AS TOLD BY ANNIE ATKINS AT THE BACK TO UPPER LANSDOWNE REUNION IN 1988 – REPORTED BY MARGARET HADDON
If any other residents have as many descendants as Mrs Annie Atkins, the Upper Lansdowne reunion on May 7 will be a beauty.
Mrs Atkins has 14 children, 51 grandchildren, 80 great grandchildren, two great, great grandchildren – and there are more on the way.
Annie, the daughter of William and Emma Unicomb was only a baby when she and her family moved to Upper Lansdowne. Annie was one of 14 children.
She and her brothers and sisters went to school at Upper Lansdowne, Annie until she was 13.
Annie remembers having to take her turn at milking on her parents farm before and after school, all of which were milked by hand because there was no electricity. Annie’s father would then haul the cream down to the Lansdowne wharf by horse and cart where it would be loaded on to the cream boat.
Annie recalls how whenever she or her brothers or sisters were sick their mum would bring out the castor oil bottle and were given a good dose which seemed to cure most ills.
Her first recollection of a doctor visiting the area was Doctor Gormley. Her father was a jack-of-all trades. He not only ran their dairy, he was also one of the local builders and also helped run the local post office, which was situated on Annie’s parents’ property for a good many years. It was the home of the first telephone and switchboard in the area.
Annie can still recall the day it was installed, and how everyone was astounded how people could talk to each other over wires. Mrs Cicolini was the first to have the phone installed in her home. As the phone became more common they each had their own special ring, the post office being three short and one long ring. Everyone then knew who was being rung.
The mail was delivered by horse and sulky. The mailman would start from Coopernook, stop at the Lansdowne Post Office and then proceed to Central Lansdowne and Upper Lansdowne.
Annie’s mum always had a cup of tea ready and waiting for the mailman. Before Annie married, she worked for a time in Taree as a housemaid for a dentist named Cavanah.
Annie was married to Hec Atkins in her parents home in 1916. Her sister Senia was her bridesmaid and Hec’s brother Dudley was his best man.
Annie and Hec worked their own dairy and lived on their property until 1954 when they moved to live at Harrington. They had 14 children: Ray, Ken, Dallas, Rex, Enid, Coral Carmady, Joan Barr, Gwyn, Elaine Tate, Glen, Nola Drury, Gay Sheather, Joy, Norman. The first 10 were all delivered at home with “Granny” Cicolini being the midwife. Granny was occasionally too late as Annie was too quick for her sometimes and delivered before Granny could arrive.
I cannot imagine that Annie had much time to spare with such a large family to raise and always cows to milk and all of this done without electricity. Imagine no fridge, washing machines or vacuum cleaners or any of the other modern conveniences that we have today. Some of the fondest memories are of the big dining room table and how many would sit around it on Sundays and at Christmas.
Annie still recalls one bad time she experienced was when Coral was only a baby and had wandered away and fallen into the river.
Most of Annie’s and Hec’s children married local people and most were married in the Upper Lansdowne Anglican Church with the receptions being held in the Upper Lansdowne Hall. All of the family, with the exception of Gwyn who lives in Newcastle, live in the district as do most of the grandchildren.
Three of their sons Dallas, Ray and Rex were in the forces during WW2. Dallas was in the 22nd Infantry Battalion and served in New Guinea and New Britain. Ray was in the air force and Rex served in New Guinea.
Annie recalled that when they bought their first car it was a four cylinder rugby. They later sold this car to Dave Minett. It was an open style car with only curtains instead of windows.
