polished by Italian and English workmen imported for the purpose.

Philip Charley was known as the ‘Major.’ He married Clara Ewings, chief telephone operator of Adelaide. He died in 1936. Their children were:

1.      Adelaide (Adeline) b. 1887, a missionary with the China Inland Mission, she married the Reverend Robinson and had three sons, Peter, James and John.

2.      Sir Philip Belmont, b. 1894. Knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honours 1968 for his services to primary industry. He has been President of the Royal Agricultural Society, Sydney, New South Wales since 1965. He married firstly Norma who died in 1955. They had three daughters Joan McLennon, Mary Rickard (and one granddaughter), Annette Clifton (and three grandsons) and one son Philip (and a grandson Philip). He married secondly, Mylanway Rickard.

3.      Noel George Belmont (Bob), married Jean Lindsey, daughter of Sir Lionel Lindsey, the artist and etcher. Their children are Helen, Jim and Robin.

4.      Herbert John Belmont, Aide de Camp to General Charlie Cox of The Australian Light Horse, was at General Allenby’s entry to Jerusalem and appears in the official picture of that historic event. John’s son, John, was killed over Holland in the Second World War.

5.      Vera, married Agnew, died young in Tasmania, she had two sons, Stewart and Eric and four daughters, Nancye Grant, Adeline Grant, Beverley Agnew and Lucy Gleadow.

6.      Clara Belmont (Nell) – Mrs. Harnett. She has a son John who married Joan and also had four grandchildren Nancy, B. 1959, John, b. 1962, Susan, b. 1963 and James b. 1966.

7.      Welford Belmont has three children, Carol, Jim and Michael

8.      Adrian Belmont who married in 1964.

When the writer was in Australia in 1961 the Charley family took her to Belmont Park which is now a mental hospital, administered by a religious order. Old Philip’s family who were born in the house were all christened Belmont as a second name. She was given every opportunity to see the high standard of nursing care practised by the Fathers. Those of the family who remembered the old days were interested to see the new use to which their bedrooms and other offices were being put. The view from the turrets was magnificent and extensive.

Philip Charley – a daughter’s memory

Adeline Robinson gave this sketch of her father Philip Charley. A retiring and very generous man, he would help anyone who asked but his benevolence was never known. He wore celluloid collars two sizes too large and used his stiff shirt cuffs to make pencilled notes. He would look for oil with a match. Philip Charley was called the “Silver King of Australia,” and Kidman, his friend, the “Cattle King.” He owned the first Rolls Royce in New South Wales, also the Belmont stud and bred Hackneys at Zarung in South Australia. As children they would excitedly examine all police horses in Sydney and look for the Charley brand mark, which was a C within a crescent. Buyers would come to purchase all the horses which could be produced.

Adeline said Mrs. Philip Charley of Haggerston, England, who was buried in Belfast, died when her last son William was born. At his wife’s death Philip was drunk and the children playing wildly in the street. The police took them to an orphanage. A request was made that they should be brought up in the Protestant faith. A tombstone in Ballarat, later erected by Philip to his mother, bears the following inscription:

“To the memory of Catherine Harriet Charley, native of Hackney England, who died 30^th July, 1870, aged 42 years. This last token of love was erected by her sons and daughters.” This does not appear to be corroborated by the previous note on William Thomas’s date of birth.

Adeline said her father, Philip, was a bright lad and was articled to McCullocks, a firm of solicitors in Melbourne. As he grew up he was very mindful of his brothers and sisters and helped in their education. Mrs. Philip Charley’s sister, Aunt Annie, who was a cripple, lived at Belmont Park. Another sister married Fred Dietrich.

Another daughter’s memory

Mrs. Nell Harnett said it was Philip Charley’s custom to give his wife a magnificent opalescent pearl on the birth of each child. Nell had three of these pearls, one dusky in colour, made into a brooch on her visit to England. The work was done by Herring Morgan and Southron, jewellers, 9 Berwick Street, London, W.1. Philip Charley was well known in Sydney jewellery circles to recognise a good gem when he saw one. His knowledge was extremely wide for a layman, and he purchased very fine pieces of jewellery for his wife.

