Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of 20 July 1918, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:
AWARDED THE MILITARY MEDAL. – His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the field, to No. 4019 Private A. E. Costin, of Narooma.
APPOINTMENT. – Nurse Polly Emmott, oldest daughter of Mr. Thomas Emmott, erstwhile of Moruya, but now of Sydney, has been appointed Matron of the Bomaderry Red Cross Convalescent Home. Nurse Emmott has for some time been under matron of the Randwick Military Hospital.
NAROOMA. OUR CORRESPONDENT WRITES: - A very painful accident occurred here on Friday last to an infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Mercer of Narooma. The child was playing in the kitchen and on stepping back sat down into a pan of boiling water and but for the timely rescue by the mother who happened to be near, probably fatal results might have occurred.
HINDENBURG has thrown the seven and gone to get his reward. What a pity he was not accompanied by the Kaiser.
CLOTHING WANTED. – Mrs. John Emmott is in receipt of a number of applications from Sydney from mothers of families for children’s left off garments or adults clothing which can be remade for the youngsters, and is now appealing for parcels to be sent to her for distribution. Owing to the high of living even wage earners have a struggle to properly clothe their children, so our charitable citizens will be doing a genuine act of kindness by forwarding articles they have to Mrs Emmott.
WEDDING. – HOGAN – HEFFERNAN
One of the prettiest and most interesting weddings ever witnessed in this district was solemnised in the Sacred Heart Church on Tuesday at 10 a.m., the contracting parties being Mr. Israel Linus Hogan, second youngest son of Mr. Edward Hogan, of Sydney, and Miss Irene, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Heffernan of Yarragee, one of the oldest and most respected residents of the district. The Rev. Father Hogan (brother of the bridegroom), assisted by the Rev. Father McCormack, performed the ceremony.
A most sumptuous breakfast was provided in the large Assembly Room of the Royal Hotel under the very capable supervision of the land lady, Mrs. R. N. Carden, comprising the choicest ham, poultry, hot seasonable vegetables and all the dainty little etceteras inseparable from an up-to-date banquet.
Mr. and Mrs. Hogan left per special motor for the South where the honeymoon was spent, the bride travelling in a navy costume with a smart hat of navy panne velvet.
FROM THE FRONT. – Mrs. C. Thorpe, of Nelligen, received the following from her son written at Portsmouth on 23rd May last :-
I received two of your letters before I left my Company. I am now in England in hospital and have been in hospital since 12th May in the 1st Australian General in France for a few days then sent over to England. I was first sent to hospital with influenza but it turned out to be trench fever, and it is a rotten thing to have. The doctor won’t let me out of bed yet, but I feel alright now, but he reckons not. This place will do me better than France. Since the last push in France we have had a pretty rough time of it, and for a while not much to eat. They could never find us to get the rations up. When we arrived down south on the Somme no one knew where the Germans were, and we were two days looking for him, so you can guess what sort of time we had, and we met him on Easter Saturday, which was the hottest day of the lot. He shelled from daylight in the morning till after dinner. They marched his men in broad daylight and not one of our guns was knocked out. It was a bit exciting for a while but it might not have been for him. I am in hospital in Portsmouth in the south of England, and it is nearly all Australians, the 5th Southern General Hospital.
Nineteen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1917 are available ($5 ea) from the Society’s rooms. Copies of local newspapers from the 1860s to date can be viewed at the Society’s Family History Research Centre (Ph 4474 3224) situated at the rear of the Museum in Campbell St. Moruya (www.mdhs.org.au).
