The Wedding

It was in the early 1900's that this story began. It is about a great uncle of mine, Great, you ask, well he was my grandfather's brother and I believe that makes him "great".

He was roustabout, jackeroo, scrubber and drover, as the mood took him. He was married but lived most of his life "on the track", the track being the 'Big Yard".

Most of his life was spent working on the track and once in a while returned to his ever loving wife of some ten years. It was always a pleasure to return home to the home comforts and usually he returned with a pocket full of dough, which pleased the little lady.

While at home he would carry on with the running of the homestead, repairing fences, painting and other job that presented itself. He enjoyed being at home with his wife and particularly the comforts of the home. It was unfortunate that he had to "hit the track" to earn the money for the luxury life that he planned when he retired.

He lived in the mulga, beyond the black stump, and it took many months to take stock to the rail-heads for shipment to the distant markets. He was preparing to drove a mob of jumbucks to the Brisbane markets which would keep him away from home for many months, and so after a fond farewell to his wife he took off for distant pastures.

With his horses, dogs and his matilda he picked up his herd of wooleybacks and headed for the big smoke but by the time that he had delivered his herd and returned to his homestead

he was in for a big surprise.

His wife, sick of the isolation and time by herself, had taken up with a travelling salesman and vacated the home for a life with her travelling salesman.

Dismayed, shocked and bewildered he made a vow that he would go bush, find himself the ugliest lubra he could find and marry her, so that no one would take her from him.

This he did and had a grand marriage ceremony and lived happily with her until his death.

It was only recently that I was watching a television newscast when I witnessed the opening of a Lovett institute in Canberra and as guest of honour was a dark skinned Lovett, and to this day I wonder if he was an off-spring of my great uncle, William Lovett.