Gosford Times 28 Apr 1905 The Steamers 'Erina' & 'Woy Woy' Gosford Wharf presented a very busy scene on Good Friday as both our steamers arrived within an hour of each other. The 'Erina' put in an appearance a little after one o'clock, while the' Woy Woy' came along side half an hour later. Both Steamers carried a number of pleasure seekers, campers, and sailing boats for the Regatta and general cargo On the home journey the 'Erina' ran up Cowan Creek for a cargo of oysters for some new leases on the George's River so that on rounding Barenjoey on the back trip , the 'Woy Woy' had the lead of some 10 minutes This the 'Erina' picked up on the spin along the coast and entered Sydney Heads , a few lengths in advance of her rival, although in the smooth waters of Port Jackson there was little difference in the speed of the two popular Gosford traders ( Not edited) MargM Central Coast List Admin

I was tidying up my John SMITH file and came across this gem found for me years ago by Gwen Dundon, from the Town and Country Journal 29 April 1876. .. this is it quoted in full. "Lately I have had very little to write about, our town being very quiet. This week we have had a very serious accident: it appears that Mr John Smith, while returning home with two horses attached to a dray, took up a number of children to ride, and on arriving at his house, and before the children got out of the dray, through some cause or other, the leading horse took fright, and running around the corner of Boston's paddock the dray was upset. Fortunately there was only 2 of the boys hurt, these being sons of Mr A Hunt of this town. Luckily there was plenty of assistance on the spot, otherwise one of the boys must have been killed, as the full weight of the dray lay across his neck. Dr Harris was on the spot in a very few minutes and attended on the sufferers, who, I am happy to say, are progressing favourably under the careful attendance of that gentleman. Another accident happened to a boy, son of Thomas Duncan, who, while playing in a waggon standing in front of that gentleman's house, accidentally fell out and broke his arm; he was also attended by Dr Harris, whose presence is certainly a great benefit to the district of Brisbane Water. The weather is all that is required." This John Smith is presumably my gtgtgrandfather who arrived from Bucks in late 1855. You would have thought he would have been a bit more circumspect around drays and boys as his eldest child then aged 12 was killed in an accident with a dray, in early 1856- all recorded in Rev Glennie's journal. Thomas is buried at Pt Frederick. Gwen- I think he was living at East Gosford by 1876. Have you any idea where Boston's paddock was? And for those of you who know East Gosford, my John Smith built Stonehurst right on Erina Creek at the start of the bridge known as the Punt bridge (cause there was once a punt there!) He owned 4 .5 acres at the time of his death. This was an area bounded by George, Brougham and Adelaide St back toward Hylton Moore ovals (which was then all swamp). At the time of his death in 1892, the house and those acres were valued at 200 pounds. Wonder what it would be worth today!!! Judy Gifford researching SMITH CAIN ROGERS all of east Gosford

Hello Judy, Wish you would come over and tidy up MY files! Re William BOSTON, your guess is as good as mine about where his paddock was, but as he was the punt keeper at Erina Creek at East Gosford, I would hazard a guess and say MAYBE it was that very old place alongside the punt, diagonally opposite your g-g-grandpa's "Stonehurst" . It shows up in 1905 postcards as tumbledown even then. Shame we can't insert photos here! William BOSTON of East Gosford died 1 August 1885 at 67, "Erina Punt Owner and Keeper". In brackets, the C of E entry asks "a native of Cheshire?". He lost his 7 year old son William Jr to accidental drowning in October 1880. The family was not a lucky one. Boston Sr lost the sight "in his good eye" on 6 April 1856 (apparently he lost his other eye in the same way, chopping wood). Thus he was a blind punt man for much of his working life. He would not have "seen" the building of the steel drawbridge across Erina Creek which replaced the old punt in 1885, but would certainly have heard it. In "Agnes Fagan's Diary" there is an entry for 24 September 1885, in which Agnes noted that she and her husband George Fagan crossed Erina Creek in a "very small punt drawn by an elegant figured woman". Perhaps a member of the Boston family? She also commented that the bridge was almost completed. Well, that doesn't throw any light on where Boston lived I am afraid, but I feel sure he dwelt reasonably close to Erina Creek in order to be on the spot when anyone wanted to cross the waterway. Regards, Gwen