Mid North Coast Pioneers - Newcastle to Lismore and beyond

Written by his son, Stephen:

"Kenneth Wilfred NEWBY Born – 14th August 1912 Died – 23rd August 2003 that’s 91years of age

Who was he? Country boy, City boy, Friend, Husband, Father, and more

Country boy 3rd youngest and last surviving of the 9 children of Lisa Watson and Clements Newby of Coraki 5 Sisters (all older) and 3 brothers (two younger) Much of this early life is still hidden from us – but we know .. He stayed on at his small Country school as far as the Intermediate – coming down to Sydney for a Scout Jamboree. This was to be significant as he landed a job with the Australian General Insurance Co and stayed on in Sydney. In fact in one form or another he stayed with this company until he retired. (Mercantile Mutual and now QBE)

City Boy So he made the change to a city boy, living with his aunt - in Yeo Ave, Ashfield, near by, working in the City and attending this church. Now many of you will know that the Hood family also attended this church and will be already jumping ahead… but marriage was still years away for this the young Ken.

While the earliest years are a bit of a mystery to us, the 30s are a bit better. due in part to one of dad’s long term interests – photography. His photo albums document his interests. Bushwalking. With his friends he explored south into Royal National Park and the coastal beaches and up into the Blue Mountains. He was not unique in this – as this was the formative time of bushwalking and bush camping as we know it today. A print from one photo hangs at home showing his group in the Blue Gum forest. Years later I would see the same sight – with a group of scouts. Church. In those days much of dad’s social life and friends centred on this church, he was a member of the Fellowship, worked out in the Gymnasium and played tennis on the church courts. War. Like every one else Dad was effected by the War!. He joined the Army Signal Corps but did not see overseas service. It did however give him a grounding in things electrical and radio in particular. I remember him talking about an ammeter radio friend of his … years later when my scout group got involved in a Jamboree of the Air. I think he would have like to have been a Ham operator.

Husband. Now, getting back to Ashfield Presbyterian church…, Ken obviously began paying less attention to the bush and his mates and more to one Nancy Hood, because in 1945, while on leave from the Army he convinced her to marry him. Fortunately the war soon finished and Ken was “de-mobbed”, he went back to his job and moved to Orpington St, the family home of his new wife. In a while along came 4 children, Stephen (me), Donald, Philip and Helen. Later, with us kids going to school in Haberfield, Dad and Mum started attending Haberfield Presbyterian church (our cousins the Colletts were also in Haberfield and attended the same church). Dad was active in the new church, on the Committee of Management, as an Elder and teaching Sunday school.

Father. Dad never played music (if you discount the possibility of mouth organs, combs, spoons and such in his youth ) but he appreciated music. He took Donald and myself into the free concerts held in the town hall. An outing for us while Mum looked after the two littler ones. He also introduced us to his love of the bush, with trips on the train to Royal National Park / Audley. A walk up the river to “Head of navigation” , a fire to cook the sausages, eaten as lunch between slices of buttered bread with tomato sauce. I can’t remember if we complained about how far it was…… I took my own two children back there some years ago, and it all came back so vividly. When we in our turn got into Scouts, Dad joined up again. Taking up several roles at 1st Ashfield troop. Even after we had moved on he stayed on as Treasurer and helped other kids. He also worked with the school P&Cs.

Eventually we grew older and took wing , Dad stayed as Dads do. and He tracked our travels on maps from our letters home. (He and Mum did however manage to drop in and visit me when I was in London).

So much for the ordered tidy history. People however aren’t just tidy, they are quirky and individual

So who was Ken Newby? How much of the country boy stayed on in the city boy? Lover of the bush, talker to anyone, great knowledge of the world’s geography, always ready to help people. are these attributes of the country boy or just a good man?

Conversationalist, Numerologist, Collector, Wood worker, Helper, Navigator Over the last week, we his family have remembered.

We talked again about the things that each of us recall, the little things, each in itself trivial, but which together go to colour in the person he was. We remembered the lively Christmas family discussions about what ever was topical that year – usually despairing of the current crop of political leaders or some radical group of workers who had ruffled his feathers. As youngsters we listened, older we voiced our own opinions.

Dad would talk to people every where. Neighbours up and down the street, friends who dropped in, tradesmen, anyone. He knew everyone. He remembered numbers, he knew people by the house number they lived in, he knew cars by their rego numbers. He kept his own affairs as full accounting ledgers, he would have survived an audit. He loved numbers! He collected…form his interest in stamp collection he knew just about every country. but more .. he knew capitals, rivers, mountains and towns. He also corresponded with other stamp people across the world as well as being a member of a local stamp club. In later years he collected aluminium cans, the money from these went off to the Crippled Children’s charity. He also collected anything that might possibly ever be of use. We remembered his Santa, sleigh and Reindeer, cut carefully out of ply, painted, finished and harnessed together to hang proudly on the front verandah each Christmas. (this was before massive strings of flashing lights became all the go). We also laughed about his quickie projects, like a match holder for the kitchen stove that could dump all its collected used matches out onto the floor with little provocation. … He loved to help!

His ladder must hold the record for being lent out ..it has been used by every one up and down the street. We remembered the school holidays each May to Ocean Beach where he arranged for us to stay in a holiday house owned by one of his work mates.

Its funny how many of his interests have gone on to become part of our own lives. Ken’s family was eventually central to who he was. and we don’t have to dig too deep to find the same colour that defined him in ourselves.