Their children included:
- Una V - born 1890 (NSW BDM 15428/1890)
- Harold C - born 1893 (NSW BDM 16026/1893)
- Olive L - born 1900 (NSW BDM 31807/1900)
1937 - LATE Mr. T. H. WOOD
The late Mr. Thomas H. Wood, Gulgong, better known as "Tom" Wood, had a long and interesting association with the Gulgong district.
Born at Mudgee, he came to Gulgong when 6 or 7 years of age and attended school here. Later, he worked for the late Thomas Lowe, of Goree, Mudgee (grandfather of Messrs. C. M. Lowe and Bligh Lowe, of Yamble). His (Mr. Wood's) father had a dancing academy in Mudgee — in "the good old days."
"Tom" took on share farming around Gulgong and Mudgee, working hard and gaining experience all the time. He used to visit the Coonamble district during shearing season.
He married Miss Blanche Garling. who was a native of Springfield (Gulgong), where deceased took up share farming for a time with the late Mr. Wm. Hutchinson. Selling out, the late Mr. Wood and Mrs. Wood went to Sydney to live for a few years.
The rush for silver at Leadville brought them back, and Mr. Wood opened a hay and corn store in Herbert Street. There were a large number of horse teams on the roads in those days and Mr. Wood used
to purchase hay stacks and cut them up into chaff for sale. When things quietened down at Leadville he
closed the store and went hawking, buying out Mrs. Wood's brother, Mr. C. Garling, who bought a store at Tooraweenah.
A few years later deceased opened a store at the Belara Copper mine (near Goolma), where he stayed till the mine started to fail and a gold rush occurred at Yamble. Acquiring a couple of puddling machines he carted and washed dirt for the precious yellow metal, later opening a store and butcher's shop. He bought about an acre of land from the late Mr. Richard Rouse and purchased more land on which he had an hotel built — the first to open at Yamble, about 40 years ago. He acquired over 1000 acres of land there. For 29 years he owned the hotel, leasing it on two occasions. During that period he was engaged in the hunt for the Brelong blacks.
He was a contractor for the Mudgee-Wellington mail, engaging a man to do the work. It is believed he was the first resident of that area to buy a motor car which was used on the mail run. The roads were often in a disgraceful condition and breakdowns and the washing away of the Yamble bridge caused him to return to the horse.
The freehold of the hotel was sold to Mr. Patrick Brady about 11 years ago, Mr. Harry Rose afterwards leasing the business, after which Mr. Brady sold the freehold to Mr. E. Love. Disposing of all his interests at Yamble the late Mr. Wood came to Gulgong, where he invested some of his money in the substantial garage shop and residence at the intersection of Mayne and Medley Sts.
Only recently, he had built to his order, a bakery and residence nearby in Mayne Street, for Gaudry Bros. He owned other property in the town, in which he was deeply interested. It is a far cry from the time when he used to drive a horse team to Mudgee and dispose of chaff and produce, to the present, and also from the time when he assisted in the survey of the proposed railway line from Muswellbrook to Cassilis, the line from the former centre to Merriwa having become an accomplished fact about 16 years ago.
It is doubtful whether anyone in this district has had such a varied and eventful career as the late "Tom" Wood, who lived a careful life and had the valuable assistance of a true and loving wife who helped him along the road to prosperity.
In Gulgong he will be greatly missed, for he was held in high esteem and had many friends. A widow and two daughters in Gulgong (Mesdames U. V. Glover and R. Honeysett) survive, as well as the following brothers and sisters:— Alfred (Gilgandra), Arthur (Gulgong), Charles (Inverell), Clarrie (Eumungeree), Walter (Gulgong), Mesdames C. Davis (Tingha), R. Brown (Sydney) and Miss Marion K. Wood (Gulgong).
