A Land Fit for Heroes?

Thomas Roden obtained his holding by transfer from Percy Loomes who was also a returned soldier but who had forfeited it. The block of a little over 43 acres, was in the Parramatta Land District, Parish of Nelson, County of Cumberland. It was located at Dural, nine miles from Pennant Hills Railway Station.  Roden took up continuous residence on 13 March 1924.[1]

The transfer to Roden was allowed to proceed only if a ‘common law mortgage was duly executed’ to the Minister.[2]  Loomes’s Advance was also transferred to Roden.[3]  By 10 November 1924, Roden was in occupation ‘working the orchard to the best of his ability although handicapped by being under the Doctor for some time’.[4]

By July 1925, the property had depreciated considerably.  Roden’s father stated that he would be willing to assist his son financially ‘to place the property on a paying basis’.[5]  He stated also ‘that (his) chief asset (was) his health and strength’.[6]

Father and son had taken out a formal agreement on 3^rd July 1925 .[7]  William Roden (the father) was to have the privilege of raising poultry on the property.  The poultry industry: the fowls, ducks and proceeds from any sale of vegetables to be  the property of the father, William Roden.[8]

Despite his father’s help, Roden’s fruit crop gave a very small return and he was unable to reduce or settle the debt.[9]  Despite not being very favourably regarded, Roden was judged to be a good class of man who ‘without prejudice adverse action (is) not contemplated’.[10] Thomas Roden asked for a revision of his indebtedness on 10 March 1926.[11] Despite Roden’s wish to succeed, the fact that he was working hard and had the help of his father, it was believed that he would ‘have an uphill fight to make good’.[12] Despite this, the revision of indebtedness was approved.[13]  Following a Land Board inquiry it was submitted that the holding be forfeited.[14]

The holding was taken up by Irene May McWhinney who also forfeited on 25 November 1932.[15]  There is nothing in the file to indicate if she was a Returned Soldier, although as the previous Advance from Thomas Roden was transferred to her also, she could possibly have been.   Even though her occupation when she owned the holding was given as ‘costumer’ she was listed in another file along with many others who had forfeited holdings, as a ‘Returned Soldier’ – [10/12390] – No  documentation has been located to prove she was a nurse or had served overseas during the war in a medical capacity.

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW:  Lands Department, NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files, [12/7387 No. 9605], Inspection of Returned Soldiers’ Holding, 5 December 1927.

[2] Ibid, O/C Securities RSS Branch Office Memorandum 2 August 1924.

[3] Ibid, Under Secretary to T. Roden 5 November 1924.

[4] Ibid, Inspector RSS Branch Office Memorandum 10 November 1924.

[5] Ibid, Inspector Department of Lands Memorandum 27 July 1925.

[6] Ibid, W. Roden to E.P. Flemming, Under Secretary for Lands 1 August 1925.

[7] Ibid, O/C Securities, Department of Lands Memorandum 11 April 1927.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid, W.E. Sharpe Officer in Charge Rural Industries Branch 23 January 1926.

[10] Ibid, Under Secretary to Office in Charge Rural Industries Branch 20 February 1926.

[11] Ibid, Application for Revision of Indebtedness 10 March 1926.

[12] Ibid, A.L. Proust, Surveyor to Department of Lands 31 August 1926.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid, RSS Branch 24 October 1932.

[15] Ibid, New South Wales Government Gazette  25 November 1932.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records NSW:  Lands Department; NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files, [12/7387 No. 9605]Thomas Rodan.

National Archives of Australia; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Thomas Rodan) online:  http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=8033967