Bailey Family
Gabriel and Maria Ann BAILEY were the first couple to be married in St Barnabas Church at Yarramalong in January 1889. They had a dairy farm and orchard at the top end of Ravensdale and grew their vegetables and killed their own meat. Their only means of travel was horse and sulky. The local children walked eight miles to Yarramalong for local dances. A baker used to call and bring back whatever was needed between family visits to town.
Gabriel and Maria Bailey are buried at Yarramalong Cemetery. |
Hercules Rupert BAILEY was born at Kangy Angy on 11 August 1889. His father Joseph was a butcher. Herc, (as he was called), attended Sydney Teachers College and taught a wide variety of subjects in small, often isolated, country schools.
Herc was a voracious reader and played the piano very well. He began his teaching career at Tibooburra in the far North West of NSW in 1919. He married Letitia Catherine BAKER who ran the local post office at Milparinka. After their marriage the couple moved to Wyong. Their story of that journey was interesting –only so far by train, then by horse and sulky over rough bush tracks. At that time the rail lines were being laid inland to cater for the burgeoning timber industry. The same rough, winding tracks to Coffs Harbour had to be negotiated – again in a borrowed horse and sulky, when Letitia gave birth to Joyce. The following year the family moved to Hibbard School, living in Port Macquarie. While there Herc and Letty had two sons Owen (Bill/Bert) in 1922 and John Ross in 1924.
