Thomas Frost was born on September 10th 1889. He was a Campbelltown man his whole life. Born to parents John and Elizabeth Frost, he was one of 14 children, and was baptised, confirmed and buried at St Peter’s Church, Campbelltown, as was his father before him.
Thomas, or Tom as he was known,
married Theresa May Watson in 1924 in Camden. During the 1920s, Tom showed a
few horses at the Campbelltown Show, including his trotting horse “Clarry
Elmo”, as well as exhibiting shorthorn cattle.
Tom, who was described as a large
framed man, lived at 304 Queen Street. This was a brick house set right up to
the footpath. His dairy consisted of a long paddock of 23 acres where Koshigaya
Park and the H.J. Daley Library are today, running along the railway, and
behind the old Town Hall. Fisher’s Ghost Creek ran though the land, which he
leased from P. Maher of Douglas Park. The dairy buildings on the property were
built of timber and fibrolite, and had four bails for milking.
In the corner of Tom’s land was a
railway gatekeeper’s residence. The cottage was used by a man named James
Ashford. Ashford always seemed to at loggerheads with Tom Frost with constant
bickering. It was told that one of Tom’s cows developed milk fever and the
owner pumped the udder up with a bicycle pump- a recognised treatment at that
time. Ashford on viewing this procedure disclaimed to a third person- “See what
his doing, pumping the udder up to get a better price for her at the sale!”
On the census,
Tom stated his occupation from 1913, up to 1954, as a dairyman. He died in
1955, and wife Theresa died in 1958. She is buried with Tom at St Peter’s
Cemetery.
We can't find a photo of Tom! Please let us know if you can assist.
Written by Andrew Allen
Sources:
Memories of South Western Campbelltown,
NSW 1931-1938 – Fred Seers
Dairy Farming in the Campbelltown Area
– Ivor G. Thomas lecture notes, CAHS
McBarron, Eddie 1990
The Soldier's Settlement - (Poultry) Campbelltown, NSW 1918-60
