Brock Valentine Taylor was born in Gulgong in 1883, the son of Williamson Taylor and Frances Elizabeth nee Layton.
Val married Ivy C Brigden in 1911 in Gulgong.
Their children were:
- Rhoda Iris - (b 1912)
- Frederick - (b 1914)
- Jean F - (1917)
- Enid D - (b 1918)
- Valerie - (b 1920, d 1920)
- Heather - (b 1920, d 1920)
- Eddie - (b 1922)
- Nancy - (b 1924)
- Helen - (b 1925
- Norman* - (b 1928)
Val and Ivy's children, 1929
In order of age and height: Iris (age 18), Freddie (age 15), Enid (age 11), Eddie (age 7), Nancy (age 5), Helen (age 4).
Norman Taylor (later Liddell) in 1930
*Norman's mother, Ivy, had a nervous breakdown at the time of his birth and was unable to care for him. Val’s older sister, Martha (Norman's aunt), cared for him. In 1935 he was formally adopted by Martha so grew up with the surname Liddell.
Martha and Norman, spent 2-3 months every year in Gulgong. At school it was as Norman Taylor and townspeople always referred to him as "that Taylor kid". He was a favourite of his brothers and sisters, and a special Uncle to his nephews and nieces.
Source: Lea Anthony
Norman Liddell (born Taylor) and Joyce, 1950
Both in the Salvation Army.
Both in the Salvation Army.
Val’s blacksmith shop was at 3 Tallawang Rd, across from the Bowling Club.
Taylor was the farrier for the 1906 Melbourne Cup winner Poseiden. Taylor's farrier tools are kept at the Gulgong Pioneers Museum.
He walked from the Gulgong Opera House to the Sydney Opera House in his later years with his Waltzing Matilda.
Source: Lynne Maloney
Val Taylor
Source: Getty Images
Twenty walkers including 90-year-old Mr. Val Taylor all from Gulgong set off on a Waltzing Matilda Walk from the Sydney Opera House to the Gulgong Opera House, where Matilda first waltzed out.
Sir Asher Joel and walkers at Sydney Opera House
Source: Getty Images
Val Taylor, Freddy Gudgeon and Margaret Meredith
Source: Jan Ridout
Mudgee Guardian, 1967
Source: Lea Anthony
1967 - $478 gold nugget found by 84-year-old Gulgong man
A nugget weighing 15oz. and 12cwt. was found at Gulgong recently.
Mr. Val Taylor, a well known identity of Gulgong came across the nugget while working a shaft near his residence in Tallawang Rd. The nugget was 4 inches long and 1 inch thick.
Mr. Taylor, who has many memories of big finds of gold during “the roaring days”, will be 85 years of age in two months’ time. A blacksmith during the early days of the town, Mr. Taylor continues to operate his forge at his residence and carries out odd jobs.
Mr. Taylor said his father found many big nuggets during the goldrush, the largest being 85oz.
20 tons of gold was won from Gulgong during the goldrush era, Mr. Taylor said.
He said he had always believed there was much more gold to be found in Gulgong and he hoped that he would be able to find more such finds.
He had decided to say nothing about his find of gold but the news of his discovery found its way first of all to people in Sydney.
Mr. Taylor’s daughter, Miss Enid Taylor, said her father took his “good luck” without any show of excitement.
He came into the house with the nugget in an old sugar bag.
He invited her to have a look in the bag. She thought it might be a snake and declined to look.
When her father produced the nugget she was very surprised, not having seen such a large piece of gold before.
When shown to some of the neighbours, Mr. Taylor said they asked ”what is it?”.
“Imagine not knowing gold,” he said.
Asked whether he thought it would spark off another goldrush Mr. Taylor smiled and said there had been always a number of fossickers about the area, but it was too much like hard work for the modern generation.
Since the find there, people have visited Mr. Taylor, seeking his advice regarding likely fossicking areas.
Source: Mudgee Guardian - September 1967
1975 - [92ND BIRTHDAY]
A man associated with much of the story of Gulgong is Mr. Val Taylor, who celebrated his 92nd birthday on St. Valentine's Day, February 14.
Val worked as a young lad at the Cobb and Co. Stables, near the present site of the Ten Dollar Town Motel.
He said the Cobb and Co. Coach House was opposite the stables.
Val remembers the arrivals of Cobb and Co. coaches, the loud trumpet, which heralded each coach's arrival, the police escort and loading of gold onto the coaches as well as the arrival of entertainers, businessmen and mine prospectors.
He tells the story of the day one colourful owner of The Royal, Ned Aldridge, had a win at the races. He had his stallion shod in gold and installed in the Bar of The Royal.
Source: Mudgee Guardian, circa 1975.
Pictured: Cyril Baker, Samuel Cross, Ray Adams, Harry Gudgeon, Val Taylor, __?__, Herb (Porky) Grimshaw, Herb Watson.
On the original fence at Coronation Park, Mayne Street, Gulgong
A list of the men in the above photo on the back of a copy of that photo.
Source: Michelle Gaudry
Sign at Gulgong Pioneer's Museum
Source: Julie Rusten
Blacksmith, Valentine Taylor, Gulgong
Source: Lea Anthony
This video is the Gulgong part of an ABC TV promotion from 1972 called “The Good Looking Australian”. The blacksmith is Valentine Taylor (notice he’s missing the pointer finger on his left hand). He was 89 at the time. The filming is thought to have been done at Harry Gudgeon’s blacksmith shop which is now part of the Gulgong Museum.
Source: Lea Anthony
The horse Val was shoeing was the Lewis' horse Digger. Val had trouble driving the nails in because Digger's hooves were very hard.
Source: Andrew Lewis
________________________
