“Yester Barn”
Yester’s Relict Orchard
Yester Road
Wentworth Falls, New South Wales 2782
February, 1987

Thankyou so much for coming to my 80th Birthday get-together at Holy Spirit Church Hall in Armstrong Street,
Wentworth Falls.

Your being here, sharing family and friends activities made the day, 29th November 1986, a memorable one for me.
The gift you brought I appreciate very much, however, the main source of my pleasure was in seeing you and
having you take part in the happiness of togetherness.

Jean Burton, daughter of Nina nee Anderson) my dad's (John Henry) eldest surviving sister, rang me from Hobart,
wishing to be with us but was going into hospital. She is now back home, convalescing. A bit of a "lift" was a
call from Blue Mountains Secretary to the Mayor Peter Quirk, (miss Karen Ives) offering compliments.... I
suppose 80 years is a long time; seeing I won't have another 80th probably, I thought I will send you a kind of
"getting-to-know-you-me" newsletter. Here I do apologize for the delay in getting around to working out the best
way to contact everybody, and (most important) getting around to actually implementing the decision made... I
think each of us can recall a friend or loved one, whose knowing them, when we turn back the pages of memory,
brings a sense of Joy, for having them come into their lives. And for sharing sometimes a particular happening
that stands out like a star in the firmament of our years, be they long or not... Lylah, mother of John Edward,
Erik James, and Joy, I first met at a function in Leigh House, next to the New South Wales Fire Brigade
Headquarters, Sydney, 1924/5. She had long dark hair, braided onto plaits, woven into a black velvet head-band.
We had a dance or two under the oscillating, swaying punkahs, and I escorted Lylah home and met her deserted
mother Florence Webb, (hubby was missing in Queensland). Attracted to each other, our home lives unhappy with
parents against early marriage; in those early days of unthinking youth, we eloped one early dawn to Brisbane.
On arrival of the Express (at) South Brisbane we kept a made appointment with a then State Government Celebrant
called Guardian of Minors. When 21 years old we had the Marriage solemnised by Rector, St Peters Church, Blues
Point, North Sydney... Lylah and I shared twelve years of young lives united, very much in love and striving
together to better our material family conditions through good years of 1926/9, and the despairing depression
following; it was in the latter period that Lylah sold her lovely hair, unknowingly to me; she gave me the
proceeds with "pay some debts, Jim, it can help us keep on battling."

Page Two

(Note: Some of my friends were unable to make it, and sent apologies; also I received Christmas Cards so far by
me unacknowledged. To these I now say thankyou! And hope this 2-page newsletter will suffice to know I
appreciated your contact.)... "Christmas Cards are such a waste!" sometimes I'm told, but to know I've been
remembered! It's Music! Rare as Gold!

Continued from page the first: Lylah & I sold chocolates and candies at Sydney Markets & wholesale. In 1933 we
opened a store in Hurstville, milk bar and chocolates. This was the year of Dad's three-months' final adieu.
Lylah supported me in many ways... Early one morning in March 1937 Lylah was ill and I taxied her to Kogarah
Hospital. The sister-in-charge said it was not serious. I went and opened the milk bar as usual. At fiveish, I
went to hospital and was greeted with "your wife is dead, why didn't you tell us she had a weak heart; here are
her things, including wedding ring, if you want it!"... There were days of shock, as half of me seemed gone...
three young children to care for and a store to run for our livelihood... If I recall those days all is blurred
and misty...

xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx

......... Margery Gerlach was about 20 years when we attended a social group from time to time. Although
subsequently attracted in a stand-off way, we knew there could be nothing in the way of romance. The world was
different then, and Margery was deeply involved in a North Sydney Church... However I wrote Margery many months
after Lylah had gone ahead. I asked if at age 22 she would take on three "steps" and myself, nine years older?...
We were wedded at St Stephens Church, Chatswood May 5th, 1938... Margery proved a very loving person and a
gracious and practical step-mother. Qualms I had perhaps in this regard proved unfounded; she was always a 
loving wife and mother. When in 1967 my sister's son Geoff (Jean Sowden), named for his father, went, and our son
"Kit" also, both 21 years, Margery's heart broke. She never really recovered from this blow. But she was still
the caring Margery, so in her later years she found work to do in civic life. As an alderman, in sixteen years
she founded, sometimes elected President of, the Housekeepers Emergency Service; The Katoomba-Flagstaff-Arizona
Twin-City Link, (many R & R personnel from Vietnam found hospitality in the Blue Mountains); was Controller of
Civil Defence for the Blue Mountains. Also on both of us returning from formation of the Snowy River Scheme
(inspection party), we jointly conceived the idea of the Pioneer Way Association with planting of trees along
the Way of the Three Explorers and resting oasis parks. With Alderman M. Popstring she founded the Local
Government Women's Association to assist women to take interest in matters relative to good government, so that
after her demise in 1974, (she smiled "tell everyone all is well" a few hours before), her work-results still
operate.

xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx XXX xxx

At age 78, my elder sister Marie, who had left Brisbane to settle in Wentworth Falls, said "Let's go to Judy
Small's song-writing Workshop, p'raps do a 'hit'." This was funded by government and Blue Mountains City
Council, Marie wrote "Them were the Days", I did "The Wentworth Falls War Memorial" and "Me Park is Stole".
These appeared with other writer's efforts in a Blue Mountains Calendar 1986; are also on a cassette tape by
2WS, recorded during Heritage Week before folk, all ages, in Katoomba... So even at 78 new horizons open up!...
What have I learnt in 80 years? - little really, except when Isaiah says (God speaking) "I will give you Oil for
Joy for Mourning"; "Beauty for Ashes" in Chapter 61; well I have found this true, although once I felt it just
could not be... I suppose it is important to have a goal, and when you reach it to set up another. To try and
see Christ in your fellow, still with your feet on the ground. To ponder it, something about it.

