NORTH Family History

Lionel Leslie Eric North
b 1898 d 1997

Lionel North circ. 1990

Front row: Lionel, Gordon and Douglas. 1951

Based on the recollections of his sons
William and Douglas North, with additional notes by his granddaughter Karenn.

As a young man Lionel North worked for Fisher's Bakery at Chatswood, Sydney, and he met his wife, Winifred, when he delivered bread to her home. Their first date was at His Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, accompanied by their chaperone, Isabella Griffiths, Winifred's stepmother!

In later years he moved to the western suburbs of Sydney and worked as a bread carter for Carrie's Bakery at Wentworthville and at odd times fixed their ovens. Time progressed and he became an employee of the NSW railways and commenced as a coal boy, progressing to time clerk, acting fireman, fireman, acting driver and driver.

During the war years he was security screened so as to be a safe person to convey troops and take special trains into Dunkeved Ammunition Factory.

He was a kind man in some ways. During the winter months he would accidentally drop coal from the engine where some poor families lived along the railway line. It was a risky thing to do, since if he had been caught he would have been sacked.

In his early life as a young boy he lost a lot of schooling as he was the one always called upon to get meals to his father at all hours or go on other chores. All his life he tried to educate himself. At one stage he went through the dictionary writing words hundreds of times to really understand their meaning. Whenever he was separated from his sons, perhaps on holidays, he would send flowery letters written in his old English style writing - very well written and readable.

This constant desire to know more also took a toll on his health. Whilst studying for railway exams he had a nervous breakdown. Even though his son, Bill, regularly questioned him to get him ready for the exams, he failed three times. He knew the procedure for an engine driver but on the day of the examination he couldn't express himself in the required time. It was some years before he became a full time driver. They were tough times for the family and during this time, many friends rallied around and brought gifts of food like eggs, milk, butter, malt, cheese and meats to sustain them until Lionel recovered.

During his time of sickness, he became very interested in roses and eventually had about 200. Each day he would walk around the garden naming all the different varieties. It was great therapy and it helped him recover.

He must have been a tough person to endure the railway work, as it demanded lots of shift work. Many nights and early mornings he would ride a pushbike from Girraween to Clyde in blinding rain, heat, dust and darkness and risked his life to ride on mere dirt tracks. In those days, no street lighting and sometimes he would encounter, on the Great Western Road, herds of bullocks and sheep being driven to Flemington Sales Yards - one night he even had to dive into a culvert to save his life while the bullocks stampeded overhead. On another occasion he fell from the engine, injuring his spine and yet another time he was severely scalded by super steam on his feet.

He once told his family that whilst in the railway he had had a few drinks too many and the next morning he discovered his false teeth were missing. At work the next morning he was informed that the teeth were last seem on the brick wall adjacent to the turntable at the Richmond Terminus. He was rostered on the Richmond service and proceeded to the spot in question only to find the teeth there belonged to a sheep! He never really found out what happened to his set of teeth.

He fell many times at Pendle Hill Station while jumping off goods trains that had given him a lift from Clyde. Since he carried a large metal tucker box and bicycle with him, it was no wonder that he fell off!

Lionel was a romantic character and in the early days, before radio and TV, there were lots of sing-alongs around the piano. These were accompanied by his wife, Winifred, who was an accomplished pianist.

Unfortunately he suffered with boils on his body. Due to exposure to excessive heat many of them turned into carbuncles and to get relief, continue to be able to work and prevent blood poisoning, he would get a cut throat razor and lance the carbuncles. He certainly had a degree of toughness during his life.

History says that Governor Macquarie became aware that Dr Charles Wentworth was not earning enough as a Doctor, so the Governor awarded Wentworth a parcel of land, some 2200 acres, in the parish of Prospect in 1819.

26 Tungarra Road
Girraween


Left to right:
Leslie, Gordon, William, Douglas

Lionel purchased his land from the Wentworth Estate on 29th September 1920.

He was the first owner/occupier of 26 Tungarra Road, Girraween, and personally built a heritage listed home on that property.

Lionel married Winifred in 1922 and they had 5 sons: William, Douglas, Gordon, Leslie and Edward.

Winifred died in 1963 and Lionel outlived all his brothers and sisters and died in 1997. Their sons, William, Douglas, Gordon and Leslie, married and had children. Edward died when he was six months old.

Lionel always said that he had a great life and after 98 years he simply passed away quietly, just as he would have wished.