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[Page 40]
her. Well it was hot in Cobar and me so slow, by the time I got to the end the first ones were dry. Gran had a couple of ladies that used to do the housework, but she did all the cooking for the miners. There seemed to be an awful lot happen in a short space of time, the Christmas we had there Uncle Ern died, and grandfather was killed in the mine trying to save another mans life. I also remember when all the miners were home it must have been the weekend or just Sundays, but when gran made a cup of tea, I would go and call out "come men's gran has made a cup of tea". One of the miners made me a little table and chair and I used to sit on it in the kitchen with gran, and no matter what she was cooking she would always let me do something too. Her bread, it was beautiful, she used to call it 'soda bread'. She was a great cook, and I said to her one day, gran, do you know what I am going to be when I grow up? She asked what? and I said "a cooker like you".
With grandfather gone and Uncle Ern, I must be 7 years old now, we all leave Cobar. I remember so well my mother and the young baby and Tom Roach whom I was told to call dad sometimes and Uncle sometimes. We went to live in 'Taylor's Square', somewhere as I remember going down stairs to this place and it was horrible. I was sent to school there somewhere, I did not like it. We must have been there for some time, as gran lived in Newtown, and my mother would take me to see her, sometimes I used to like that. Now we are coming up to the Great War finishing in 1918. Actually I have my father's Discharge Certificate. Private Harry Hawkins 3352, 1st Battalion A.I.F. 23-9-19 served with honour and was disabled in the Great War. Honorably discharged on the 10 July 1918. Also from the Municipality of North Sydney, presented to Private Harry Hawkins, by the Mayor, Alderman and citizens in grateful appreciation of his services for the king and country in the great war, dated at North Sydney on the 19 February 1919 (the mayor was Edward M. Clarke. I can't read the Town Clerk's name), unfortunately it has a Red Seal.
Now when my father came home from the war, dear gran made arrangements for her to get me from my mother for the day and take me to her sister Aunty Edie who lived in Stanmore, she also made arrangements for Mr Young (Uncle Charlie) to meet Dad and for them to come to my Aunty Edies place at Stanmore and that I would be there. So gran picked me up from my mother and took me to Aunty Edies place. I had seen here periodically before, she was very nice too, just like gran. The table was set with all sorts of goodies and in comes Dad and Uncle Charlie. Dad was in uniform and he picked me up and I sat on his knee and Uncle Charlie was so pleased to see me also, and told me Aunty Nell will be pleased to see you too. Well they were talking about this and that and dad was going to stay at the Young's also. Well after a while gran said "right now you two, get off to North Sydney and take Edith with you". Well what a happy reunion, when we got there, with Dad coming home from the war and me going back too. Aunty Nell had another man boarding there now and a lady boarder. The mans name was Christopher, he worked at the Gas Works. The lady was Mrs Ward, she worked at Riley Brothers in George Street, Sydney on the ribbon counter. Uncle Charlie worked with the Water Board and he got dad a job there too, but dad did not have a white collar job as they say, he worked hard out in the roads and drains etc. I was so very pleased to be back with the Young family and so pleased to be back with Edaline.