Horse and dray

Living in the Dorrigo district in the 1950's was some what exciting as a child even though there was no money. Going into Dorrigo was a big event in my life. My old man had a Hudson Terra plane car and it had leather upholstery. Dad had two trucks both Bedfords and later a Ferguson te20 tractor. I remember steam was used in the bush and the sawmills. When you cannot afford wheels for a farm trailer a sled was fashioned out of bush poles to either be towed by the tractor or horses. We used to get the sled and tow it to the top of a hill and let it loose with us on board for a quick ride down the hill. How we survived those times I don't know. Then another game was to climb small trees and they would not be able to hold the weight and would bend over and we would let go some times they broke and we came crashing down. Riding small calves was a good past time as well, many a bruise would appear, if you were to have that many bruises today you parent would be accused of child abuse. There was a big timber dray at the front of the house was there for many years the wheels would have been six feet in diameter or more. Latter on in years I worked with pit ponies underground till they decided that it was too cruel for the horses but they truly loved the work. If you put on three skips the horse would hear the second chain rattle as it took the load and it would not pull it, when the third skip was unhooked they would pull the load. They could work in the dark as if they could see, it was amazing and they were treated with kindness anyone who miss treated them would be sacked.