The following transcription was compiled by Ethel Schossow in 1995, as part of a school assignment for her grandson, Gregory Herron.
The descendant line of interest is Frederick Schossow, Ethel’s father.
“My Father’s Early Life” - as told by Ethel.
Little is known of Fred’s very early life. Obviously, there were no written or photographic details as there was only rudimentary schooling and cameras were the preserve of photographers. Ethel recalls details only as told by her father.
She remembers her father saying that his family was very poor and everyone was made to work very hard. Being the eldest son, Fred was seventeen when he was sent off to work on a farm to help keep the family. The year would have been 1910.
The work entailed ploughing during the day using three draught horses and milking cows every morning and night. He used a hand separator to separate the cream and the milk and he fed the separated milk to the calves and pigs.
A slab hut was all he had for his quarters which he used for eating and sleeping. He had to supply his own food. Ethel remembers her father telling her of the old billy goat coming to the door at night, rubbing his head on the door of the hut and frightening the hell out of him on the first few occasions. By the time he managed to light the kerosene lantern and see what it was, the old goat had wandered away.
Ethel is not sure of the amount of money that Fred received but it may have been 7/6d (seven shillings and sixpence) or 10/- (ten shillings) per week. He had to send this home to his family. This went on for over six months when an old farmer told him that he should keep the money because one day he would need it for his own farm, or when he wanted to get married.
Fred worked several share farms before he married. There is no record of internment during World War I. As they were primary producers and first generation Australians it is quite possible that they were not considered any threat.
She remembers her father saying that his family was very poor and everyone was made to work very hard. Being the eldest son, Fred was seventeen when he was sent off to work on a farm to help keep the family. The year would have been 1910.
The work entailed ploughing during the day using three draught horses and milking cows every morning and night. He used a hand separator to separate the cream and the milk and he fed the separated milk to the calves and pigs.
A slab hut was all he had for his quarters which he used for eating and sleeping. He had to supply his own food. Ethel remembers her father telling her of the old billy goat coming to the door at night, rubbing his head on the door of the hut and frightening the hell out of him on the first few occasions. By the time he managed to light the kerosene lantern and see what it was, the old goat had wandered away.
Ethel is not sure of the amount of money that Fred received but it may have been 7/6d (seven shillings and sixpence) or 10/- (ten shillings) per week. He had to send this home to his family. This went on for over six months when an old farmer told him that he should keep the money because one day he would need it for his own farm, or when he wanted to get married.
Fred worked several share farms before he married. There is no record of internment during World War I. As they were primary producers and first generation Australians it is quite possible that they were not considered any threat.
Fred married his first cousin Margaret Ann Dickfos
Frederick and Margaret Schossow:
Frederick Schossow married Margaret Anne Dickfos on 13th December 1916 They were first cousins. Their respective mothers were sisters, Anna and Theresa Fischer. This was apparently not uncommon in Germany.
The Schossows were share farmers around Silverdale on the Cunningham Highway from their marriage until 1927. Two daughters were produced, Dorothy Pearl in June 1917 and Ethel Margaret who was born at Harrisville on 22nd November 1922.
Ethel Margaret Herron:
Ethel does not remember her very early life. The farming was not altogether successful and her parents gave farming away to try something new. Some partial records from 1925 show that net income from the farm was about £16 per month.
In 1927, the family moved to Sunnybank where her father contracted to cart gravel for the Main Roads. He had bought a solid tyred “Republic” tip truck. These were the days of “..no machinery - everything had to be done by hand.”
The work involved using a wooden scoop drawn by two horses to drag the gravel into heaps where it was shovelled onto the truck by a team of men. The gravel was then dropped in heaps along the road being built where it was then spread by another team of men.
The family lived in tents for six to eight weeks at a time before moving onto a new area. In 1928, the work at Sunnybank ran out and the family then moved to Warril View, about 15 miles west of Ipswich and near to Harrisville where Ethel was born.
They had to move to where the work was available. Her father worked on many roads in the Fassifern area including the original road up to Cunningham’s Gap.
Ethel remembers Warril View very well as it was where she first went to school.
To get to school from their camp, Ethel and her older sister had to walk across a bridge on their five mile walk. Coming home on her first day there was a group of kids throwing rocks off the bridge. Ethel joined in and somehow she happened to hit a boy on the leg.
