G H Varley & E C C Platt

Tenants in Common (No Ownership)

At 10 minutes to 3 o’clock on 11 September 1895, the Houison’s section of Allotment 10 was transferred as ‘tenants in common (no ownership)’ to George Henry Varley and Edward Charles Close Platt.¹ Dr James Houison had only purchased the property in June 1894 so it was little over a year but as we saw it was a tumultuous year for the Houison’s. It is obvious that Varley and Platt had a relationship of trust with both Dr James and Kate Houison evidenced by them being the Executors and Trustees of the Estate for the late Kate Houison. It can be presumed that in 1895 when the Houison’s were resigning their positions in organisations in Grafton, selling property and preparing to leave Grafton that they also left the care of Allotment 10 at Yamba to Varley and Platt. It is interesting that they did however not sell the property as is evidenced by the transfer on the Certificate of Title, they were just leaving the responsibility behind, perhaps there were future thoughts of returning in retirement to the Clarence.

Edward Charles Close Platt

Edward Charles Close Platt or as he is often referred to, E C C Platt was a Bank Manager in Grafton. He was well respected and held positions of prominence within the Grafton community. In 1889 he purchased a one acre Crown Land Grant in Iluka, Allotment 4 and 5 of Section 10 for the sum of £10. This property is situated at the corner of Charles St and Denne St, Iluka, and forms part of what is now the main shopping street of Iluka. So he had interests on the Lower Clarence. He retained this property until 6 Nov 1939 when it was sold to Herbert Raymond Price of Iluka, a Hotelkeeper.

George Henry Gisborne Varley

George Henry Gisborne Varley was born in London on April 7, 1851 arriving in Sydney in 1861 when he was 10 years of age. He was the ‘Son of William Waterloo Gisborne Varley, picture dealer and later accountant, and his wife Anne Daston. [He] Married Jane Louise Brackenreg in 1871 and had issue, 2 daughters and 4 sons.’ ² He was a newspaper man beginning his career in Maitland working for the ‘Ensign’, then at other papers in Newcastle. In 1881 he moved to Grafton as part owner of the ‘Clarence and Richmond River Examiner’. He was very active in the local community and was a member of influential committees and organisations in the Grafton area.

An article in the Daily Examiner on his death in May 1936 gives an interesting picture of the man; ‘a man of unusually quiet demeanour, of somewhat short stature and apparently frail physique. His demeanour was exceedingly modest, he spoke never more than a few words in public, but the little he said was listened to with attention. Every citizen revered his name and character.‘ ³

In 1904 George Varley left Grafton heading for Sydney and a life in politics. His departure was reported with ‘much regret’, his contribution to the local community, his work and a public meeting of citizens in the Town Hall was held to see how they could recognise his contributions to Grafton. However ‘Mr Varley was adverse to a banquet or demonstration being made and would not take a testimonial. He [Alderman See] moved: “That in the opinion of this meeting a complimentary picnic should be tendered to Mr Varley prior to his departure’. Tributes and the activities were however recorded in the local newspaper which show the high regard in which he was held. Although he left the area he retained his interest and membership of many of the organisations in the areas.

He died in Bellevue Hill, Sydney NSW on 28 Mar 1936 and tributes were recorded in newspapers around the state, including three in Grafton’s Daily Examiner.

River Street Yamba – Allotment 10

The time period of 1894 until 1904 in many ways appears to have continued on with the previous uses of the properties. Yamba or as it was previously known Wooli or Clarence Heads was being promoted as a ‘sanitorium of Grafton’ of clean sea air the ‘Brighton of the Clarence‘. As the article below states ‘On shore at the townships of Iluka and Yamba, the accomodation is not of the highest order, nor is there enough of it … To any one having some capital, AND the heart to lay it out in a promising profitable investment, there is a good opening here – to build houses at the Heads of a suitable kind, and to provide ordinary civilized appliances for the convenience and comfort of visitors.’ ⁵ The cottage at 3 River street was believed to be continued to be let out in Yamba, the advertisement below gives an indications that a furnished cottage was being rented for £1 a week. It is also noted that the accomodation for Yamba as a seaside resort was being advertised widely including in the Sydney ‘Australian Town and Country Journal’.

