Robert Ambrose Dowdy

                                                       Home • Family Tree • Biography • Places • Ships • Military • Links • Search Email
 

Robert Ambrose Dowdy

First printed in the "Naracoorte Herald" in 1933. Written by C.J.D Smith as part of the "Memoirs of Lacepede octogenarians".

Family tree
Mr. Robert A. Dowdy was born at Port Elliot on July 21, 1851.
     His parents hailed from Norfolk, England. An elder brother was born on the voyage and named after the ship.
     At the age of eight years, with the family, he sailed for Robe. His memories of that settlement were that the roads were sandy and unmetalled, and the sea water sprayed over the hotel front, before the building of the seawall.
     From Robe the family travelled in a bullock dray towards Maria Creek, and they leased land from Messrs and Archie Cook, at the rate of 10 shillings per acre per annum.
     Their first stay was near Hog's Hut Lake, on the Cape Jaffa road. the only other family that lived near the locality was a Mr. Flint with a big family.
     Later they moved to the northern part of the district, where the family grew hay for the mail service horses. Robert Dowdy possesses a clear memory of Kingston in the early days. With the possible exception of one person, he believes he is the oldest resident.
     Six families made up the population of Maria Creek. There were no hotels or shcools when the Dowdys came to Lacepede Bay.
     On the site of the Kingston Arms was Cook's woolshed and opposite was the dwelling occupied by the landlord who brought sheep through from Cooke's Plains for short periods.
     The deadly Coast disease was rampant and it was impossible to carry cattle and sheep for a year on the pastures. Horses were not immune from its ravages and it was common a sight to see horses with twisted limbs, with blood from hock to hoof.
     No treatment was then known for relief, other than immersion in seawater. As a boy Mr. Robert Dowdy attended the funeral of Mrs Archie Cook, the first person buried at the Kingston cemetery.
     Hundreds of blacks dwelt along the banks of Maria Creek. They were impudent but not savage, and Robert states he was not in the least afraid of their company.
     Near the present site of the English church, brush kangaroos were numerous, and it also was the favourite site for the periodical corroboree of the Salt Creek and Maria Creek tribes.
     Young Robert was the first bullock driver in Kingston other than Station teams, and drove down on to the sea front, and unloaded into the dinghy for transport to the sailing vessel Swallow, owned by Mr Cook, before a jetty was erected.
     Later a jetty, about a quarter of a mile long, was constructed south of the present jetty. Later Mr Robert Dowdy carted the stone for the erection of Otter House and, in conjunction with others, carted the telegraph poles from Salt creek to Kingston.
     After the building of the Ship Inn the first policeman arrived, a Mr Budd, whose headquarters were situated near Mr D.J. O'Shea's blacksmith's shop.
     The first landlord of the hotel was a Mr Maber; and his brother-in-law Mr Caddy kept the store and Post Office, which is now occupied by Mr V. Hall.
     Mr. Dowdy states that those two English gentleman prospered in the new settlement, and returned to England.
     Later Mr. Dowdy turned his attention to horses; and carted rails and sleepers for the new railway to Naracoorte. He agrees that it proved no blessing for Lacepede Bay.
     He was also a keen racing enthusiast and raced Little Tim - a horse he bred that met with success on the racing field, under the acre of Mr W. McGregor.
     He aslo remembers clearly the first metal road constructed by Mr Robert Redman in front of the Royal Mail Hotel. Mr Robert Dowdy said that he did not remember a wreck in Lacepede.
 

 

1