Dorothy, our most recent Citizen of the Year Recipient and Woodley Smith say they share similar backgrounds of teaching and farming. They place great importance on education and their children each have degrees, some 2 or 3. Woodley’s mother Kathleen completed her BA at Sydney University in the early 1920’s, a time when few women achieved this level of education. She taught at Cessnock before coming to Harden to teach in 1926 and marry Oscar Smith. Kathleen was involved with the emergency services in war time and was well known for working for church and community, being rewarded with an Apex Citizen of the Year Award in 1969.
According to Woodley and his fantastic memory his mother won the Toohey Golf trophy in 1938 at what is now the Harden Country Club. Woodley’s grandfather Percy and wife Annie took up a selection on Washpool Road in 1892 and the Smith’s have expanded their farming interests over the years. Woodley said, “Percy made his money by growing hay and selling it for chaff both here and Moss Vale. Percy had 3 sons (they all stayed on the land) and 1 daughter. Percy kept a diary and documented each day in beautiful handwriting. A section of this diary covered from 1944-1945 and noted the day that the Japanese surrendered to end World War 2. This was interspersed with happenings on the farm. It even noted his 75th birthday which was in February 1944.”
Woodley said, “‘Power farming’ came in around 1927 and with an International Harvester, 480 bags of wheat were harvested in a day. It must have been very hard work for my father and his brothers.”
Oscar (Woodley’s father) married Kathleen and they had two sons Woodley (1930) and Eldon (1934).
Woodley said, “My name came from my great grandmother who was a Miss Woodley and my brother Eldon’s name from Doctor Eldon Moran who removed a ricochet bullet from my back as a young child.”
Woodley went to school with Laurie and Allan Smith at MPS before a few years at St. Columba’s and a year at St. Patrick’s at Goulburn. He completed a term at MIHS leaving to go on the farm. The first car Woodley owned was a 1928 Model A Ford. Woodley remembers travelling with Eldon to visit his Aunt Maud at Longreach. He said he still remembers the smell of the bore water but they enjoyed the 6 weeks without rain and damp and cold. Woodley said that he and Eldon had a wonderful working relationship and worked as partners in the business for many years.
After learning to dance, Woodley and Pat Browne went to many a dance attending 16 Balls in just one year. Woodley said, “Even today, when I hear the music, it reminds me and I am ready to dance.”
“I took up flying through the Cootamundra Airport with Jim & Bob Stewart, Alan Smith and Wally Thorp. Wally was later killed in 1966 near Redbank in an air craft accident,” Woodley said.
Wally was quite the matchmaker in his day as he found wives for all his friends before he found one for himself. Wally was instrumental in Woodley and Dorothy meeting at the Young Swimming Pool in 1958. They were married at St. John’s Church in Young in 1959 and will celebrate 56 years of married life together on the 16 May this year.
They have five children: Neill, (Mayor of Junee); Heather, Wagga; Wendy, Queanbeyan; Keith, Harden, and; Robyn in Brisbane. They have 17 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Dorothy’s father was a teacher and principal and worked at numerous schools over his career. Her mother’s family were farmers. Dorothy was born at Windsor. Her mother came from Burragarong Valley. Her parents met when he was teaching at Wiseman’s Ferry. Dorothy has a sister Kathleen who lives at Young and a brother Douglass (dec).
Dorothy went to school at Wambanumba and then to Young High School for secondary education along with other schools where her father taught. She worked with Bev Stewart when she joined the staff of the NSW Bank and flatted with Trish Bulbeck.
Dorothy said, “We knew about rationing, we mended and made do. My mother sewed and I made all the kids clothes as well as brides maids dresses for the girls weddings. I cooked, preserved and knitted. I remember finishing a jumper for Woodley while I was waiting for Neill to arrive in hospital and when a hand was needed on the farm, I drove wheat trucks before it was in vogue for women. At shearing time I worked as a roustabout for Eric Kuhn and Dennis Brown, in the shearing sheds and was affectionately known as ‘the dag queen.’ One piece of machinery that I ordered was a lamb marking cradle. It was much easier on the back.”
Another piece of machinery was a ride on mower to make mowing easier for her. Dorothy’s nephew suggested she put a radio on it and then Woodley might use it. (He is a great radio fan and has one going where ever he goes listening to news and current affairs.)
“Over the years we have been involved in P&C. Woodley was the one in the white overalls running the hay rides. I have also been involved with the scouts and pony club.” Dorothy said. When she was announced as Citizen of the Year a list of achievements were read out including, being an inaugural member of both Whitchcraft and View Club. Dorothy is also a licensed lay minister and scripture teacher. She joked that when she and Father Simon Falk jointly conducted a funeral at St. Paul’s Anglican Church that Father Simon said that they had made history.
Dorothy became a blood donor when Neill needed a transfusion for an operation on a tumour on his spine and has continued to donate for over 45 years. Incidentally Neill, who is a poet and performer was one of four nominated for the Poet Laureate at Tamworth recently.
She has worked with Meals on Wheels for over 25 years. Dorothy was also secretary of the original Bunyip Preschool. They have hosted overseas students.
Woodley has been involved with the bush fire brigade for over 52 years. He is a life member of the Show Society. He was the Wool Steward for many years. Woodley made personal representation to the Lands Department to have the 99 year lease extended. Without this MHS would have lost their Ag. plot. Jan Young of MHS said that the Smith’s still support the school and farm club even today.
The Smiths have travelled extensively both within Australia and overseas and have numerous amusing anecdotes to tell. On one Easter trip to Kiama, Dorothy had a salted fish sitting in a dish for a Good Friday meal (before eskys). When the family went to cook it, it had disappeared (possibly a cat). Thankfully, they had a couple cans of salmon handy. Another time when travelling with Ken & Edna Blair and Pat & Joan Browne, they had stocked up but unfortunately had an esky with a faulty lid. When Dorothy went to cook steak for dinner it had disappeared. Ken Blair said, “Oh, that’s where that dog got that steak from.” It was sausages for dinner, instead.
They did a 43 day tour of England and Europe, where in Barcelona their bus was broken into. A similar incident happened when they were lined up to enter Madame Toussard’s Waxworks. Woodley whilst holding two 10 pound notes asked Dorothy what the sign said behind them. As Dorothy leant over to read the sign which said, ‘Beware of pickpockets,’ Woodley was relieved of his money in an instant. Fiji, Singapore, Canada, the Baltic states have all been on their itinerary. Woodley said, “We rode the dog across the US (Greyhound Bus) on a month’s ticket which they could use anytime, anywhere.
They visited children when they were on exchange as students. They have visited Robyn in particular, in various countries, with Dorothy helping to pack her and her family up in preparation for the move to another country. Woodley says you should never leave travel till old age.
These days Dorothy is a great ‘Scrapbooker’. She is busy putting together albums for each of the children as they turn 50. Woodley hasn’t really retired as he still loves to go out to the farm and move sheep, check water etc., They still share a love of tennis, history , geography, good English comedy and old dance music. Dorothy did say however, that she missed the end of the tennis on Sunday night because she went to sleep.
Dorothy and Woodley have worked hard, both in their personal lives as well as for the community. They have a wonderful philosophy on life which they have passed on to their family. They both have tremendous memories and can relate much of Harden Murrumburrah’s history. Thank you for your support of the Twin Towns and for being Local Legends.
Dorothy & Woodley on their wedding day in 1959.