Regarding the corner property of the Little High Street laneway and River Street, now 2 River street, it continued on as a bakery after James Ryall sold the property to the Houison’s and left for Grafton in 1894. James Ryall retained the ownership of the cottage and property at 4 River Street until 1902 when he left for Sydney and started his new bakery on Oxford Street, Waverley. The cottage was sold in 1902 to George Moore who worked on the Pilot steamer service and in 1891 had married Francis Isabella Graham, the daughter of Sarah Jane Graham who had purchased Ocean View Boarding House from James Ryall when he purchased Allotment 10.

As noted previously E C C Platt left the Grafton areas in 1897 so the management of the property would have been taken over by George Varley although there was no change to the Certificate of Title.

The links of the Graham family continue with 2 River Street and the Bakery. Ebenezer Graham (b 1876) was the son of Edward Graham (died 19 November 1895) and Sarah Jane Graham. It is unsure how or whether the bakery was operating from its sale to the Houison’s in 1894, however in 1897 E Graham advertises for a ‘competent sober baker’ with the bakery being offered for lease in 1898 and 1899. It is believed this was the bakery being operated by James Ryall at what is now 2 River Street. It is recalled by family that Herbert ‘George’ Perkins whose family owned 3 River Street from 1945 until 1985, that George spoke of a bakers oven that had operated and existed at 2 River Street. George’s great grandfather was Francis Freeburn, the first Pilot at Yamba, and his mother was Annie Elizabeth May Perkins later Russell nee Schaumann of Wooli Street, Yamba.

In 1917 an announcement is made that Jack Collins and ‘Ted’ Graham had purchased ‘Yamba Bakery’. In 1925 an announcement is made that E Graham has purchased a new bakery in West Kempsey.

In 1903 however, there is a convergence of the Perkins and Graham families seen in an article about an injury to E Graham after an accident whilst being employed carting flour for Emanuel Perkins a baker in Grafton. Emanuel Perkins in 1901 expanded the delivery of bread further afield to Maclean from the Excelsior Bakery in Grafton where he was the manager. By 1903 he had purchased land at Palmer’s Island and was Emanuel Perkins, Baker, Palmer’s Island. In May 1904 he proposed a new bakery in Yamba in June calling in his accounts as he was building a new oven. This bakery was erected on Yamba Road on the way into the town on what is now the corner of Treelands drive and where the Coles Supermarket complex now stands. From his arrival Emanuel Perkins was a member of the Progress association and was active in the communities of Palmer’s Island and Yamba.

There is another convergence of families that can be noted in 1905, Emanuel Perkins new Bakery and Mr F Schuamann’s new Fruit and Refreshment Shop which was on the corner of Wooli and River Streets. Johann Friedrich (Frederick) ‘Fred’ Schaumann (who in 1880 had married Jane Frances Freeburn the first white girl born in Yamba) was the grandfather of Herbert ‘George’ Perkins who was the son of their eldest child, Annie Elizabeth May Russell (previously Perkins) nee Schaumann.

Emanuel Perkins youngest son Walter Edward ‘Wally’ Perkins enlisted in WWI and on his return received a Soldier Settlement land in 1921 in Yamba. He built a bakery in Coldstream street and lived in a house which still stands at the rear of 27 Coldstream Street fronting the Little High Street laneway.

Ellen Fuller Brown

References

1. _{Certificate of Title Volume 1130 Folio 10 New South Wales Land Registry Services (NSW LRS)} 
2. _{https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/profiles/varley_george-henry-gisborne.aspx}
3. _{Daily Examiner Monday 4 May 1936, page 4}
4. _{https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/profiles/varley_george-henry-gisborne.aspx}
5. _{Crookwell Gazette, Wednesday 2 January 1946, page 5}