Arthur James (Jim) Ritchie, the first child of Alexander and Charlotte Ritchie, was born at Mitchell’s Island in 1883. As a youngster he milked cows on the family dairy. Because he was the oldest when his father died, Jim had to become the right hand man to his mother. They had a very good relationship.
Jim married Mary Currie in 1907 at Scotts Creek. Mary was the daughter of Isaac Currie and Ann Hewitt Nelson, who were living at Wingham at the time of her birth on 4 August 1882. Isaac may have been a ship’s captain. After marriage Jim share-farmed at Upper Lansdowne, eventually buying his own farm on Hogan’s Road. Jim along with Walter Fennings designed the Upper Lansdowne Memorial Hall and Jim was in charge of building the Hall along with the help of John McLaughlin and community labour. He retired from farming and went to live at Harrington as a carpenter and cabinet maker. He was said to have had the first car locally – a Model T Ford. The family name for him was ‘Fufu’.
Mary was actively involved in activities associated with church and social life in Upper Lansdowne. She died at her home in Harrington in 1947. She had been in good health but had suffered a serious illness three years prior to her death. Jim lived on for another 13 years and died on 17 January 1961. He and Mary are both buried in the Mitchell’s Island cemetery.
Jim and Mary had 6 children:
- Victor James Ritchie (1908 – 1992) m 1928 Mary Isabel Watson (1908-1995). Vic was a labourer at Upper Lansdowne and a fisherman at Harrington. Vic enlisted in the Army during WW2 and embarked overseas to New Guinea in 1943. He and Isabel had two daughters: Betty and Valda.
- Percy Arthur Ritchie (1912-1990) m 1937 Florence Pearl Salter (1911-2003). Percy was a farmer at Upper Lansdowne and later a fisherman at Harrington. He and Pearl had a family of five children: Mary, John, Arthur, Norma and George. They lived at 12 Pulteney Street Taree at one stage. They had a bait shop at Harrington. The men caught the bait and Pearl ran the shop.
- Olive Jane Ritchie (1917-2001) m 1935 Claude Raymond Cicolini (1915-2000) Olive went to school and lived at Upper Lansdowne, where she met and married Claude who was a farmer there. He and Olive had eight children: Pam, Dennis, Bev, Gloria, Peter, Phillip, Jill and Jenny.
- Daisy Mary Ritchie (1922- ) m 1943 Albert Charles Roberson (1915- ) Daisy and Bert moved around a lot. Bert was a soldier and a miner. They had five children: Raymond, Barbara, Suzie, John and Peter. They lived at Bendigo, Sydney, Bundarra, Walcha and Bundaberg.
- Eric John (Jack) Ritchie (1924-2002) m Catherine Agnew McFadyen (1924-1987). Eric enlisted in the Australian Army aged 17 in WW2. He embarked overseas arriving in Singapore on 16 August 1941. On 16 February 1942 he was reported missing having been taken as a prisoner-of-war. He was first sent to Changi and later transferred to a prison camp in Okanawa in Japan. He lived at Gosford, Taree and Harrington. He worked for the Water Board. He and Catherine had six children: Barry, Jeannie, Dale, Bruce, Ian and Eric.
- Ray William Ritchie (1925-1993) m Pat. Ray also fought in WW2 having enlisted on 17 December 1941. In 1942 Ray embarked overseas and served in New Guinea on 2 separate occasions. Ray was living at Harrington in 1947. He lived with Val Wygold with whom he had two sons, Wayne and Geoffrey. Ray later married Pat and lived in Townsville where he was a park ranger. Ray died in 1993 at Annandale aged 71.