May, 1929
Upon filling up the humiliating forms the little confidence that I managed to remain have all distinguished. I had no choice but to apply for the Dole. Although it was one extremely humiliating experience I needed the food reliefs to keep my family from starving. Things have been getting worse as each year go by.
I was once a proud soldier at Gallipoli. I fought bravely and was rewarded for my courage. However when I returned home, I did not expect my homeland to be another battlefield just as harsh and difficult to survive as the shores of Gallipoli. At first things seemed well although I could not get the job I did before the war. With the help of the government's 'Returned Soldiers Scheme' providing low interests and land. I was able to get a block of land near the Murrmbidgee with up to 3,500 pounds of stock or equipment at an extremely good annual interest rate of 2%.
English: Edinburgh Botanic Garden, Inverleith Hous...
English: The East gate of RBGE, Edinburgh
English: Interior of the Palm House at Edinburgh R...I was extremely excited and delighted, both my parents and grand parents have been farmers, during my youth I have always enjoyed working with them. However it took a long wait of 6 month for me to finally get the land I was promised. The very next day my family and I were on our way to our new home on the train. It wasn't a very comfortable ride and my daughter vomited all over the place as the train shook and quivered. On my farm I built my very own house out of timber, bricks and corrugated iron. The land I was given was infertile marginal land. Although with my skill and hard labor I was not able to produce enough goods to feed my family. As weeks go by my savings were short and it...