NAME Alexander LITHGOW
LOCATION NUMBER: [12/6903 No. 4912] [12/7050 No  4912] Lithgow is also mentioned in Loan file [12/6903, No. 3063] which related to the transfer of a property from another Soldier Settler Frank Christopher Hanckel
BORN Bendigo Vict 1892
DIED Poss. 1973
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 414
UNIT OR BATTALION 1st ALH
ENLISTED Sydney 22 August 1914
DISCHARGED Sydney 24 Feb 1916

a man who is on land takes on an exacting business which calls for brains, initiative, courage and hard work

Alexander Lithgow’s block of land was a Settlement Purchase No. 1920/22 consisting of 375 acres.  Lithgow commenced living on his holding around May 1920.  He applied for his Loan on 22 May 1920 with approval given on 2 July 1920. [1] The block was located in the County of Gowen, Parish of Biralbung, Land district of Coonamble  about 7 miles north east of Gilgandra by good road. The property was known as ‘Ellengowan’.
Lithgow wanted to use the property for farming and grazing having acquired the holding from his father for £3.12.6 per acre. The Valuers of the Advisory Board estimated it had a capital value of £4.13.1.  Even though the holding was judged by the Soldier Settlers’ Home Maintenance Area Board to be insufficient for home maintenance with 1100 or 1200 acres more suitable for the locality, the size was deemed suitable for Lithgow’s current requirements.[2]

Disputes immediately arose about the capital value of the property. The size of the property particularly proved to be contentious with discussion and argument about its size, continuing for some time. The Dept of Lands believed that Lithgow should have been fully acquainted with the property before he took it up because he had entered into the contract with his father voluntarily. Lithgow thought otherwise: ‘I was not well acquainted with the land because that portion of it was green; even if all you state in your letter is correct that won’t pay the rent’. He applied for re-appraisement of the property’s capital value but because it was obtained under the Closer Settlement Promotion Act, no set policies for holdings such as his had been formulated with the process still being reviewed.  After appraisement however, capital value remained unchanged.[3]

8 February 1922 – the Under-secretary reported that:

It was never contended that this farm was a home maintenance area (the CS Promotion provisions do not necessarily require this) but selector got all he asked for at a reasonable price and if he wanted a larger area he could have gone elsewhere.  As it was a part of his father’s property it would be strange if he were not well acquainted with it.  Even so, it was his business to make himself acquainted before applying.

If Lithgow’s wishes of 2 years ago had not been met there would have been an outcry as reports were favourable, value endorsed, the farm a going concern and a comfortable homestead.  Now, having got what he asked for, he blames the Department for giving it to him, and obviously any effort to satisfy this discharged soldier is an attempt at the impossible.[4]

On 11 February 1922, Lithgow was given permission to find another block, but only on the condition that all his current instalments be paid when they were due.[5]

On 16 December 1925, he still hadn’t found another buyer for the property and was again stating that the property was too small.  He also stated that he couldn’t pay anything.  He did have a buyer earlier for the property but the Dept hadn’t allowed him to sell because the buyer wasn’t a returned soldier.  ‘There is so much dam[n] red tape’, Lithgow complained, expressing the frustration felt by many soldier settlers.[6]

Instead of offering a livelihood, the property seemed only to accumulate more and more debt.  It was, as Lithgow put it, ‘impossible to pay rents of 375 acres of inferior land.’ [7]

In September 1926, consent was given to transfer the holding to a Gordon Gilmour Alderman.[8] After much negotiation about price and conditions it was stated on 2 March 1927 that the transfer to Alderman ‘had fallen through’. In July 1927, Lithgow was still on Ellangowan and conditions seemed to deteriorate daily. He contacted the Dept of Lands staying that he was unable to pay arrears, that his horses were dying and he had used all his seed wheat.  ‘If dry weather were to continue more of his horses would die’.[9]

There was still discussion in August 1927 about transferring the property ‘ if you were to transfer to a civilian it would be necessary for your advance to be repaid in full with interest, but if you were selling to an eligible returned soldier arrangements might be made for him to accept your liability’.  At this time there was £526.2.4 outstanding from his advance.[10]

Around February 1928, he was asked to execute a lien in favour of the Minister of Lands to secure payment of one-third of any crops sown on shares.  This Lithgow refused to do.  There remained a serious matter of contention between him and the Dept of Lands.  On 14 February 1928, he was asked by Under-Secretary Roper, ‘were there any developments in the matter of a proposed transfer and did he propose to remain on the holding’?

By June 1928 problems continued for Lithgow with the inspector reporting that the full 170 acres ‘had to be re-sown owing to damage by grasshoppers – prospects bad.  If rain does not fall within a week, he will not harvest more than seed. 18 acres have been fed off and the balance may have to be fed off also.  The crop is very patchy.’

