Tom Frost

Thomas Frost was born on September 10^th 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.

Tom Frost's house in Queen Street (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

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

One of the three - Jonathan Boon

 Nathaniel Boon and his wife Sarah were the proprietors of the Three Brothers Inn (later known as Holly Lea) with licenses ranging from 1832 to 1835. Their Inn was named for their triplets, Nicholas, Jonathan and James whose birth was announced in the Sydney Gazette in November 1830. 

Jonathan Boon, (one of the triplets and possibly the most well-known), was a publican, very handy with his fists, and a good horseman. It was reported that he was a good prize fighter, and also an excellent race rider. He acted as Clerk of the Course at Picton races during 1856. He established the first hotel in Wagga – The Commercial, and held the licences to several pubs in both Wagga Wagga and Albury from the 1850s through to the 1870s. He married his wife Sarah, a publican’s daughter, in 1854 in Picton.

He had several racehorses in the 1850s including Lady Basquine, Lorimer and Whalebone, and was keen to match race them for large prize money. Lady Basquine and Whalebone were later stolen from Jonathan.

For a very short period of time during 1860 Jonathan tried his luck at the Snowy River gold diggings but seemed to spend more of his time fighting in several boxing matches. He then moved to Albury where he became a publican again, and a member of the Albury Jockey Club.

Around 1865 Jonathan moved back to Wagga where he unfortunately had to declare insolvency. It was at this time he was described as a horse trainer. By 1868 Jonathan held a publican’s licence again. 1870 saw Jonathan insolvent again, but bounced back by 1872 to open his hotel named The Retreat. 1877 saw Jonathan insolvent yet again, being unwell, and losses in business due to drought.

The All Nations Hotel, previously known as the Builders Arms, 
one of the Wagga Hotels that Jonathan was proprietor of. (fb)

When Jonathan retired from the hotel business he turned his hand to being a veterinarian.

Jonathan was often seen in court, either as a witness or defendant, often had up on charges of drunkenness, use of profane language, assault, or other such charges, including being the plaintiff in a case where he had been stabbed by another man during a scuffle. The last twenty odd years of Jonathan’s life seem to have had an increase in court appearances. After taking ill at home, in his old hotel The Retreat, in Peter St Wagga, he was taken to hospital where he expired on the 15^th May and was buried in Wagga.

Written by Claire Lynch

Sources - Trove, facebook page lostwaggawagga