Heneker – a Pioneering family from Kent to South Australia

“James and Mary Ann Heneker outside their home at Beltana, South Australia”

More letters sent to The Chronicle newspaper in South Australia by A.W. King

MEMORIES OFTHE NORTH

Tales Of Old Identities

DEAR BEETEE— I was very pleased to read the letter from ‘Woolyana,’Upper North, in the issue of ‘The Chronicle of May 24, 1934. These letters are always interesting to me.’Woolyana’ may be interested to hear more about the old-timers. Mr. Thos. O’Loughlin, who taught at Hookina school in the early days, is still teaching at Kelmscott, near Perth, and Mr. Button, who was storekeeping in Hawker, passed away in Perth some time ago. George Duke Faulkner I knew well, as we were both born at Nairne. His father kept the old Beehive Hotel in Nairne. George Faulkner, after leaving Hookina, went to Willow Plains school, where he taught for some time. He then left the service and went to Port Pirie. His wife was a Miss Hill, a daughter of Mr. John Hill, of Hawker. George Duke Faulkner was named after the Duke who was in Australia in 1868.

In The Flood

‘Woolyana’ asks Mr. Heneker to say where the teams were when the waggons were washed away at Wonoka Creek. There are two creeks, that junction at the spot right opposite to where the old eating-house was, and the waggons were pulled up on the low ground of the Saltwater Well creek part; and in the night the creek was flooded and came down a banker. I understood that there was no rain at Wonoka Creek, and I always understood that the waggons were old Mr. James Heneker ‘s, and that there were three of them. I, myself, found a part of the tackling in the Wonoka Creek, a little way down from the crossing, but that was some years after the flood. In my time, Wonoka Creek was the township, and was a really lively place, especially on Sundays, when the Adelaide mail arrived. Mrs. Patterson and her daughters kept the eating-house. I knew all the Henekers  as they came from the same district as I did — Nairne and Dawesley.   

Station Tragedy

‘Woolyana’ mentions Mr. Turner as manager of Maralana station. Mr. Mansell was overseer previous to this, and he was killed at the station by a man named Burke, in 1878. In a fit of delirium tremens Burke went to the station and chopped down the man, whom they say was his best friend. Does ‘Woolyana’ remember about the burning of the waggon and a load of stores, at Wonoka Creek? The fire started when the waggon was crossing the creek, and the driver of the team tried to overturn the load by locking the waggon but did not succeed. He had to take his team off, and stand by and see things burnt. They could not stand too close, as there were explosives that kept going off. The remains of the fire were there for years afterwards.

Cattle Track

I notice ‘Woolyana’ mentions the cattle track, which the telegraph line followed. This is a mistake, as it was never more than a three-chain road. The cattle track was down by John Gloeder’s, south of the old Hookina. I was there when it was all cut up for farms. The old Hookina Hotel was kept by Sam Fleet. I believe he sold it to Mr. Glass, who tried to move the licence up to the railway siding, but was unsuccessful. That was before I left that district. Mr. Glode’s brother Bill, as he was always called, is now in this district, but age is telling on him. He has had some rough experiences in this district. Another Hookina boy,  Harry Grohth, called on me here, and lately I have just met another Hawker boy by the name of Joe Feineler. He is here in W.A. looking out for a farm.

Similar Season

I am very sorry to read the reports of the dry state of S.A., even Adelaidebeing short of water. In 1910 I went to S.A. for a trip, and it was another season then like it is now. I went from Hawker right over into Victoria, at Kaniva, and well I remember the state of the country, almost all the way. I sincerely hope that the whole of S.A. will soon be blessed with good rains. In this district in W.A. it has been a lovely season ever since it opened, being not too wet, which just suits this district.

A. W. KING (Brookton, W.A

This newspaper article was published in The Chronicle (Sth Australia) on Thursday 19 July 1934

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