In March 1928, the deferment of arrears until after the 1928-29 harvest was proposed by the Under-Secretary. This would only be approved if the settler was able to put into effect additional improvements, to the value of at least £100, before 31 December[11].

By May 1929 the situation had worsened considerably.  The Dept of Lands informed Lithgow that ‘ignoring communications regarding your arrears were not lightly regarded and may lead to action being taken which will not be appreciable to you. Although, any request for a reduction in the amount claimed under the lien will be sympathetically considered’.[12]

He replied to this angrily on 25 May, ‘I have ignored nothing, that is one of the great faults of the Land’s Department.  I would like to point out to the Department, we have had nearly three years drought’.  He went on,

‘it is more necessary now than ever that the official idea of a living area be expanded.  In our state cabinet we have land men, practical men, who must know the official idea has not kept pace with the times.  We expect them to revise the idea and bring it up to date the sooner they do it the safer for the country.  Men are not attracted to the land just to make a living, it is not good enough.  A man takes on a job for a living but a man who is on land takes on an exacting business which calls for brains, initiative, courage and hard work.’[13]

 On 19 June 1929 Lithgow was warned by the Department:

  1. That unless he fulfilled a lien required by the Dept within 21 days there would be no alternative but to incur forfeiture.
  2. That the Department’s claim of one third of the proceeds only, leaving him the remaining to thirds with which to meet his creditors, is considered reasonable.
  3. That his Statement ‘that he has ignored nothing’ is NOT borne out by an examination of his file etc
  4. That is he considers his holding too small, he should earnestly endeavour to transfer the same and that the Department as far as possible would facilitate disposal of the property with a view to his acquiring a more suitable farm elsewhere. – note FC Hanckel holds SP 1920/6 of 640 acres about 2/3rds of a mile distant by road.[14]

 Again, in the same communication, it was stated again that ‘as this farm was purchased for Lithgow at his request from his father and he is doubtless well aware of its nature and capabilities, he is not deserving of any special sympathy.   Lithgow replied 12 July 1929 –  ‘a lien I will not give – that is final – as for forfeiture the department is quite within its rights, I asked the Department to do it five years ago – will carry on’[15]

He was however forced to execute a crop lien on 24 July 1929.[16] The lien was only obtained after approval had actually been obtained after repeated warning that the Dept would force him to forfeit the holding and to make the Advance immediately payable.  They stated that this was on account of Lithgow’s persistent failure to comply with the Department’s requirements regarding the lien.

A final inspection of the property was carried out in May 1929.  It was curt and to the point: ‘Unsatisfactory – area too small’. On the 4 November 1929, Lithgow was still on the property however and again applied for postponement or an extension of time to pay his over-dues until 31 January 1931.

It was recommended in a final report that the lien held over the 1929 crops be discharged without payment, that payment of arrears (land and loan) be allowed to stand over until after the 1930-31 harvest, subject to Lithgow cropping an area of not less than 150 acres and executing a lien as security for payment of one third of the proceeds.

By 9 July 1930 his prospects were declared to be very good with cultivation and germination also good, although part of the land was affected by black oats.

Lithgow did obtain another property by transfer – SP 1920/6 from Frank Hanckel on 15 January 1934.  Even the most discouraging experiences did not drive some soldier settlers from life on the land.

 Footnotes

[1] SRNSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers Settlement loan files; [12/7050 No 4912]; Application for Loan, 22 May 1920.

[2] Ibid, Application for Re-appraisement and additional land, 2 February 1922.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid, Memorandum from A.H. Chesterman, 8 February 1922.

[5] Ibid, J.T. Keating, Under-Secretary for Lands to Alexander Lithgow, 11 February 1922.

[6] Ibid, Alexander Lithgow to Under-Secretary for Lands, 16 December 1925.

[7] Ibid, 31 May 1926.

[8] Ibid, Memorandum from S.H. Garrand, 15 September 1926.

[9] Ibid, W.J. Roper, Under-Secretary, to Lithgow. 27 July 1927.

[10] Ibid, Under-Secretary to A. Lithgow, 19 August 1927.

[11] Ibid, W.J.Roper, Under- secretary to Lithgow, 14 March 1928.

[12] Ibid, Memorandum from RSS Branch to the Under-Secretary 13 May, 1929.

[13] Ibid, Lithgow to the Under-secretary 25 May 1929.

[14] Ibid, Memorandum from RSS Branch to the Under-secretary 19 June 1929.

[15]  Ibid.

[16] Ibid, Crop Lien – 24 July 1929.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW: Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers Settlement loan files; [12/7050 No 4912]; [12/6903 No. 4912];   Alexander Lithgow is also mentioned in Loan file [12/6903, No. 3063].

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Alexander Lithgow) online: http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=8202680&I=1&SE=1