One of the first trucks in Strathcedar was a 1926 Chevrolet with a wooden cab.1 It was purchased by Royden Robert Newell and wife Florence, and was used to take their cream cans to the Wingham Factory.2 By the time the truck was purchased, the rough road that originally followed the side of the creek had been relocated along higher ground.
Royden began a mail run, would pick up supplies from Wingham and deliver them to the Mooral Creek area and take people into town when he was going that way. After making deliveries further up the Mooral Creek valley, he would load up his empty truck with bags of gravel and bring them back for use on their dairy farm at Strathcedar.
On one occasion, with Florence in the cab as well, and just within entering distance of the gateway to their farm, a large piece of bark fell from one of the trees and flew in through the side window of the truck, landing on her lap and scaring the ‘daylights’ out of her.
That particular tree is still growing on the side of the road.
Author: Robin Sheppard
References:
1 Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Observer, 27 September 1938, 2.
2Ancestry.com.au, Australia Electoral rolls, 1937 Rowden Robert and Florence Irene Newell, dairy farmer, Strathcedar.
