Allan Thomas Hope was born 5 July 1923 in Casterton Victoria and married on 12 May 1951 at Bendigo, to Dulcie Irene Hocking (daughter of George Hocking and Louisa Mary Enever), born 23 December 1929 at Bendigo.
Allan wrote "My father, Thomas Hope, was generally known as Tom, and so far as I know a farm labourer working on farms around the area where he lived and in the Mallee wheat country in north-western Victoria.
He was born at Apsley in 1882 (sic) and lived in the Powers Creek area before they moved close to the township of Casterton.
On June 12, 1916 his marriage to Mary Ann McDonald took place in the Presbyterian Church in Hamilton. Victoria.
He was only married for 3 months when he sailed for France during W.W.I with the 8th Victorian Infantry Battalion on 9.9.1916 where he served in the AIF for two years before returning to Australia early in 1919, again resuming his labouring work at Casterton until 1921 when he applied for and was allotted a soldier settler's farm of 364 acres at North Konongwootong in the western district of Victoria 9 miles north of the township of Coleraine. It must have been in the winter months when they moved onto the property as mother often remarked about how terribly wet and cold it was and as then there wasn't any buildings on the place and they had at that time two small children, Margaret and Effie and their only shelter being a tent one must appreciate the terrible hardships which they had to endure at that time.
The first building to be erected on the place was the cow-shed which they were able to move into, although still very primitive it would be much more convenient than the tent.
At this stage we must try and imagine what must have been involved in getting these farms organised into Closer Settlement properties, as well as the hardships which had to be endured there were many other obstacles which had to be dealt with, like trying to provide building and fencing materials and things for their own personal requirements as well as trying to acquire stock (sheep, cattle, etc.) which would be their basic requirements.
Their only conveyance at that time was by horse and cart they also had a wagon for the heavy cartage and several heavy type horses which were needed for general work such as ploughing and cropping and carting anything that was needed to make the place workable.
Although these properties had always been used for grazing before they were acquired and surveyed for Closer Settlement they were station properties of many thousands of acres, so to accommodate the soldiers returning from the war the Government confiscated a portion of them for Closer Settlement and to produce primary products for export.
So to get to the stage where anything could be produced required tremendous effort and was very laborious which would have required working long hours with equipment which would have been of a fairly primitive nature.
But with perseverance and a lot of hard work and deprivation they eventually became productive and self-supporting.
I wouldn't know how long that they had to put up with the inconvenience of living in temporary accommodation but two rooms were built for their kitchen and bedroom with a skillion on back for washing facilities (copper and tubs). I do remember though when two more rooms were added to the front plus a verandah. I also remember father making the foundations for the verandah posts which although the house has long since been removed the foundations are still there today (1986), also, the sugar gum plantation and the pine trees which he planted.
I was born on 5.7.1923, third in the family of four, 2 girls and 2 boys, younger brother Duncan was born 20.10.1925, so we were a young family when father died on 16.1.1929.
Although we only had him for such a short while I can still vividly remember him, and things I remember most are the things he generally did about the place, such as the milking. ploughing, hay making, building and doing all of the things that are necessary to make a farm functional.
I wouldn't know what his sporting activities were in his younger days but I do remember that he used to play draughts and billiards two games which were popular in that era. Also I remember that he had a great love of music and played the violin as well.
He was community minded and was ever-ready to help his neighbours as they were to help him. he was an original member of the school committee when it was decided that a school was needed to accommodate the growing number of children in the area. Originally the first class room which was attended by about 16 pupils was in a private house, which I and 2 sisters attended until a new school was built in 1929.
After he died we stayed on the farm until the end of 1935. Mother was then the hub of the wheel of course, but it was an almost impossible task for a woman with 4 small children in those times to organise farm work and try and raise a family.
Around about 1930 the great depression was about to descend upon us and was starting to have its effect, so it was devastating to lose the bread-winner of the family and experience the hard times which followed after his death.
At this stage I must give tremendous credit to our mother for the way that she did her best to stay on and keep the farm going for as long as she did.
Our mother was Mary Ann McDonald before her Marriage, she was born at Strathdownie on 27.7.1893. her parents had a farm at Wilkin, which is near Strathdownie about mid-way between Casterton and Mt Gambier close to the river Glenelg, it is an area noted for its wildflowers and natural beauty as it was mostly all unspoiled bush in those days, but sadly to say it is not the same now as it was then. I suppose some of the most exciting times when we were young was to go to grandmother's place for holidays and having excursions through the bush.
Mother's grandparents, the Gilmore's first settled in that area which was close also the Glenelg River, although I suppose well over 100 years ago.
There are still signs of where their homestead was first erected The poplars and quince trees which they planted were still there up until about 10 years ago.
The original school which mother attended was first erected on her father's property of which i have a photo.
Our happiest days when we were young would have been when we were on the farm, we always seemed to have the capacity to create our own entertainment, that was after the chores were done.
Our main source of income came from the cows so we were obliged to pitch in and help and as Margaret was away at secondary school for two years at Casterton staying with Granny Hope, the bulk of the work had to be shared by mother, Effie and myself. Effie and I milking up to 8 cows each before we went to school and doing the same in the afternoon, as well as doing the separating (cream from milk) and feeding calves too. We had to get up before daylight in the winter months to round up and yard the cows as well, I suppose we realised it was our responsibility to make some contribution to our support, things being as they were. Although we had always had plenty of work to do we still found time for other activities, such as hunting rabbits for skins which was our only means of getting our pocket money and we earned every penny we got as it meant walking many miles at weekends to get it, but we had lots of fun doing it.
As far as entertainment, well we were fortunate in the respect that Margaret and Effie were able to play the piano, Margaret was taught and Effie played by ear, and they also played mouth organs A chap who worked on a neighbour's farm also played the mouth organ and had a fairly good singing voice and knew all of the songs at that time, he would be over nearly every night, so there would be music and singing and quite often playing cards (Euchre or 500) by kerosene or candle light until late hours.
Sometimes we would go to the school Euchre and dance which was usually held on a Friday night , run by the school committee to raise funds for the school so that was one night out that we could look forward to, also once a year there was the Coleraine Agricultural Show which was another good day out, and with our fare in and two bob (20c) in our pocket we could have a fairly good day out and see most of the things which was of interest to us.
After we left the farm we moved into the township of Coleraine where I finished school, Form 2 in those days, Grade 8 in the country, but I really missed the farm and still make my way back up there fairly often even now.
Like all country towns there wasn't much offering in the way of work so we just had to take whatever jobs that were available which usually were only labouring low paid work, sometimes being away and only getting home at weekends.
I spent some time working in New South Wales and Queensland until I got married on 12.5.1950 so then had to stay put in the one job for the next 34 years as I then had to settle down to a life of raising a family two girls and two boys.
I retired in July 1984 and I am enjoying it immensely but still find plenty of things to do.[1]
[1]letter from Allan Thomas Hope (c) 1985/86
Editor's Note: With grateful thanks to Allan for this insight into his life (which mirrors that of his generation).
Regretably, I have no further information about Allan Hope or his family.
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Thomas Hope (father)
Richmond Armstrong Hope (grandfather)
Thomas Hope (great grandfather)