Home Page Home Page THE LOCKED JOURNAL Page 5.               I asked my Committee several times to allow me to take it, but, no, they would not allow me to take Govt money          for Education. It would have added nearly £1 per week to my income but they would not hear of it. This led to the          breaking up of the School about a year afterwards, as I shall narrate in its proper place.              About a fortnight after commencing School your Mother was seized with a severe attack of diarrhoea which          resisted all the remedies we could procure and brought her very low. She would not allow me to send for a Doctor          and I verily thought that we should lose her. At last, some person advised me to get some young wattle twigs and          leaves, and boil them down for her to drink. I did so, and the result was almost magical and the diarrhoea soon          ceased.               I commenced a class for vocal music on Hullah's System early in Feby. which was at once a great success More          than fifty members joined it on the 2nd night of meeting after which I closed the list. I also started a similar class          in North Adelaide chiefly thro’ my friend Mr Rolfe but that was not such a success, the population being too          limited, and I closed it after about six months trial. These two classes considerably added to my income, so that          we were able to get a little furniture and other comforts about us. I ought to mention that no sooner did your          Mother get well than I was afflicted with bad eyes. In a few days I became almost blind, and the pain was intense.          But I continued my school going from and to Kensington every day, my two daughters Mary and Susanna leading         me. This lasted about 3 weeks.                 Singing classes.               But I soon resolved to move into town and took a Wooden House in Angas St belonging to Mr  But I soon          resolved to move into town and took a Wooden House in Angas St belonging to Mr Bowen one of our Deacons at          Freeman St. This I found of much advantage as the winter was approaching and the Kensington Road was very          bad for walking. Even as it was in Adelaide it was often as I found it that winter a very difficult task to get from          Angas St. to my School without getting knee deep in mud. One Sunday night I remember your Mother started to go          to Chapel at Freeman St. not a quarter of a mile distant while I remained at home to take care of the children.          I expected her home by 8 p.m, but 9 o'clock came, and nearly 10 when she was brought home by some man to          whose house she had wandered through acres of mud and water in the dark, arriving at this refuge with only one          boot on and covered with mud and dirt. She had never reached the Chapel.               All thro' the year 1850 I continued my school at Freeman St. and also my Singing Classes both there and at North          Adelaide and by thus working hard we managed to save a little money. I bought a plot of land in Beulah Road          Norwood and by means of a Building Society, had a Two Roomed Cottage built to which we removed, I think early          in 1851. I should state here that my brother in law and sister Mr and Mrs Tilley who emigrated to New Zealand          10 years before we came out, but who were then living near Sydney, on hearing of our arrival in Adelaide soon          made tracks to come to us, arriving about Aug 1850, and lived with us in Angas St till we removed to Norwood,          soon after which they removed to Hay Valley, near Nairne, a very important change for all of us, as will appear          in the sequel.               The year 1851 opened very inauspiciously for me. My School became very low, so great was the competition of          mushroom schools around me, so in Feby. I called my Committee around me and stated that my income was          insufficient for the support of my family, and put before them two alternatives. The first was, to allow me to take          the Govt Subsidy, the other, that they should fit up the School Room with forms and desks and give me proper          appliances as lesson Sheets Books Slates and Maps, common in all British Schools, at an estimated cost of £50          and I would try to maintain my position against all comers. To the first proposition they gave me a decided negative.          They were Independents and would never accept Govt aid, either for Religion or Education. To the second they          expressed themselves favourable, provided they had the means, but it was at the present quite out of their power.          As I saw they were very luke warm about the matter, I took the only other alternative left me and resigned my          position. I may here say, that I was succeeded by an exceedingly clever man a B A who I think was a Student from          one of the Independent Colleges but after a month or two's experience, the School was shut up and has never since          been reopened.               The members of my Singing Class determined on giving me a Benefit Concert. I had taken them thro’ the Manual,          and were now far advanced in Hullah's Part Music. Great interest was evinced, as this was the first class formed in          Adelaide, and great enthusiasm manifested by all the members numbering more than 50 besides the School          children whom I had carefully trained               The concert was a great succefs the Schoolroom crammed, and the part songs, solos, and choruses, loudly          applauded and what was better for me, a sum of nearly £10 in my pocket the next day, as the proceeds. A very          flattering notice appeared in the Observer, the next week. I may say it was entirely vocal, no instrument but my          tuning fork.               I had opened a Day School in Norwood but it was not a succefs owing to the paucity of inhabitants.    A move to Nairne.               On Good Friday of that year, I went to Nairne riding in a Bullock dray with Mr Clezy Senr and Mr Bee with          Charley Perry as Bullock Driver, to visit the Tilleys. The result of that visit was that I determined to remove there          and after a few weeks we left Norwood one Saturday noon with all our belongings and children in a Bullock Dray,          for Hay Valley. We packed the children in a large empty case at the back of the Dray. It was the 4th May as I well          remember the wettest year in Sth Australia, and that day was no exception. Before we reached Glen Osmond we          were drenched and so in toiling up and over the mountains the rains continued. It was midnight when we got to          the Onkaparinga near Balhannah, river swollen bank high. However we managed to get across I can't tell, but we          did so, and about 2 in the morning we got to Mr Bothams at Balhannah who with Mrs Botham, got up and received          us with true Christian kindness, lit a roaring fire, gave us a good hot meal, warm clothing etc etc etc. We then lay          down on the Stone floor of the kitchen and got an hours sleep. After a good breakfast provided by our kind friends,          we resumed our journey, and got safely at Tilleys on Sunday morning.               Tilleys lived in a thatched hut of one room about 12 feet by 8ft. and we were for some weeks to come to live in          the same. Mrs Tilley was nursing Mrs Light, one or two of their elder children were out at Service and Tilley went          away somewhere to sleep so we managed somehow while our house of two rooms was being erected opposite. I had          secured a lease of an acre of land from Mrs Smillie at a rental of 5/- per an. and had engaged a man to build me a          wattle and dab house with thatch roof I having to help him.               It was several weeks before it was finished and I had to work hard but it was with no little pride we entered upon          possession of our own new house, which consisted of one long room 24feet long by 12ft wide high pitched roof,          and strongly thatched. We of course made two rooms by a curtain. We didn't trouble about windows, two openings          in the wall, covered with a strip of calico sufficed. A sack hung up served for a door tho' we afterwards rose to the          dignity of a really door. And now, comfortably housed, the next question was, How to provide for our maintenance.          There were a few settlers in the Valley, and no School, and Nairne was only two miles away, and considerable          population. So we decided that your Mother should open a School in our new house, and that I should open one          at Nairne. