Chapter 7 - Living at the Riverfarm Cottage
Narration:
The river farm was not only a business to its inhabitants, the cottage served as a home to
members of the Reid family. Dorothy, Spencer’s daughter has fond recollections of her time
spent growing up at the Riverfarm cottage.
Dorothy Hill (Reid):
I was born in Richmond Private Hospital, 1927, and my sister Margaret, was born three
years before all my childhood and teenage years I grew up on the Riverfarm.
The house Well, it's had a lot of people through it, it was a solid home and Mum kept it
beautiful not overly furnished, I shared a bedroom with my sister and We didn't have
electricity till I was 12 year old.
Well, Dad didn't believe in girls working on the farm but we used to help Dad bring the
wood in for the fire sweep the paths and help in the house. Dad used to do a lot of things he'd get up early in the morning, milk his two cows and fed the chooks, and then you'd be
ready to go to work and then he'd work till 5 In that time he looked after the horses too,
harnessed the horses and everything. He did so much.
The best bits were when we got visitors; they used to bring us lollies. Dad used to fill them
up when they went back with cream and milk and butter and vegetables from the farm and
that came very handy when the war was on. All home grown, mind you, it wasn't through
the college He had a beautiful garden.
War time, It was only we had the air raid sirens go, we had to go down in the dugout air raid
shelter. The aerodrome was so close; we used to love to see the aeroplanes come around.
They used to circuit, the same circuit that they do now and there was Kitty Hawks and
Spitfires and Hurricanes and the big bombers and that, yeah. It was lovely. We felt safe.
I don't know that anything was hard. I was a Richmond farm girl. We were privileged, I think,
had a happy childhood. I left the farm at 22, I left my home and went to Cessnock and a
whole new life came to pass.
Narrator:
David Reid, Spencer’s nephew shares some of his memories
David Reid:
My earliest connection with the Hawkesbury Ag College started with Grandfather Hugh
Reid, (first gardener 1891 to 92). His son, Spence Reid, my uncle and cousin Dorothy's
father, who became the Riverfarm Manager. Many, many cousins also worked at the
college. Dorothy's Grandfather Adam Brooks, first Carpenter and Architect.
My earliest memories with the Riverfarm started from my early childhood. My family would
go to the farm to visit our Aunty Peggy and Uncle Spence, cousins Dorothy and Margaret,
for picnics and swim in the river, and, fishing. Uncle Spence was rarely seen without a
chipping hoe over his shoulder, to eradicate any weeds that could be seen.
ln those early days, horses were the pulling power, very much later tractors started to
arrive, much to the dismay of the horse attendants.