Belmont Park was magnificently furnished with priceless hangings and objets d’art from the Orient. Philip was a great admirer of Eastern art, ivories, embroideries, etc. When Belmont Park was sold Sydney Corporation acquired many examples of the highest standard which are displayed in a Sydney museum. These the writer has seen.

Further notes about Philip Charley’s youth

An extract from The Daily Telegraph May 28^th, 1957 – Broken Hill Supplement.

From 1876-1880 prospecting had been more or less successful in many isolated spots round Broken Hill and at Silverton a prosperous township grew up (It is now a ghost town). At Merindie an Irishman, Patrick Green ran a store, his supplies coming up from Adelaide, The journey occupying a month or more. Travelling overland in those days one met a curious company of drovers with their stock from the stations, drivers of the camel trains and teamsters carrying wool for Adelaide. Paddy Green knew well this district around Broken Hill and noticed the glittering ore and decided to have it tested. He raised 36 tons of ore and carted it to Terowie to be sent to Adelaide for shipment to London where it could be assayed. The load of ore which could have revealed the riches of the Barrier as early as 1876 never reached England. The voyage was tempestuous and it became necessary to lighten the cargo, so the precious ore was jettisoned. Paddy Green decided to try again. In 1878 he raised 100 tons and had it sent to London but it was two years before the report reached him. This showed 35 ounces of silver and 60% of lead to the ton. Prospecting around the Barrier was renewed with feverish activity.

In 1866 the Mount Gipps run in the Albert District of New South Wales was owned by a firm of solicitors named McCullock, Sellars and Company of whom Sir James McCullock, Premier of the State of Victoria, was the principal. The vast run of 1400 square miles encased the Broken Hill. Five years later James McCullock placed his nephew as manager of Mount Gipps Station.

It was to this station that Philip Charley was sent as his health was failing and life as a clerk in the Melbourne office was not suitable for the ailing tuberculosis boy. He was a jackaroo and this outdoor life was what he needed. In time he became the best shot when hunting kangaroos and as a premium was paid for each kill, Philip’s handicap was heavy.

A peculiar hump – backed range known to the aborigines as Wilyana had long intrigued Charles Rasp, a young German born boundary rider from Mount Gipps Station. Thirty nine years earlier Captain Charles Sturt, the intrepid explorer who lost his life in the desert, had gazed on this range which he called the Broken Hill. The miners from nearby Silverton contemptuously referred to it as the Hill of Mullock.

In September 1883 young Rasp, defying the order of his employer George McCullock decided to prospect the big outcrop in a corner of the sheep station about 12 miles from the homestead.

He chipped the outcrop and filled his pockets with jagged pieces of ore which he believed to be tin. That tin turned out to be a mountain of silver. When Rasp returned to the hut that night he showed the ore to his mates, David James and James Poole. The three men then went back to the hill and pegged out a 40 acre claim. Back went Rasp to McCullock expecting the sack. But McCullock was as keen as Rasp to prospect the hill and proposed a Syndicate of Seven to peg out a claim of 320 acres. The Syndicate included George McCullock Manager of Mount Gipps Station, Philip Charley station hand, G. Urquhart sheep overseer, G.A. Lind storekeeper and bookkeeper, Charles Rasp boundary rider, David James owner of bullock teams and James Poole his mate.

Disappointment lay ahead. 1883-4 were years of searing drought and water was scarce. No work was carried out in 1883. First samples sent for assay showed only slight traces of silver and no tin. The seven partners, each of whom was paying £1 a week to work the mine became restive, so they split the seven shares in half to recover some of their capital, Still the partners struggled on till Lind decided to quit and sold his share to Mccullock. Urquhart, the next to go, sold his share to Sam Hawkins, the station carpenter.

