A Land Fit for Heroes?

George Stanley McDowell’s block was a Settlement Purchase No. 1919.9  near Dorrigo, in the  County of Fitzroy, Parish of Leigh, Bellingin Land District.  It consisted of 110 acres and was a part of Nelson’s Estate. The block had a house in bad repair that needed alteration and preservation. McDowell stated that he wanted the Advance of £625 for machinery for a dairy plant, cows, bails and fencing. [1] 

McDowell obtained the block by transfer from A.N. Nelson on 9 April 1919 .[2]  Although, he was not able to gain possession for five months because the vendor hadn’t been paid.[3]  The delay was causing McDowell serious inconvenience as obtaining the Advance was reliant on the sale of the property going ahead[4]  Purchase of the property appears to have been completed by 30 October 1919 however.[5]  The Advance was also approved by 19 November 1919.[6]  A year later 13 November 1920, McDowell received all the milk machines he had requested including  the belts and separator.[7] 

 The Conditional Purchase Inspector reported on 20 November 1920, that McDowell was a steady man and an excellent settler. [8]  Although by 8 January 1921, McDowell applied for a postponement of his interest instalments due to a fall in the cattle market for young stock as well as cases of contagious abortion occuring in his herd during 1920.[9]  Due to putting too much into improving his place and poor seasons and ‘blessed with a little Australian who ran up a lot of expenses’ he continued to have trouble meeting his repayments.[10]  By 14 June 1927, revision of indebtedness was approved with interest arrears of £327.14.10 waived with only a percentage of purchase money to be paid.[11]   He had by the middle of 1926 effected good improvements and ‘was undoubtedly a genuine settler’.[12]  By February 1931, he again had arrears due for the repayment of his advance and on his land.  These amounted to £398.11.3 with part or all of the repayments  requested by the Department of Lands.[13] 

 It appears that McDowell remained on his block. ‘ I believe I have done all that is humanly possible in the past, though not without some mistakes.  I intend continuing to give my best efforts in the future.  I have confidence in myself and the farm to come through with reasonable sympathy from the Department’[14] He was hoping that as the seasons were improving he would be able to may some repayments [15]

 Footnotes

[1] SRNSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/6852 No. 1171] Application for Loan George Stanley McDowell 9 April 1919.

 [2] Ibid, Telegram nd.     

 [3] Ibid, A.C.Newman, Hon-Sec, Dorrigo Repatriation Committee to the Director SS Branch 16 July 1919.

 [4] Ibid, Secretary Repatriation Committee to Director of SS, Telegram  14 July 1919.

 [5] Ibid, Stanley McDowell to Under-Secretary for Lands 30 October 1919.

 [6] Ibid, J.G.R. Bryant to Stanley McDowell 10 November 1919.

 [7] Ibid, Report Repatriation Committee 13 November 1920.

 [8] Ibid, Inspector’s Report 20 November 1920.

 [9] Ibid, Postponement of interest owing 8 January 1921.

 [10] Ibid, McDowell to Under-Secretary 28 December 1921.

 [11] Ibid, Under-Secretary to Department of Treasury 14 June 1927.

 [12] Ibid, Office memorandum 3 May 1926.

 [13] Ibid, Under-Secretary for Lands to McDowell 26 February 1931.

 [14] Ibid, 25 February 1931.

 [15] Ibid .

 Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW:  Lands Department;  NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/6852 No. 1171] George Stanley McDowell.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (George Stanley McDowell) online: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1942665