AUSTRALIAN PIONEERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1929, Page 13

AUSTRALIAN PIONEERS

"Any woman-who has reared nineteen children—fourteen sons and five daughters—in a district far removed from the" advantages of city life, is entitled to be classed among the pioneers of the country," states the "Sydney Mail";'" adding that at Cape Hawke, on the north coast of New South Wales, Mr. and Mrs. James who are still alive, founded a family whose numbers, in the fifth generation, jiow total nearly 200. The thought' of raising such. a family would, says the "Mail," drive to distraction the people of the present generation, with their maternity allowance and family endowment; yet the Hadleys carried on on a wage of 5s to 6s a day. The struggle was hard, but; itho Hadleys always managed to keep j their heads above water, maize meal, much of which they ground themselves, being the staple article of diet. On it they waxed as "strong as the Scotsman does on oats, the fourteen stalwart sons growing to manhood, and the five daughters to marriageable age. Some left the district to make their way in a wider world —tvo being now resident in Wellington. But most of them remained on the coast; and they, in turn, have reared families, until now tho fifth generation cai'r.ies on tho name. The great-great-grandfather and grandmother, still hale and hearty, are spending a happy old age at Forster, not far from the scene of their early labours; and, in the 68th year of their married life, are eagerly looking forward to celebrating their ruby wedding.

Mrs. Had-ley, always a. splendid mother and a woman of sound commonsense, apart from rearing her own family, was. regarded by settlers far and wide as the nurse of the district. Whenever there was sickness she was called in, and in her time she must have assisted at the birth of many hundreds of children. In very truth, a pioneer. Now at the age of 84, she is too old to move about very much. Eight of her sons and grandsons served in the Great War, in which one lost bis life and several were -.rounded.