Then Jameson, a mining engineer, arrived. He had been on survey in Silverton. He made a deal with Rasp and James paying each £110 for half a share and £100 to Philip Charley for a third half share. Thus Jameson owned 3/14^th of the mine for which he had paid £320, and in a game of euchre a new chum, Cox, won a half share from McCullock.

One day, a little later, Philip Charley picked up a piece of rock, scraped it with his knife, and recognised precious chlorides of silver. Samples sent to Adelaide assayed between 700 and 800 ounces to the ton of ore.

In June 1885 the Broken Hill Proprietory Co. Ltd. was formed with a capital of 16,000 £20 shares. In 34 years the company paid the shareholders £10.25 million in cash dividends. Mineral output was 173,000,000 ounces of silver, 1,000,000 tons of lead and 102,000 ounces of gold. Philip Charley was a millionaire at 25.

Adeline told that the Charley fortunes continued and Philip’s interest in mining spread to copper (Great Fitzroy Mine, New South Wales) and to gold in New Guinea, and to other agricultural pursuits.

It was when in England with his wife and Adeline, a daughter, that serious news reached him owing to his business partner having cheated him. Adeline saw him write a cheque for £82,000 so that the shareholders would not suffer. He himself, however, was sorely hit financially.

Philip Charley died in 1936 at Rose Bay Sydney, and is buried in a simple grave at Windsor near Belmont. The writer has visited the grave.

When she was in New South Wales in 1961, she was taken by air to Broken Hill by Dr. W.E. George and Miss E.G. Roach, Adviser, Division of Occupational Health of New South Wales, and was the guest of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company for several days. The story of the fight against disease which troubled “The Hill” after the early typhoid epidemics had been quelled has been graphically described in “Down Argent Street” by George Farwill, published in 1948. The following are extracts:

“Mining the world over was held to be a perilous occupation and this field was no exception. “Dusted lungs,” tuberculosis, lead poisoning were too often realities. A quarter of a century ago few were optimistic enough to believe that such industrial diseases might be virtually wiped out. Yet that is what has occurred in “The Hill” due to the astonishing work of the Bureau of Medical Inspection which from 1923 onwards was under the direction of Dr. W.E. George.”

“A big, alert, scrupulously efficient figure with a direct and easy manner, he was one of the best known men in “The Hill,” certainly one of the most respected.”

“When Broken Hill was visited in 1946 by the late Professor Jones, Britain’s foremost medical authority on mining affairs, he expressed astonishment at the health conditions, declaring that he had not believed such progress possible.”

“Lead poisoning was no longer considered an industrial hazard. During the years 1941-46 there were only 21 applications for examination under the Workmen’s Compensation Act and in only two instances were the certificate for plumbism received.”

“Equally impressive have been the results in combatting pneumoconiosis and pulmonary tuberculosis.”

“The weight of evidence proved that in the Broken Hill mines the two major diseases were frequently developed together and the type of worker most vulnerable was the machine miner.”

“The Commission which had studied the problem decided that a liberal use of water to lay the dust was essential. Water was to be sprayed on the rock face from the drill, the rate suggested being at least one gallon per minute; all ore was to be kept wet while the men were handling it. It was also agreed that the firing of explosives be allowed only at the end of each shift, that thirty minutes then elapse before resumption by the next party, thus allowing fumes and dust to clear.”

“A five day working week was introduced with seven hour shifts underground. The 30 minute interval between firing was increased to an hour. Behind all these technical improvements was the mind and dogged perseverance of Dr. George and later, when he became Medical Office of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company he could enjoy with justifiable pride the satisfaction of a job well done.”

