A Land Fit for Heroes?

 Robert James Hodgkinson applied for his Advance on 3 December 1919.  Approval for the Advance was given on 8 March 1920. His land, a Settlement Purchase No. 1920.27 consisting of 120 acres, was in the County of Raleigh, Parish of Bellingen, Land District of Bellingen. [1]   He wanted to use the property for milking so a part of the Advance was for the installation of milking machines and dairy stock. 

Some time in late 1919 or early 1920, another settler Harry H. Schwartzkoff wrote a very long letter to the Hon. Mr. Wearne at Parliament House stating that he had heard of a holding (but did not mention that it was Robert Hodgkinson’s) that was to be abandoned.[2]  He wanted to have Hodgkinson’s property transferred to him as his own property was leased for a period of five years at a very high figure, not leaving him much to live on.  Schwartzkoff’s letter caused quite a commotion at the Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch as they hadn’t been informed of Hodgkinson’s intentions to abandon his block. The RSS Branch wrote to Hodgkinson asking what his intentions were.[3] 

 There was some discussion by the Department of Lands that the normal terms of the transfer would be waived and that only a portion of the debt would be passed to person whom it was hoped the block would be transferred to.  It seems this did not occur. Schwartzkoff persisted writing again to the Department on 20 October 1922.[4] Hodgkinson’s neighbour G. T. Goy (his brother-in-law) who was on the neighbouring Settlement Purchase No. 1920.28 had also abandoned his holding sometime around November 1922. The transfers of Hodgkinson’s and Goy’s properties were being dealt with together.

 Around 31 October 1922, Hodgkinson was residing with Frank Gough. His wife and child have left the holding and part of the furniture had been sold on 18 October 1922.   Hodgkinson and his brother-in-law G.T. Goy purchased a picture show at Tumut for £600 out of the money they have received from the products of their joint holdings and they were not able to meet their obligations to the Crown.  Because of this Hodgkinson forfeited his right to have an extension of time to meet his obligations.  He was required to repay his Advance at once although was allowed three months to dispose of the block.

 Hodgkinson made several unsuccessful attempts to transfer his block, finally abandoning it in November 1922.  Milking plant and stock were sold to other soldier settlers in the area sometimes by ballot. In 1924, the Police Department and the Electoral Office were contacted as to his whereabouts which were unknown.

 Hodgkinson alleged that ill health and inexperience led to his failure as a soldier settler.  By 1928 he was working in a garage at Wollongong with a wife and four children to support.  His debt of £572.6.0 was written off as irrecoverable around February 1928.

 Footnotes

 [1] SRNSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files:  [12/6902 No.3051]  Robert James Hodgkinson, Application for loan 3 December 1919.

[2] Ibid, Harry H. Schwartzkoff to Hon Mr. Wearne cDecember 1919.

[3] Ibid, Returned Soldiers’ Settlement Branch to R.J. Hodgkinson c1922.

[4] Ibid, H. Schwartzkoff to Department of Lands 20 October 1922.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files [12/6902 No.3051]  Robert James Hodgkinson.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Robert James Hodgkinson) online:  http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=5283592