A Land Fit for Heroes?

Walter Horsefield Wood acquired his block by transfer from A.H. Robinson. This block of 199 acres was in the Parish of Bellingen, County of Raleigh, Belligen Land District. In April 1922, it was proposed to transfer the whole of Robinson’s liabilities to Wood.  Wood however refused to accept responsibility for Robinson’s Class B Advance but eventually took on the responsibility for Robinson’s Class A Advance which amounted to £66.[1]  An Advance of £250 was then approved to Wood.

Wood however, was no more successful on the block at Bellingen than Robinson was.  The main reason was that the block was not large enough to be considered a home maintenance area. The District-Surveyor stated when writing to the Under-Secretary on 18 November 1925, that Wood was a hard worker but inexperienced but was handicapped by the poor quality of his block.[2]  Around this time Wood had been working a milk run at Peakhurst and was receiving £3 a week and keep.  It seems he was not living on the holding.

 On 25 January 1926, Wood wrote to the Under-Secretary for Lands notifying him of his intention to leave the holding. Wood stated that his reasons were due to the poor quality of the soil.  He went on that he was unable to make the instalments, no matter how ‘light they were and I realise how impossible it is, even in normal conditions’.[3]

 Wood abandoned his holding claiming that he could not make living from it. He did this on 25 February 1926.  At that date approval was given to repay his advance and to forfeit the holding.[4]

 Footnotes

 [1] SRNSW:  Lands Department, NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers Loan files: [12/7335, No. 8840], Report W.H. Wood SP 20/36 Bellingen 26 June 1928.

[2]Ibid, District Surveyor to Under Secretary for Lands, 18 November 1925.