USC295_0015

-3-

Central Station. All that country that is now planted in pine where the buildings
are was completely cleared and stumped before any of that foundation was built.
That was more or less an experimental plot. That was more or less a place where
many different growths were noted. You see the Kauri Pine wasn't indiginous to
that area, it came from the northern end of the island. As you can see the Kauri
did well. Hoop Pine also did well. This also came from the north. There wasn't
any Kauri Pine naturally in the Woongoolvber area. It was all scrub, turpentine
and similar scrub to the rest. It was a continuation of the Eurong Scrub, right
to what we call Walker's Camp or almost to Walker's Camp - turned into Carrol Scrub
then, as you know, Carrol Scrub is on the perimeter all the way in. You get Carrol
Scrub - forestered Carrol Scrub. That Carrol Scrub was felled and also that area
where those big old turpentine trees were near the house, as big as any of them in
the forest. It was cleared completely, and as we had horses then and no motor
vehicles, stables, drying shed and everything were built on those flats where
Central Station is. There were a lot more men employed then. Ten or fifteen men
felled scrub, brushed and planted trees. It was all done by hand then.

The house with the 18 feet wide verandah was situated where the picnic area
is now - west of

We were living in the Drying Shed which was at the top of the bank where the
track goes down to the creek at Central Station where Flooded Gum is now. We used
to slug water on the slide up from the creek with two horses, Major and Tommy,
before water was laid on. Tommy, a big beautiful roan rolled me down the hill one
night with a well placed kick on the hip after much manipulation. Dad declared no
bones broken. Tommy may have been lame for a day or two!! About the same time,
sister Nell, while running down the hill from school, was staked with a burnt Carrol
sucker, penetrating deeply and leaving charcoal. It took much probing and cleansing
to remove the charcoal, and much convincing sister it was in her interests.

In June, 1917 the tramline into Eurong area, one mile was pulled up and
laid east to Tallewood block. Rails at this time were unobtainable. Due to
shortage of rails a patch of virgin Tallowood a mile further on was temporarily
abandoned - seemingly the patch east was priority.

Just east of Forest Station on the road through Eurong is a steep hill called
Gentle Annie. This hill was a bugbear to hauling loads of young trees as the U.R.P.
method of transplanting in cubes had been adopted. This meant heavy loads of trees

./4.