NAME Wilfred Daniel Carr
BORN Abt. 1894
DIED  
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 3511A
UNIT 54th Battalion
ENLISTED Cootamundra 30 August 1915
DISCHARGED Sydney 19 May 1919 – Prisoner of War Germany

 Wilfred Carr took up a holding of 690 acres in the County of Bourke, Parish of Fennel, Narrandera Land District.[1]  He applied for his loan on the 7 April 1921 and it was approved on the 11 July 1921.[2]  The holding was a part of Billaah Estate, Grong Grong and was a Settlement Purchase No. 1921.15.  Continuous residence commenced 31 May 1921.[3] On  9 July 1923, he applied for an extension of time to pay amounts due on his advance.[4]

 At around the same time but possibly prior to this, Carr also secured a private loan of £500 (in the form of a second mortgage) from St. George Starr Bowkett Society.  He wrote to the Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch asking permission to erect a home on his farm as he anticipated getting married shortly.[5]  The house was to be used as security for the loan. The Department had no objection to this.[6]

 Carr continued to be behind with his repayments and on 27 September 1924, he wrote again outlining his inability to repay his debts, ‘I have been most unfortunate since taking over my farm and never harvested a decent crop’.  He went on, ‘re: my executing a crop lien … I regret that I have been already compelled to give a lien to my store-keeper’.[7]  He believed he was therefore unable to execute a second lien.[8]  He wrote outlining his reasons for not executing the lien and the Department decided he would not be forced to execute one at this date.[9]

 By 8 April 1925, Carr was granted an extension of time until 31 January 1926 to pay his arrears provided he effected improvements to the value of £250 and signed a crop lien in favour of the Minister for the sum of £500.[10]  Problems about having to execute a crop lien continued.  Around August 1925 however, he stated that he hadn’t been able to pay any of his instalments on either land or advance.

I have had a wretched time and have been struggling along under adverse circumstances since I began.  Whilst besides it is very low lying country with two thirds gilgai land, consequently it suffers in wet seasons such as this, as the water lies on the ground which as you know is very detrimental to wheat growing.[11]  

On 10 September 1925, Carr received a letter from the Deptment of Lands stating that ‘after most careful consideration the Minister could not see his way clear to dispense with the lien’.[12]

The letter from the Department went on,

With regard to the lien now asked for, I would point out that the amount represented is considerably less than your actual indebtedness and you must admit that in this connection the Department has been very forbearing. I may say that the Department is always prepared to grant responsible concessions when circumstance warrant but naturally expects something in return, and so far you have not responded to the generous terms afforded you and have paid nothing at all.[13]

Even up to 4 February, problems about the execution of the lien continued.  When reporting to the Under-secretary, W.E. Sharpe of the Rural Industries Branch reported, ‘He (Carr) failed to give this lien when called upon giving as his reason, that his storekeeper would stop his credit if (the) lien was executed’.[14]

Sometime toward the end of 1926, Carr transferred the property to H.R. Meyer. Carr paid off his Advance by 3 February 1927.[15]

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/7240 No. 7353] Application for Loan 7 April 1921.

[2] Ibid, Application for an Advance 9 July 1921.

[3] Ibid, Inspection of Returned Soldiers Holding 19 June 1923.

[4] Ibid, Application for extension of time to pay amounts due on Advance 9 July 1923.

[5] Ibid,W.D. Carr to the Director of SS 21 July 1923.

[6] Ibid, Under Secretary to W.D. Carr 9 August 1923.

[7] Ibid, W.D. Carr to E.P. Fleming Under Secretary,  27 September 1924.

[8] Ibid, epartment of Lands Memorandum, 17 October 1924.

[9] Ibid, W.D. Carr to Mr Wearne Minister for Lands 30 November 1924;  Minister for Lands  to W.D. Carr 4 December 1924.

[10] Ibid, J. French CP Inspector to the District Surveyor Hay, 8 April 1925.

[11] Ibid, W.D. Carr to P.F. Laughlin 21 August 1925:  Gilgai land has large hollow areas, where water settles.

[12] Ibid, Under Secretary for Lands to Carr 10 September 1925.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid, W.E. Sharpe Officer in Charge Rural Industries Branch to Under Secretary 4 February 1926.

[15] Ibid, Department of Lands Memorandum8 August 1927.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files;  [12/7240 No. 7353] Wilfred Daniel Carr.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Wilfred Daniel Carr) online: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3209403