Thomas Reginald Jones

  Noted events in his life were:

• source. Norman Jones @ genes who writes:
OBITUARY DEATH OF MR. T. R. JONES A well known Corrimal resident, Mr. Thomas Reginald Jones, of 56 Lyndon street, Corimal, died at the Wollongong District Hospital last Tuesday night at the age of 53 years. Although he had been in-different health for the past two years, he entered the hospital only last Tuesday afternoon, and his death came as a great shock to his family and many friends on the South Coast. The late Mr. Jones was born at Kempsey on the North Coast where he lived, for the greater part of his life before moving to the South Coast some years ago: He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Nerida Jones and a family of nine: Ruby (Mrs. R. Childs, Fairy Meadow), Reginald, Mona (Mrs. Haggarty), Robert. Dawn (Mrs. West) Beth (Mrs. Johnson), Colin, Pam, and Narelle. Rev. C. P. Viney, of the Methodist Church, conducted the funeral service at A. S. Cole's Bulli chapel on Thursday afternoon, after which the cortege moved to the Bulli Methodist Cemetery GENERAL: Rekindling the memories of old Mrs Jean Gilbert submits this story and poem relating to the history of Wauchope. Some 60 years ago in the very busy timber town of Wauchope, Tom Jones and his family lived in Cameron Street where Tom owned a carrying business. He was the third eldest son of Willie and Tillie Jones of Hyndman's Creek. His brothers were. Jack (Kempsey), Bill, Harry and Walter who were all involved in the brickyards of Kempsey, Wauchope and Port Macquarie and in farming. Tom's carrying business involved the pick- up and delivery of goods from the railhead everything one needed then was transported by rail but the mainstay of his business, was the carting of sleepers. One contract was to collect, sleepers, from the foot of the Bulls ground Mountain, the having been hauled down by bullock teams. The owner of the bullock team decided to purchase a truck and advised the sleeper cutters that they allow him not, only to use his bullocks to bring out the sleepers but to give him sole right, to cart them to the railhead. Tom Jones was so advised and in order to save his business he found he had two choices to buy a bullock team or take his trucks where no vehicle had previously ventured. He decided to risk his vehicles. Sixty years ago the great day dawned and the first sleepers were carted down the Bulls ground Mountain by truck. The trucks were so small by today's standards and huge logs were attached to the back of the load to ease the rate of descent. The following poem was written by Jack Nicholson and published in the Hastings Gazette in 1933. The poem tells the story of a most remarkable achievement and to rekindle a memory of the "old timers" who may yet be living in the Hastings valley. Up on the high flung ridges Where the dingoes fight for bones A lorry came to try the game, And the driver's name was Jones; Never before in all the world Had a motor roared there, And the possums from their nests uncurled And frightened were the native bears, As the strong wheels spun for another run And scattered the sticks and stones, The dust clouds rose and the frightened crows Flew out of the path of Jones. And the bushmen all rode fast and hard, The wondrous sight to see From Heron's Creek to Butcher's Yard The word ran fast and free; A lorry has climbed the Bull's Ground track, Don't doubt the tale, it's right; There's two of them there and their coming back, A Federal and Willys Knight And the lorry's swayed back down the track With roars and creaks and groans And the boys all cried "now stand aside And give three cheers for Jones". Well we've sung the song of the bullocky days No doubt they had tons of pluck, But they hadn't the speed or the wily ways Of a Willys or Federal truck, And slow was the climb on the Bull's Ground Road With steel tyres shining bright But they couldn't handle a hefty load Like a speedy Willys-Knight; If the day ever comes when a motor hums To heaven, its now a cert That the driver's name on that road to fame Will either be Tom or Bert. -Jack Nicholson

• Occupation: farmer & carrier.

Thomas married Florence Everson in 1912 in Kempsey, NSW Australia. (Florence Everson was born on 25 Sep 1884 in Euroka, near Kempsey, NSW Australia and died in 1922 in Kempsey, NSW Australia.)