William Slade Vincent

12.1
Travels around New South Wales

On 9th August 1922, William was sent a letter by the Repat. Dept., addressed to him care of (c/o) Robinson and Vincent Ltd, Toorale, Bourke, N.S.W.

Robinson and Vincent Ltd. was a company who owned sheep and cattle stations in N.S.W. and Qld. Mathew and Guthrie Robinson, and Thomas Wilson Vincent, William’s Uncle, had owned “Dunlop”, “Toorale” and “Nocoleche” stations near the Darling River in N.S.W. and “Bonuss Downs” and “Cytheria” stations near Mitchell, Qld. [87]

Thomas Wilson Vincent 1929 [88]

Thomas Vincent divorced his wife in 1916 (the co-respondent was Mr. C. F. Rowe) and at a hearing on 21st October 1924, Thomas’s wife was seeking more alimony. She claimed the combined area of the properties was 3,000,000 acres and they ran 300,000 sheep and many thousands of cattle. [89] Thomas claimed the properties were only a total of 2,148,00 acres and they carried 170,000 sheep and 4,000 cattle. [90] A mutual settlement of the alimony claim was met at later date.

William received a reply from the Repat. Dept. (to his letter of 9th August) and the letter stated he must fill out and return the enclosed forms for the period of payments to be made to him for 31st March 1922 to 30th June 1922. This was to be the procedure for William to receive his pension as it was most likely used to ensure the recipient was still alive. William filled in the forms above, but by the time the mail got through to Sydney, he had moved to Gundabooka Mines, Mount Drysdale, N.S.W. But he had asked for the money to be deposited in the Cobar Branch of the Commercial Bank of Sydney, which apparently was not done.

Another letter arrived for William from London dated 16th June 1922 wherein it stated the pension payable to him was to be 8/- (8 shillings) per day. [This would be approximately equivalent to the purchasing power of $48 Australian dollars today.]

Pension 8s per day from 1st April 1922 [91]

On 23rd March 1923 William was at Buckambie Stn., via Tilpa, N.S.W. He requested, on 2nd June 1923, to have any part of his pension commuted to a lump sum. The Department of Repatriation (Repat. Dept.) said that this was not possible except in the most exceptional of circumstances.

William had moved to Nilyambo Station, via Wilcannia by 20th September 1923. On 18th October 1923, William’s pension had not been paid for period ending 30th September because the attestation was made prior to the due date for payment. He corrected this and was paid.

On 27th November 1923, William was still in Wilcannia, but his address was c/o Post Office. He then wrote to the Repat. Dept. advising them that the vouchers for December 1924 [1923] to March 24 had been accidently destroyed by fire. He was informed that it is necessary to obtain duplicate vouchers from the British Paymaster-General’s Office, in London.

William again changed address. He was at Milroy Station, via Brewarrina, N.S.W. on 26th January 1924 when he sent a letter to the Repat. Dept. He asked how he can get his pension if the duplicate vouchers, (which were replacements for the ones destroyed in a fire) have not been sent to him.

He followed the letter up with a telegram, to the Repat. Dept. on 2nd March 1924, asking if they can “wire” him immediately, at the Barwon Hotel, Brewarrina, when they receive the two duplicate vouchers from England. He received a reply, on 5th April that they were not to hand.

On 7th April 1924, William was sent a letter with the duplicate vouchers. He replied from the Tattersall’s Hotel, Brewarrina, enclosing the signed vouchers, and requested a cheque.

On 17th June 1924, William wrote to the Repat. Dept. from Delgetti, Park Street, South Yarra, Melbourne, notifying them of his new address.

[This style of correspondence was to be the main subject of correspondence between William and the Repat. Dept. until his death. Change of addresses are important in this narrative, as they give his movements between many places.]

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[87] Who’s Who Australia 1929
[88] Who’s Who Australia 1929
[89] Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 30 May 1916, page 4
[90] Age (Melbourne, Victoria : 1854 - 1954), Wednesday 22 October 1924, page 9
[91] National Archive of UK – Service Record William Slade Vincent