Ethel does not remember her very early life. The farming was not altogether successful and her parents gave farming away to try something new. Some partial records from 1925 show that net income from the farm was about £16 per month.
In 1927, the family moved to Sunnybank where her father contracted to cart gravel for the Main Roads. He had bought a solid tyred “Republic” tip truck. These were the days of “..no machinery - everything had to be done by hand.”
The work involved using a wooden scoop drawn by two horses to drag the gravel into heaps where it was shovelled onto the truck by a team of men. The gravel was then dropped in heaps along the road being built where it was then spread by another team of men.
The family lived in tents for six to eight weeks at a time before moving onto a new area. In 1928, the work at Sunnybank ran out and the family then moved to Warril View, about 15 miles west of Ipswich and near to Harrisville where Ethel was born.
They had to move to where the work was available. Her father worked on many roads in the Fassifern area including the original road up to Cunningham’s Gap.
Ethel remembers Warril View very well as it was where she first went to school.
To get to school from their camp, Ethel and her older sister had to walk across a bridge on their five mile walk. Coming home on her first day there was a group of kids throwing rocks off the bridge. Ethel joined in and somehow she happened to hit a boy on the leg.
Next day the boy’s mother sent a note to school and Ethel was called into the headmaster and received two “cuts”. It may have to rank as a world record by receiving the cuts on your second day at school. Ethel also remembers getting the cane for writing with her left hand.
Her father bought a new Chevrolet truck in 1928. She remembers being told that he paid £286 for the chassis. He had to supply and fit the tray himself. Ethel remembers moving camp quite often and sometimes going to different schools.
Every move did not necessarily mean moving to a new school, just a longer walk to school. Sometimes the move was substantial such as moving to Haigslea, Rosevale, back to Warrill View, and then to Boonah where another vivid incident in Ethel’s childhood occurred.
Her family were living in a tent in the front yard of a house at Dugandan, about two miles south of Boonah. There was a very severe storm and the creeks were running very high and rising. Her parents told Ethel to go to town with her sister to get the mail.
Ethel was seven and her sister was twelve.
Her father bought a new Chevrolet truck in 1928. She remembers being told that he paid £286 for the chassis. He had to supply and fit the tray himself. Ethel remembers moving camp quite often and sometimes going to different schools.
Every move did not necessarily mean moving to a new school, just a longer walk to school. Sometimes the move was substantial such as moving to Haigslea, Rosevale, back to Warrill View, and then to Boonah where another vivid incident in Ethel’s childhood occurred.
Her family were living in a tent in the front yard of a house at Dugandan, about two miles south of Boonah. There was a very severe storm and the creeks were running very high and rising. Her parents told Ethel to go to town with her sister to get the mail.
Ethel was seven and her sister was twelve.
They had to cross a large creek which was already running a banker. They ran to exhaustion as they were very scared because of the raging flood waters. By 1930, the family had had enough of living in tents, constantly moving and generally not making any headway in their life.
Her mother’s younger sister, Therese, had moved with her family to the Murgon area. In September 1930, the Schossow family followed and stayed for a while at Moffatdale.
Her mother’s younger sister, Therese, had moved with her family to the Murgon area. In September 1930, the Schossow family followed and stayed for a while at Moffatdale.
Ethel was nearly eight years old when her parents bought their own farm at Tansey on 3rd November 1930.
This was a mixed dairy farm of approximately 100 acres on Planter’s Creek Road on which her parents paid a deposit and then paid off the monthly mortgage. About half of the farmers in the district were of German descent.
Tansey was a boom place in the 1930’s. Ethel remembers this period of her life very well. Her father was a very strict, honest and hard-working man and he expected that his daughters should be the same. Ethel well remembers that she was required to do a “man’s work” on the farm.
Her day’s routine comprised milking cows, going to school, coming home, feeding the animals, milking the cows and then doing her home work. All the milking was done by hand as her father reckoned that milking machines “wrecked the cows”. The cream was separated, and collected three times a week by a carrier who also delivered bread and meat from the town of Goomeri.
The Tansey school was about one and a half miles from the farm but Ethel mostly only attended two or three days a week, probably averaging only one full week in a month. The farm had rich alluvial soil on the creek flats and produced very high quality Lucerne hay. Some floods coming down Planter’s Creek deposited huge trees and a lot of new soil in the lower paddocks.
When mowing and baling was to be done, Ethel and her sister were required to stay home and help. This task was carried out using horse drawn equipment. Her father didn’t believe in tractors because they “damaged the soil”.
