A Land Fit for Heroes?

Some time prior to 10 November 1921, Harry Dibley made application for an advance as he planned to go into grazing and orchards.[1]  He stated he had 10 cows and two horses which were valued at £40 although no other assets.  His prospects were judged by the Local Repatriation Committee at Lithgow to be promising and his level of physical fitness was acceptable for the work required.  He stated that he would be able to maintain himself profitably by assisting his father who had a farm in the vicinity, before there were returns from stock or agriculture on his block.[2]

The property he intended obtaining was at Tarana, via Meadow Flat between Lithgow and Bathurst.  It was in the County of Cook, Parish of Falnash, Lithgow Land District.  It appears that by December 1921, he had not taken possession of the property as at this date, he outlined what he proposed to do on it, to the Director of Soldiers’ Settlements.[3] He believed he could make a good living and meet demands although he said, ‘he had no authority over the place’.[4]  ‘I am no stranger to the place …… and I have a good idea what the property is likely to produce.  Around this time he was not residing on the property and only intended doing so, ‘when he got charge of the place’.[5]

After he was turned down for the Tarana property, he wrote on 4 September 1922 to the Director of SS seeking permission to buy a small farm between Sunny Corner and Yetholme.  This property consisting of 165 acres wasn’t far from the first one at Tarana.  It is not known if he was successful in this second application for land, although there is an annotation on the bottom of Dibley’s letter written in September 1922, possibly by a member of staff from O/C Securities that states ‘no advance made’.

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW:  Lands Department;  NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/7299 8337], Report by the Secretary Lithgow Repatriation Committee Report 10 November 1921.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid, H. Dibley to the Director of SS, 3 December 1921.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW:  Lands Department;  NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/7299 8337] Harry Dibley.

National Archives of Australia;  B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Harry Dibley) online:  http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3504475