NAME Richard Commins Hammond
BORN 19 January 1898
DIED
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 81129
UNIT 1st Depot Battalion
ENLISTED Melbourne 23 October 1918
DISCHARGED Melbourne 29 December 1918

Richard Commins Hammond acquired his land by transfer from his deceased brother Cyril Wilfred Hammond — SERN No. 668 — who had died on 31 August 1918 whilst serving with the 39th Battalion.[1]

The block in question consisted of 1107 acres and was in the County of Cooper, Parish of The Peak, Narrandera Land District. It was a Homestead Farm No. 1914/19. Richard Hammond applied for his loan on 21st April 1919.[2] There was some delay in obtaining the loan as there was no record of the land being formally transferred from Cyril to Richard.[3]

When Richard inspected the block around November 1919, there was no water. Writing on 3 April 1920, he said that he believed that there was no hope of living and working on the property as there as there was no water and no feed.[4]

Richard Hammond continued to struggle with the block and 3 October 1925 he had approval to lease his block to Neil Jagger Rogers for five years.[5] It seemed that Rogers did not remain on the property for the full term either as in 1929 it was again leased again to a Vincent Murphy for three years.[6]

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers Settlement loan files; [12/6856 No. 1409], R.C. Hammond to the Director Lands Settlement 5 April 1919.

[2] Ibid, Application for loan 21 April 1919.

[3] Ibid, G.R. Bryant to R.C. Hammond 5th August 1919.

[4] Ibid, 3 April 1920.

[5] Ibid, E.P. Fleming Under Secretary to N.J. Rogers Griffith, 3 October 1925 & Application for permission to transfer a holding by way of sale etc 16 September 1925

[6] Ibid, Application for permission to transfer a holding by way of sale etc 27 May 1929.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers Settlement loan files; [12/6856 No. 1409] Richard Commins Hammond.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Richard Commins Hammond) online: at:http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=4256151&I=1&SE=1.