Leaving Parramatta

Before Leaving Parramatta I had started school at the Parramatta South Infant School with my sisters. It must have been several miles from Grandview ST, down across the Gasworks Bridge across the Parramatta River to Sth Parramatta school. There were no school buses in those days. (p6) When we went to Bathurst our lifestyle changed considerably. My Grandfather Jonathan Peacock was governor of Bathurst Gaol. He lived at the governors residence beside the front gate (entrance) to the gaol. A large stone house of two storeys. An identical building was to the other side of the entrance, this was the deputy governors residence. My cousin Bruce Peacock also lived with his grandparents. His mother had died at his birth and my Grandmother took it upon herself to rear him. He was eighteen months younger than myself. His father Arnold was involved with mining and spent most of his time then away prospecting or whatever he did for a living. And now, my grandmother now had a daughter and four more grand children in her house. Life became very traumatic for everyone I imagine. I believe that my grandmother resented having us there and we all must have been an embarrassment for them. My mother must have hated being in the situation that she found herself and I felt that she was inclined to take her frustrations out on her children. I was always given to believe that my cousin Bruce P. was just so much better than I was. He was a Peacock and I /we were Collett kids. But that was the type of woman that my grandmother was and it was there in that environment that I came to dislike my grandmother (maternal) and did so for the rest of her life. My grandfather had a job to attend to and so we didn’t see much of him there were always gaol inmates about the house. The men, presumably trustees did a lot of house work, yard cleaning and gardening. Of course we children were nor permitted to speak to them. (p7) and of course it was forbidden for them to speak to us. None of this helped with our residential status either. I started school at Bathurst but do not recall which school and have no recollection of school. In fact I recall very little of my life at Bathurst Gaol and fortunately that period of my life did not seam to last for very long. At some time then my grandfather was promoted to the governors position at Parramatta gaol. So off we went to life and to live in the governors residence at Parramatta gaol. A similar type of house to the one at Bathurst, but this one was across the street from the main entrance of Parramatta gaol. Conditions in the gaols must have been considerably different in those days to what they would be to-day , I expect. I recall that the prisoners clothing was very different in the 1930’s to what I see on T.V. to-day. In fact I would not think that it was so far removed or different to the 19th century clothing. Heavy coarse serge trousers, heavy black boots, black serge coats and I recall straw hats, flat brims like the school college straw boater hat. And so life at Parramatta Gaol did not seem to be any different to Bathurst, For a time then, I attended North Parramatta Primary school. Both at Bathurst and Parramatta my cousin Bruce attended private schools. Again my life here is very difficult to recall. My mother must have found it difficult being back at Parramatta so close to her husband and her former life. Brother Jack was still living with our father at Grandview Street and it always seemed to be taboo to mention of have anything to do (P8) with our other “family” at Gladstone Dairy. Again as a small boy, I don’t recall much of my life here and fortunately that period of life did not seem to last long. At some date then my grandfather retired from the gaol penal system after a life time of working in gaols. He was apparently a capable man and I do recall that he was strict with us children as well as those he watched over. My grandmother was also involved with the penal system, in fact it was at, I believe Broken Hill gaol that she met my grandfather so they served at Broken hill and then Albury gaols, I think. He was head warder at Long Bay gaol for some time before going to Bathurst as deputy governor, then governor and finally retired as governor from Parramatta Gaol. So he and his wife certainly must have been able to relate some tales of the penal system as it existed and operated in New South Wales for at least the first thirty five years of the Soth century. My Great grandfather on my fathers side also was engaged in the penal service of N.S.W. Arthur Henry Collett came to Australia with the NSW Regimental Corps as a sergeant in charge of convicts last century. He was stationed at Dawes Point Barracks. At some time he must have left the army and for the last years of his short life, he was a warder at Berrima Gaol. He died of consumption at Berrima in his mid forties I believe and was buried at Berrima. His father Thomas Collett was also shown on a birth/death or marriage certificate as, occupation Gaol warder in England. What the relevance of all that is I don’t know other than the similarities of (P9) occupations back in those days.