As her host, Dr. George arranged visits for her to see everything in Broken Hill. In terrific heat they drove through the arid terra-cotta coloured desert, sparsely covered with pearl-grey salt busy and mulga trees growing only where water collects when the drought breaks. In periods of drought the sheep eat the tiny red and yellow seeds of the bush as there is little else. They visited the isolated Blazing Stump, a desert ‘pub’ and one wondered where the customers came from. It was near Silverton, the ghost town where little remains from the “silver rush” days but skeleton houses and dreary ruins. Absolutely flat sandy country everywhere stretched for mile upon mile and her one and only experience of a mirage – palm trees beside a lake – will never be forgotten. A Willy Willy is a name given to a small whirlwind of sand and these were all around. The dreaded sandstorm was only seen in picture books shown her by an old inhabitant.

It was in country like this, first seen by the explorer Sturt as he followed the same mysterious phenomenon of the mirage, (it was thought that there was an inland sea in the centre of Australia) that Philip Charley spent some of his adolescence before making his epoch making discovery of silver chlorides. Mount Gipps homestead where he lived with the family of McCullock is now a ruin, but the station on the line which he used when going to Adelaide, the nearest town, still operates when an occasional train calls.

There were a few skeletons of sheep and kangaroos in the sand, their bones bleached white by the blazing sun.

Drifting sand is ever in the desert and in 1941 a storm the like of which cannot be remembered in Broken Hill caused havoc to homes and streets. The authorities said nothing could be done, but one dreamer, by name Albert Morris, believed sand could be checked by planting suitable trees with an appropriate root system. Water was out of the question and rabbits ate every vestige of growth as soon as it appeared. The sceptics scoffed. But Albert Morris is now remembered by a magnificent park named after him. Lakes covering 3.5 acres, a home for many wildfowl, are surrounded by mulgas, cassias, eucalyptus, tea trees, tamarix, wattles and many others. Hundreds of grasses firmly binding together their roots have stopped the erosion and Broken Hill is becoming a garden city in a nine inch rainfall country. Unfortunately Albert Morris died before his work was completed.

There were many highlights in the writer’s visit, one happy memory being the magnificent dinner party given for her by the Company at their guesthouse which is surrounded by the work of Albert Morris. The red geraniums were a magnificent background to a large party of managers and their wives together with the matron of the hospital. Lobsters were served and when commenting on the fact that the ocean was 700 miles away, the Managing Director said they always like to have an excuse to have a party and this was a special one! That morning she had spoken to all top management noting how young they were and that each wore a spotless white nylon shirt. The manager remembered as a boy seeing the camel trains slowly trailing through the desert, though there are few in these modern days.

Although a Medical Officer was employed and a fine modern Medical Centre had been built at the Mine, no occupational health nurse had been appointed, but before the meeting closed she was assured this omission would be corrected. It has been!

A visit to the Town Hall where she met Mr. A. Crowley, the Town Clerk, led to an introduction to the librarian, Mr. Gough, who was excited to meet a Charley who could perhaps complete his dossier of Philip Charley’s life. The writer gave some help at the time and has sent more later. The Press were insistent that she should give them an interview and this she was happy to do.

Even during such a whirlwind visit the Flying Doctor Service could not be missed, and an interesting hour was spent at the headquarters of the Service listening to a Veterinary Surgeon transmitting advice on animal diseases and what to do in the far away stations.

A morning was enjoyed with the “School of the Air,” under the direction of Miss Gibbs a dedicated school teacher who had conceived and developed a radio school for hundreds of children in the ‘outback.’ It was Maundy Thursday and she told the Easter story to her invisible class, and back through the earphones came their delightful answers. They were asked to sing to the writer. ‘There is a green hill far away.’ As no tuning fork was available, their little voices in many keys and tones came through to a delightful cacophony of sound. The children have a school uniform and at all costs they would not miss their annual school picnic though transport is very difficult.

The writer promised to broadcast to the people of Broken Hill and time was pressing, but the recorders chased her to the airport and she was happy to speak for five minutes on her pleasure at being able to visit Broken Hill and to see the tremendous strides which had been made since Philip Charley worked there as a youth.