NAME Charles Edward Brady
BORN Abt. 1894
DIED 1966
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 14714
UNIT 3rd Coy. 1st Division Train
ENLISTED Warren 16 April 1917
DISCHARGED Sydney 24 October 1919

Charles Edward Brady’s block was in the County of Canbelego, Parish of Coreen, Nyngan land District.  It was a Homestead Farm No. 1918/2 consisting of 4320 acres.      Brady applied for his loan on 4 December 1919. [1]  The loan had supposedly been made available to him on 21 February 1920.

Yet there appears to have been problems with Brady receiving his full Advance. Mrs. Ethel White of the Bogan Shire (Nyngan) Local Repatriation Committee wrote to the Director of Soldier Settlement inquiring about the delay.[2]  In March Brady wrote again stating he had not got the loan and was very upset that he had to struggle along without it.

Perhaps if you were settled out here in this drought stricken part of the world you may have some idea of the conditions and ways the returned soldiers have to battle along.[3]

Delays in payments from his loan money continued for most of 1920. A year later Brady had health problems:  he had an accident to one of his eyes and was receiving treatment in Macquarie Street, Sydney.  The accident had occurred at the beginning of 1921 when he was fencing on his block ‘a wire flew up striking his the right eye of his glasses, smashing it into his eye cutting the pupil’.[4] To add to his problems, his wife also had to undergo an operation in July 1921.

Sometime in February 1922, he asked for an extension of time – 12 months – to repay his liabilities – this was approved. The Return Soldiers’ Settlement Branch requested that he occupy the block and develop the holding. By June 1922 Brady asked for permission to transfer his holding.  The transfer to John Steel of Richmond Road, Blacktown did appear to go ahead.[5]

 Footnotes 

[1] SRNSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files Application for Loan, [12/6959 No. 1661] Charles Edward Brady 4 December 1919.

[2] Ibid, Ethel White, Bogan Shire (Nyngan) Local Committee, 17 February 1920.

[3] Ibid, C.E. Brady to Director Return Soldiers’ Settlements, 15 March 1920.

[4] Ibid, C.E. Brady to Director Return Soldiers’ Settlements, 15 August 1921.

[5] Ibid, A.J.L. Flashman, Solicitor to Director of Soldiers’ Settlements 22 June 1922. 

Souces used to compile this entry:

 State Records of NSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files [12/6959 No. 1661] Charles Edward Brady.

National Archives of Australia:  B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Charles Edward Brady) online:  http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3110543