The "Aunts"
(taken from information provided by John Knox)
Anecdotal stories indicate that Lottie was the boss who performed the typical male tasks of home repairs, gardening and wringing the necks of chooks when poultry was required for dinner. The aunts were also keen on sewing, crochet, and knitting and many garments were produced in the sunny front "sewing" room. The vegetable garden, fruit trees, chicken feeding and cow milking were many other shared tasks. It is thought that several blocks of land were sold to help sustain the aunts and they were happy living together anyway.
Living next to them was their sister Rebecca with her three children. Rebecca's boys, Bill and Jim Knox and cousins Ned and Jack (whose mother was Ada) spent much time together.
Ada Woodcock married Robert William Stevens in 1917. They had three children - Helen, 1919, Robert Edward (Ned) in 1921, and Jack in 1923. Ned served his time in the navy as a diver whilst Jack was in the army. Ned caught a cocky about 1950 and it was a favourite pet for the aunts. Every afternoon the cocky was fed a savoury biscuit along with the regular cocky food. This same cocky (aged approximately 57) is cared for by Paul Stevens, Aunt Ada's grandson.
| A trivia footnote (1March 2009) from Margot - my sister Pam has met this cocky around 1961 when she visited the aunts with our father - we think the purpose of the visit was to let them know our grandfather Robert Hawkless (who was Annie's nephew and first cousin to the aunts) had died. |
