The Brooks Family
​The Brooks Family in Australia
The story of the Brooks family in Australia begins with the arrival of John and Elizabeth Jarrett (nee Grindley) in 1863 aboard the ship "Persia". John was 35 and Elizabeth 27. They had two children, Elizabeth Harriet (5) amd Maria (3). A third daughter, Mary Anne Persia was born on the ship coming out.
"Persia" John Jarrett and Family 1863
Subsequent children born in Australia were Sarah, Thomas Edward, Susan, Jemima, John, William, Henry and Louisa. The family settled at "Cedar Grove" in Kangaroo Valley near Nowra.The property in Jarrett's Lane is still called by its original name. The four rooms that made up the house are still intact and are all made of cedar.
John's younger brother William, his wife Sarah Saunders and daughter Sarah also came out on the "Persia" in 1863. They too went to Kangarroo Valley but around 1889 moved to Nana Glen, near Coff's Harbour.
John's sister, Elizabeth married Joseph Brooks on 26 March 1860, at Birkenhead, Cheshire England. Their children were Alfred, Thomas, Albert, Joseph, Richard, Elizabeth, Clara and Harriett. Joseph was a waterman working on the salt barges that piled the Mersey River. In the 1700's and 1800's most of the salt was produced from around the Windsford and Northwich area from underground brine resources that were boiled to reduce the brine to salt. The salt was shipped from the area into large flat-bottomed vessels ("flats") down the River Weaver to Liverpool. Coal and general goods were brought back on the return trip. The flats were about 90 feet long by about 20 feet wide and carried up to 170 tons. They were substantially larger than the inland canal vessel, which was restricted by size to 70 feet long by 7 feet wide so they could fit through the locks of the canal system. The "flatmen" had a prestigious job that was well paid. The Brooks family were involved with the flats from before 1817. Joseph's two eldest sons Alfred and Thomas followed their father into this occupation.
In the 1881 Census Joseph and Elizabeth were living at 35 Station Rd Wharton. Joseph was 51 and his occupation was listed as Waterman. As well as Elizabeth, there was Albert John (16, general servant), Clara (14, scholar), Seymour (12, scholar), Elizabeth (9, scholar), Joseph (7, scholar), Richard (4) and Harriet Mary (3). Thomas was living with his uncle John Robinson, aunt Mary nee Brooks and cousin Samuel Oakes (waterman) at 5 Winsford Hill. Alfred was listed as Mate aboard "Mary Jane" mastered by Samuel Hulse.
The Arrival of Joseph and Elizabeth Brooks
Enthusiastic reports of the excellent opportunity for a new life had been written in letters to his sister, Elizabeth, by John Jarrett. John had purchased 120 acres above Paradise Gulley in Kangaroo Valley. Joseph and Elizabeth arranged for their two eldest boys, Alfred and Thomas to come out first and be helped by their uncle to find suitable land. It must have been extremely brave to uproot their family and move to the other side of the world.
Aldred and Thomas sailed from Birmingham on the "Cardigan Castle", arriving in Sydney on 20 August, 1883. On their arrival in Kangaroo Valley they worked for their Aunt and Uncle until they had enough money to bring out the rest of the family. Father Joseph (56) and children Albert John (23), Clara (20), Seymour (18), Elizabeth Ann (16) and Richard (11) on the "Salier" arriving 30 October 1887. Mother Elizabeth (nee Jarrett) (52) with daughter Harriet Mary (9) arrived 10 November 1887 on the "Enterprise".
The family selected acreage at Budgong on the other side of the Gap where there was a small community.
Alfred Brooks 1/2/1861 - 20/6/1940
Alfred arrived in Australia with his younger brother Thomas in 1883. Alfred, born 1861 married Anne-Maria Wright on 18th September 1884 at her family home, "The Lindens" Barrengarry, NSW. Anne-Maria was the great, great granddaughter of an Indian princess. Alfred and his wife contributed time and effort to community work, especially the Red Cross and Maria was one of the mid-wives in the villiage.
They continued farming at "The Lindens" and had seven sons and seven daughters: Martha, Anne, Clara, Mary, Mabel, Olive, Eva and William, Thomas, Henry, Albert, Alfred, Charles and George. There was 24 years between the eldest and youngest children.
Thomas, the eldest son enlisted with the 20th Battalion and fought in WWI. He was killed in France on 28 July 1916. Thomas' name is printed in Memorial register 26, Villers-Bitonneux Military Cemetary. Their son William, on hearing on his brother's death was rushing home to inform his parents was thrown off his horse and killed. Another son, George enlisted in the army on 26 June 1940 and served in the 6/7th Battalion in North Africa and the Pacific.
During the 1890's the east coast of Australia was in the grip of a severe drought followed by a rabbit plague. As rabbits were plentiful they became one of the main sources of food for the family, dogs and fowls. Traps were used to catch rabbits for their skins, the best skins sold for up to 6 shillings a pound weight, 5 skins being the average to make a pound.
Alfred and his family did not have electricity. The house lighting was kerosene lamps. Candles were used in the bedrooms. Alflred purchased a gas generator to provide light for the kitchen and what was called the front room, where the organ and sofa plus a few of the best chairs were kept. The gas was made by using carbide, like a grey coloured stone, bought in iron drums weighing 112 pounds. When the stone was put in water it turned into gas. The Brooks house was the only one in Kangaroo Valley with gas lighting. Carbide lights were used on the bicycles, of which the family had several, also for outside lighting and tied under the sulky for road lighting. When venturing out at night, however, a hurricane lamp was used. It burned kerosene, the volume of the light was adjusted by turning a wick up or down. The hurricane lamp was classed as storm proof and reliable in the wind.
Alfred was a dairy farmer
