Stories

Friday night was always a big night in Moss Vale. It was late shopping night before the war and whole families would go for a stroll and chat along the street. The farming community would come to town.  It was a wonderful atmosphere shops closed at 9pm but people would be around until 10pm. Unfortunately this came to a sudden halt when war was declared and never returned to the social life of the town.

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One Christmas I think it was 1935 or 6 when things were still hit by the depression we had a real bonanza when dad won a huge Christmas stocking. You had to guess the number of peas in a bottle and he was spot on the number. The stocking stood about 6’ (1,800mm) high and about 3’ round. It was filled with all types of toys and goodies which Dad distributed among us and then several of the next door neighbours children. 

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Before the war, and after, Moss Vale was a large railway centre. All steam trains took on water from the large overhead watering tanks situated at end of of each platform and one in the main yard. There was a large goods receiving shed and all feed goods for farms were transported by rail. It had a large proportion of the population working on railway and fielded their own Cricket, Bowls and Tennis teams. The large paddock, now Ford dealership on part of it, used to have large herds of cattle and sheep unloaded into it, creating quite a noise at night with their bellowing etc at night. The north eastern corner was occupied by pig, calf and chook sales each Monday. The pigs and calves were loaded straight into cattle trucks on rail for transport to Sydney. It was always fun to watch how the old butchers gave their bids. Like a rub of nose, tug of the ear and old Johnny Flook would bounce his best stem pipe with his lips.

The main sale yards were situated in Elizabeth Street, now a housing development and near the Forestry Department.  They were post and rail fences with huge corner posts and two huge 6 feet high wooden gates for the entrance. All cattle were driven by men on horseback along the streets of the town, great fun and games if someone left their front gate open and cattle decided to have a look inside. As cattle were transported by rail it was not uncommon to see a mob of 100 or more being driven along the street. 

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Another thing that created great interest were the weekly auctions on a Friday afternoon conducted by E.J. Farmer in a large shed at rear of where Wilkinson Throsby and Edwards Solicitors now stand. All types of material were auctioned, furniture, harness and horse gear, vegetables, eggs, all types of poultry, even the odd dog and kitten. 

Any householder who had spare produce would take it along and I remember taking carrots which I grew and going home with a shilling in my pocket. These markets were later carried out by M.E. Batten in a shed where Mitsubishi Motors now are. 

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Another place where as kids we were always made welcome was the towns Blacksmith shops. There were three in town: Norm Cross (Shell Garage), Harrisons (St Vincent de Paul), and Luke Webb (Soul Pattinsons Chemist). These gentlemen always made kids welcome and to show you the way shoes for horses and other hardware were made.

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