NAME Trevor Mort BRENTNALL
BORN c1891
DIED c1962
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 1006
UNIT 6th Light Horse
ENLISTED Liverpool 3 February 1915
DISCHARGED Sydney 10 August 1919

Trevor Mort Brentnall obtained Crown Lease No 1917.15 by transfer from John Strange Sullivan. The property was located in the County of Hardinge and Sandon in the Parish of Sandy Creek, Armidale Land District and Brentnall applied for his Advance on 23 February 1920.[1] The transfer of the property from Sullivan was approved on 18 November 1919 – Brentnall taking residency on the 26 November.  Brentnall was not to be responsible for Sullivan’s debts but agreed that he would pay an amount of £200 owed by Sullivan for fencing.[2] Taking up residency was not all he had hoped for however as on 27 January 1922, he advised the Returned Soldiers Settlement Board that he was not in a position to pay the interest owing on his block, as he had to go away to find work.   ‘So as to keep the place as it will not keep me’ he wrote.[3]

Life on the block continued to be difficult and as a consequence, he applied to transfer the property – approval for this had to have ministerial consent. He was also told that if he were to transfer to a civilian, he would have to pay the full amount owing of £237.15.6.with interest.[4]  His wife was not well at this time either, another reason for wanting to leave the holding.

On 17 July 1922, he wrote again to the Director of Soldier Settlements,

I am not in a position to meet my interest payments of £18.5.8. I have already put £350 of my own cash into the place and cannot get any returns back.  Also, put my own labour into the place for two years, but cannot afford to work (it) any longer … I have lost enough on the place now and I am only struggling along.  I have a family of six children to keep.[5]

He was advised that non-payment of the amount owing would mean his block would be forfeited.   On 26 March 1923 he advised the Department of Lands that he was going to put his property up for Auction although the Department was against this move. It appears though that the property was transferred to Seth Ward not long after this.[6]   Trevor Brentnall paid off his loan in full on 15 May 1925.[7]

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files [12/6901 No. 3036] Trevor Mort Brentnall, Application for Loan 23 February 1920.

[2] Ibid, T.W. Irish to W.E. Wearne 10 December 1919.

[3] Ibid, T.M. Brentnall to Director Soldier Settlements 27 January 1922.

[4] Ibid, Returned Soldiers Settlement Board to District Surveyor 10 April 1923.

[5] Ibid, T.M. Brentnall to District Surveyor 17 July 1922.

[6] Ibid, C.L. McKenzie to Under Secretary for Lands 4 February 1925.

[7] Ibid, Department of Lands Memorandum 29 May 1925.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files, [12/6901 No. 3036] Trevor Mort Brentnall.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Trevor Mort Brentnall) online:  http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3118452