The girl’s tasks also included cutting chaff. Her parents made quite a deal of money from the Lucerne hay and chaff. Their father was of the opinion that girls “.. didn’t need an education because they only went off and got married.”
Bull calves were not considered as being of any use on a dairy farm and therefore were disposed of in the back paddock. This was part of Ethel’s chores on the farm. After killing the animal, she then skinned it as she got 2/- (two shillings) for the skin which she could use to go to a dance.
Her parents only gave her pocket money on very infrequent occasions. She was never paid for her work on the farm right up until the time she left in 1946. Ethel says that her older sister, Dorothy, was smart enough to go off and get married in 1938. Dorothy was five years older than Ethel.
Entertainment usually involved her family visiting neighbours on Saturday night to play cards. She said that it wasn’t until about 1933 that the family went to the Goomeri show. She and her sister were given 2/- each to last for the whole show.
By 1939-1940, Ethel would go to dances in Tansey. She usually rode a horse unless some neighbours were going and she could get a ride with them. The travelling picture show would visit the town once a month.
The films were shown on “Kelly’s” garage door in town. Jack Kelly owned a mixed business and sold everything from food, radios, hardware and petrol.
The property next door to their farm was owned by a family named Mackaway. In the late 1930’s, it was being share-farmed by the Herron family, of which the eldest son was a big strong lad called Dale.
He took an interest in the young long-haired girl whom he noticed at times walking along the road. At times he also did an occasional job for Ethel’s father, on one occasion helping him to dig a well. Dale says that old Fred made him work very hard, but then Fred worked twice as hard as he did.
Her parents only gave her pocket money on very infrequent occasions. She was never paid for her work on the farm right up until the time she left in 1946. Ethel says that her older sister, Dorothy, was smart enough to go off and get married in 1938. Dorothy was five years older than Ethel.
Entertainment usually involved her family visiting neighbours on Saturday night to play cards. She said that it wasn’t until about 1933 that the family went to the Goomeri show. She and her sister were given 2/- each to last for the whole show.
By 1939-1940, Ethel would go to dances in Tansey. She usually rode a horse unless some neighbours were going and she could get a ride with them. The travelling picture show would visit the town once a month.
The films were shown on “Kelly’s” garage door in town. Jack Kelly owned a mixed business and sold everything from food, radios, hardware and petrol.
The property next door to their farm was owned by a family named Mackaway. In the late 1930’s, it was being share-farmed by the Herron family, of which the eldest son was a big strong lad called Dale.
He took an interest in the young long-haired girl whom he noticed at times walking along the road. At times he also did an occasional job for Ethel’s father, on one occasion helping him to dig a well. Dale says that old Fred made him work very hard, but then Fred worked twice as hard as he did.
Life on the farm remained pretty much the same for Ethel. During Word War II primary producers were considered essential German, Ethel says that only a very few troublemakers were interned.
During the war years lots of goods and especially food were hard to come by. She said that the butter factories turned to producing tinned cheese for the army. She always remembers the great many planes that were “always heading north.”. It must be presumed that Tansey was on a northern flight path because she could not recall any planes heading south. Some military was also encamped in the area.
Leaving The Farm:
By the end of the war, Ethel was nearly twenty three years old. She had asked her parents several times about getting paid but each time her father responded with “wait till we sell the farm.” She had no money of her own and had to rely on her parents for everything.
In 1946, the family came to Redcliffe on a holiday. At the end of the holiday, Ethel refused to go home because she never got paid. Her father begged her to return and said that she only had to “wait until we sell the farm.” Ethel replied, “.. that you’ve been selling that farm for years.”
Ethel stayed in Brisbane at Salisbury, taking a tram to work as an assistant nurse at Fellnow Private Hospital at Annerley. She left two weeks later after having a dispute with the head nurse and took a job ironing at a laundry.
Eventually, her parents did sell the farm and moved to Redcliffe in 1948. They still owned the 1927 Chevrolet truck from the days on the main roads.
Her father started doing carpentry and building repair work and built a house on the corner of Oxley Avenue and Baldwin Street. The basis of the house was an old cottage from the farm which was used for families who occasionally work on the farm. Ethel says that a great deal of iron bark from the “top paddock” was also felled, sawn and used in the building of the Redcliffe house.
