Lionel’s interest in the history of Peterborough saw him undertake multiple interviews of current and former residents of the town. Most of these were done between the mid 1970s and 80s. Numerous people Lionel interviewed had been born in the late 19th century so their knowledge of the town and surrounding areas goes back a long way.
The interviews were recorded in mono on a Sony reel to reel tape deck and this page contains audio excerpts from the actual interviews. The original tapes are now part of the collection of the State Library of SA and digital copies are also held by the Peterborough History Group. Transcripts of the full interviews are slowly being prepared and they too are held by both the above.
Please note that the people in these interviews lived in a different era to today so some of what they say may not be acceptable by today’s standards but would have been unremarkable back then. The stories have had minor editing to improve flow and to remove irrelevant material and pauses.
Elvira (Vera) Graham
Elvira (Vera) Graham was the daughter of Otto Klaebe who had a farm at the back of the Peterborough cemetery on the road leading to Lancelot. She was also the niece of HH Rohde, who first took up Section 216 which was the land to the north of the now railway line. She was born in 1898 and died in 1997 aged 98. She was a telephonist at the Peterborough Post Office in about 1917 but was put off because she was German by birth.
This audio is her childhood story of the family farm on the day the pig was killed gives insight into one of the means by which the family was fed.
The Day the Pig was Killed
Danny Brennan – The Walloway Smash
Danny, born in 1902, was one of the famous Brennan enginemen, his father, uncles and brothers working for the SAR. His whole working life was with the South Australian Railways, joining in 1920. He became an engineman in 1941 and retired from the job at age 67. Danny died on March 19, 1993 aged 91.
Danny’s father, Dan, was a guard on the ill-fated stock train running from Quorn to Peterborough on the night of November 19, 1901. The train got out of control and ran headlong into a mixed goods train running from Peterborough to Quorn. Both firemen were killed, Sam Eager and Jack Brodie respectively. In the adjacent video Danny recounts his father’s telling of the story and it includes photos of the smash.
Ralph Zimmerman
Ralph Zimmerman was one the grandsons of Johann Heinrich Koch, one of the original settlers in the then Petersburg. Ralph’s father died young and he and his mother lived with his grandparents from the early to late 1920s. His memories are from that time, and the interview took place in 1979.
The above photograph is of the Koch family and farm. The farm was on what is now Railway Terrace, right opposite the railway station. It was a rambling farm that extended through to the area of the now High School. The building below, situated in the present day at 14 Bourke Street, can be seen in the background of the above picture to the centre right. It was originally built for Johann Koch’s parents.
Black Harry
Ralph understood that Black Harry was one of the local aborigines, perhaps one of the last in the area. However, it turns out that Black Harry, real name Duan Foik, was Timorese having come to South Australia in 1873 as a servant of FB Oldham of Kapunda. In 1882 Foik was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced in the Supreme Court to life with hard labour. His sentence was eventually remitted and he was released in 1893, arriving in Peterborough sometime after that. He was well respected in the town, dying in December 1933 aged 87. He is buried in the Peterborough Cemetery.
Murder
Ralph tells the story of a vicious murder that occurred near the primary school.
Life on the Koch Farm
This audio gives insight into life on the Koch farm, and especially what a Sunday lunch looked like.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army used to have a Friday night meeting in the Peterborough Main Street. There was competition between Matthews and Chinner & Brown as to who would have them out the front.
Henry Lloyd
Henry Lloyd was a farmer from Erskine, located about halfway between Peterborough and Orroroo near the foothills of Black Rock Peak. Henry was born in 1883 and the interview took place in 1975. His daughter, Mrs Davies, was also present during the interview.
One of the really interesting stories Henry told was of the aboriginals in the area, so presumably they were the original inhabitants of that location. The recording gives a little insight into their lives.
Aboriginals
Edgar William Mitchell
Edgar William Mitchell was born in Riverton in 1894 and moved to what was then Petersburg in 1909 when he was around the age of 14. The family took up farming on the western outskirts of Peterborough, which is where Edgar spent most of his life.
This audio excerpt describes some of Edgar’s experiences training for army service prior to the outbreak of World War I. The interview was done in 1978.
WWI Army Training
George Lloyde
George Lloyde was born in 1896 at Mintaro. At the age of 8 George and his family moved from Mintaro to Yongala Blocks on a farm opposite the Yongala Station homestead. George was 101 when he died in 1997. The date of this interview is unknown, but it is probably in the mid to late 1970s. The below photograph is taken from the Virtual War Memorial (https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/209555).
Mintaro to Yongala Blocks
The audio excerpt describes 8 year old George’s 1904 trip as the family moved from Mintaro through Booborowie and Canowie Belt to Yongala Blocks. It also gives insight into the conditions as the family arrived at their new home.
Arthur Meadows
Arthur was born in Port Augusta in 1901 and arrived in Peterborough in 1911. He trained as a Fitter and worked in the Peterborough Loco. At some point in his working life he worked for Peterborough grocer and Butter Factory owner, Sam Dickson
Sam Dickson
Arthur relates his memories of Sam Dickson as a person and as a boss. He also tells a little about how the grocery delivery worked as well as a little bit on the butter factory.
Blanche Cummings
Blanche Cummings (nee Retallick) grew up on farm to the north-west of Peterborough in the Erskine area. Her early life on a newly established farm was tough, but the she and her six siblings had a good life. Upon marrying in 1923, she and her husband Stan went to live and farm at Ucolta, the farm being situated on Dowd’s Hill to the east of Peterborough. Stan and Blanche stayed on the farm until Stan was 80 and they then moved into Peterborough where this interview was held.
Managing a Bullock Team
Referring to an era now long gone, Blanche describes how bullocks were trained to be members of the team and how they were managed by the bullock driver.
Tom Donnellan
Tom Donnellan was born in 1909 and, along with his parents and 9 siblings, moved to Peterborough in 1915. He attended the Catholic School in Peterborough and his working life started before he was 13, doing a milk round for Heine Koch. At various times he was a farmer, railway worker and worked for the Peterborough Corporation.
Droving Sheep through the Long Paddocks
It was a time of drought in the Peterborough area (one of many). Tom reminisces on the time when, in order to keep Henry Williams’ flock of sheep alive, he and a mate spent 3 months droving the sheep through the long paddocks (roadways) of the Mid North of South Australia.
Contact
This site is run by Lionel's son Jeff. Feel free to make contact through the adjacent form if you would like further information or requests for copies of photos.