Well thanks friends for my party, and cheering cards, I have been in a bit of a dream since my 80th; I guess I
better start on the next goal, writing a musical about the Anderthorsen roots back in Norway early 1800's and
the many happenings to this present day, in a land half a world away in time and space. With stories and papers
from John Henry, Charles Senior, Chas Junior and wife Mabel, together with charts and etc from nephew Ian, who
with wife Barbara, have done much searching; I certainly have an interesting "Book".

A special thanks to those who conceived the idea of getting together and arranging all the bits and pieces that
resulted in a great day.

Page Three

After Margery and I were wedded we moved from Hurstville to a newly-built, on lease to us, shop and dwelling
next to the Arcadia Theatre, Chatswood. We built up a clientele from factories and theatre-goers for hand-dipped
chocolates in special boxes; and installed an American style soda fountain... 1939 came along with the
threatened Second World War an actuality. I leased a small factory in Haberfield necessary to cope with
increasing orders. Margery's parents lived at Chatswood and helped in "rush hours" at movie intervals etc. They
also took grand-daughter "Peggy" under their wing. Rationing of raw materials set in as the war situation became
serious. I had sugar, chocolate, etc supplied on rationing to supply the troop canteens, export boiled lollies
to supply evacuated children in England, and keep normal customers on a much reduced supply. We were both
wardens in those days of blackouts, no names on stations and hooded masked headlights for motor vehicles. In the
years 1939/1944 Margery and I toiled very hard. Particularly in 1944 when owing to the war situation we decided
to move family to a safer area. John was now just 15, had started with the A.M.P. Society in Sydney. John stayed
with Mater and Pater, this was just one of the many ways they helped us. Erik was 13 and Joy 11. (Erik was named
for a small brother of Lylah's, Eric, killed in tragic circumstances one day I may explain.) So I took over
Bullaburra Post Office; although officially postmaster, Margery did all the P.O. work and ran the store as well
as being wife and mother. I waved down the Forbes Mail with a green light 5 a.m. six days a week, and returned
often on 9:15 at Bulla. Mater/Pater looked after the shop till our return, I continued chocolate, etc supplies.
At Bullaburra, Murray decided to put in appearance, was born in Katoomba 1943. The expanded "post office store"
was too much for a mother with new baby, so parents' friends Reynolds bought out the Post Office and we returned
to live at Chatswood. Business prospered (always the result of hard "jakka" by bi\oh), but we missed the
"undefinable" found in the high country. Mater & Pater had bought a home of 5 acres at East Roseville, still
helped, liked meeting theatre folk in the shop, and Margery and I with Joy took a few days' holiday looking for
homes for sale at Mt. Wilson, (too far), Blackheath, Katoomba and Wentworth Falls. We looked at Mornington,
Chateau de Fountainelle, but settled for what estate agent Mr Furniss called an old 18-roomed summer-residence,
with acres, spring-water, couple waterfalls and three acre orchard, and coach-house/stables and pigeon loft. So
we took on twenty years of to acquire "Yester", built approximately 1880, and lived many years by Sir John See,
whom Margery said "besides being Premier for a space, he brought in women's suffrage -- more important!" Erik
had signed on as shearer's assistant in Central Queensland, John stayed with friends in the city after a while,
Joy stayed at Sydney Missionary College on working staff, so Margery looked after her small family, Christopher
being born in 1945, for a space, although in 1946/7/8/9 we exhibited in the Hall of Industries under our name
registered in 1939 as Kit Kat Candies. This meant much help from Margery, including taking a load of gds made
and stored at Yester to Easter Show in an Essex Super-Six whose brakes failed in the last few miles and Margery
got there using gears!!! About 1952, Margery started as an alderman of Blue Mountains City Council topping the
poll for Central Ward. One of her great ambitions was to go to Flagstaff, (see Page Two). About late 1970 she
made the trip, meeting letter-friends of U.S.A. This opened up a happy phase for Margery, but she confided that
the actual trip was an ordeal; on top of the required passport, inoculation needs, which she disliked intensely,
the crowded plane, the oppressive heat in Yosemite Valley, an overnight stay; these all combined in my opinion,
with the blow of Kit's passing years before, in hastening her long stay in hospital, and her untimely demise.
The 3½ acre orchard was on Portion 10 of 10½ acres; in 1956 we passed 5 acres to the Scouts Association for a
camp-craft tuition site. There is small fast running creek; after a small ceremony of those close, and with
approval of the Scouts, it came about that the cremated ashes of "Kit" and Margery were interred, as she wished,
near this creek and two Japanese Shrine trees, Margery's wish again, planted. This area is now under control of
Blue Mountains City Council. Lylah rests in a lawn "annual care" double grave, 666/667 Sect 1, Presbyterian,
Woniora C/ty. Su.t.h./ld.

For those of my friends not "family-wise", nevertheless very close, I ask tolerance for much "family" detail.
There are forty-seven family on Anderson side. So I have photocopied the newsletter to send all those who
contacted me; this frees me for other work... "Good luck to you; God bless you too, good-luck, good-bye, I say;
So long, I'll see you along the way" (Old Aussie song.)

Jim Anderson

at Yester's Relict Orchard Barn