By the end of the war, Ethel was nearly twenty three years old. She had asked her parents several times about getting paid but each time her father responded with “wait till we sell the farm.” She had no money of her own and had to rely on her parents for everything.
In 1946, the family came to Redcliffe on a holiday. At the end of the holiday, Ethel refused to go home because she never got paid. Her father begged her to return and said that she only had to “wait until we sell the farm.” Ethel replied, “.. that you’ve been selling that farm for years.”
Ethel stayed in Brisbane at Salisbury, taking a tram to work as an assistant nurse at Fellnow Private Hospital at Annerley. She left two weeks later after having a dispute with the head nurse and took a job ironing at a laundry.
Eventually, her parents did sell the farm and moved to Redcliffe in 1948. They still owned the 1927 Chevrolet truck from the days on the main roads.
Her father started doing carpentry and building repair work and built a house on the corner of Oxley Avenue and Baldwin Street. The basis of the house was an old cottage from the farm which was used for families who occasionally work on the farm. Ethel says that a great deal of iron bark from the “top paddock” was also felled, sawn and used in the building of the Redcliffe house.
Ethel virtually married the "boy next door", Dale Herron, whose family were share farmers on the neighbouring property at Tansey. He always admired the beautiful long haired girl next door.
After Dale returned from World War II, he and Ethel were married in 1946. They raised five children while variously running businesses at Dalby, Hervey Bay and at several places in Brisbane. She and her family finally settled on a small crop farm at Boondall in 1960. The wheel had turned full circle.
She retired with her husband to Redcliffe in the early 1970 s. They became actively involved with the Horticultural and Show Society and operated their own small plant nursery.
Probably due to her Germanic upbringing, and a father and mother who believed in honest hard work, Ethel was a strong-willed person who still enjoyed an active life.
Ethel s philosophy on life evolved from her hardships and her will to carry through.
She says, "We were used to doing without, therefore we made do with what we had."
Ethel’s life as told to her grandson Gregory Herron who interviewed her in 1995,
for a school project.
for a school project.
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So now it is time to fill in a few blanks, and walk in Ethel's shoes and return to some of the areas that she has mentioned. Fred married Margaret in 1916.
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| Fred and Margaret Schossow |
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| The farm at Tansey |
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Boonah School 1930 Ethel front row fourth from the right
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| Ethel Picnic at Tansey |
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| Complete with the 1928 Truck |
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| At Nagels Waterhole |
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| At Sandy Creek 1930 |
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| On Syda again |
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| Ethel on Syda the cow |
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| Ethel with Fred Kienhe Tansey |
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| Ethel return from Planted Creek Shed |
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| Ethel diving |
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| Ethel in the pineapple packing shed |
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| Ethel on her horse |
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| Ethel with Elma Tillack |
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| Ethel with Doopey the horse and Sandy |
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| Ethel with Olive and Gill Rossiner |
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| Ethel with the pigs |
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| Ethel in 1944 |
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| Dungadan School |
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| Dungadan School |
Margaret Schossow
In the 1925 census the following were living at Normanby: William and Margaret Ann and Albert. Charles was living at Warrillview as a farmer and Frederick was at Harrisville as a cream carter.
In 1929 Frederick and Margaret Ann are at Harrisville, and he his a lorry driver, Sarah Ann is at Silverdale, Louisa May at Radford, and Albert at Fairview, Normanby, Charles at Warrillview as a farmer, William at Normanby as a farmer.
In 1937 Frederick and Margaret Ann are at Tansey as a farmer
In 1954 Frederick and Margaret were living at "Marlene" Baldwin Street Redcliffe
In 1958 Frederick and Margaret were at 404 Oxley Avenue Redcliffe listed as a farmer
In 1963 Margaret is living at 3 Swan Street Shorncliffe
In 1968 Margaret is living at 107 Cypress Street Urangan
In 1972 Margaret is living at 8 Lucinda Street Clontarf next door to her daughter Ethel
Her sister Dorothy Pearl Schossow was born June 1917. She married William Muller and they had 3 children. Dorothy died 8 August 1990. They lived at Redcliffe and she is buried at Albany Creek.
Quite surprisingly, Ethel did not hold many photos of her sister.
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| Margaret Schossow - with her daughter Ethel, son in law, Dale Herron, her 5 Herron grand children and their spouses, and her 5 Great grand children taken in 1975. |
Margaret died 1988 aged 91 and is buried at the Redcliffe Cemetery
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