Local Children Awarded for Bravery – 1923

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Certificate of Merit awarded to James Gascoigne in 1923 by the Royal Shipwreck Relief & Humane Society.

Tragedy struck the Tuggerah Lakes community on 6th November, 1922 when Ethel MASCORD drowned whilst swimming in Tuggerah Lake at Pipeclay Point. It could have been far worse if not for the efforts of James GASCOIGNE and Edna CRAIGIE who saved the lives of several other children, all pupils at Kanwal Public School. The following year they received an award from the Royal Shipwreck Relief & Humane Society of NSW.

An extract from a 1923 newspaper reads:

Edna M. Craigie (aged 11 years), Dair James Gascoigne (aged 13 years), on the 6th November, 1922, saved the lives of several children who were carried out whilst bathing at Tuggerah Lakes. A party of children, including the rescuers, named Maisie Beldon, Gwen Gascoigne, Beryl Aylward, Edna Playford, Bonnie Craigie, Connie Beldon, Max Playford and Ethel Mascord, were bathing on a shallow flat when a heavy wave washed them into deep water. Edna Craigie, assisted by James Gascoigne, rescued Gwen Gascoigne, sister of the latter. Edna Craigie and James Gascoigne again dived to the assistance of the others and were successful in bringing them all to the shore. In the case of Ethel Mascord, however, who was unconscience when rescued, all efforts to restore her failed.

Edna M. Craigie, aged 11 years

Mr. W. E. Kirkness, J.P., Coroner, Gosford, at the magisterial inquiry held by him as to the cause of death of Ethel Mascord, added the following rider to his finding:

“I wish to place on record the meritorious conduct of the two children James Gascoigne, aged 13 years, and Edna Craigie, aged 11 years, both of whom repeatedly dived into deep water and rescued four girls from a very perilous position. They showed great bravery, and deserve the thanks of the community.”

Royal Shipwreck Relief & Humane Society Silver Medal

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Sources: TROVE; The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 7 September 1923, NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages; Play the Game – The History of Kanwal Public School by Greg Tunn, 2011; Dair James Gascoigne’s certificate donated to Wyong District Museum & Historical Society.

WYONG – the Passenger Ferry

This article is reblogged from branchesofourfamily.wordpress.com

I found an image of the passenger ferry ‘Wyong’  in  A Pictorial History of Wyong Shire, Vol I by Edward STINSON. The ‘Wyong’ was built, owned and operated by my great-grandfather Thomas GASCOIGNE (1856-1923). You can read more about the Gascoigne family in my post The Gascoignes of Wyong Shire.

The passenger ferry ‘Wyong’ was built, owned and operated on Tuggerah Lakes by Thomas Gascoigne. [Photo circa 1915: Miss Dorothy Garratt, Epping]

The picture shows the pleasure boat, the Wyong, moored on the bank of Tuggerah Lake and loaded with passengers and holiday-makers from Sydney. The ‘Wyong‘ was one of several launches that could be hired by picnicking parties for transport down the Wyong River and across the water to The Entrance and other parts of the lake.

The ‘Wyong’ was designed to carry about fifty passengers and had a draught shallow enough to negotiate the sand bar at the mouth of the Wyong River and the sea grass beds of the lake. At first it was fitted with a single cylinder, long stroke 8 horse-power petrol motor which was not powerful enough to give a good performance when fully-loaded. About 1915 a much more powerful six cylinder Hercules engine was fitted.

About 1918 it was sold and taken north and used on the Myall Lakes and in the Tea Gardens–Port Stephens area. It was last seen as derelict – lying in the mud bank at Tea Gardens about 1936 – a most undignified end to the beautiful craft that had given great pleasure to many happy picnickers.

The ‘Wyong’ was usually moored inside the breakwater at Pipeclay Point, Gorokan near Thomas GASCOIGNE’s home. The old rusting anchor chain could still be seen moored to the big rocks during the 1980s.

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Sources: Gascoigne: an English-Australian Family History by Robert Mortimer GASCOIGNE; A Pictorial History of Wyong Shire, Vol I by Edward STINSON.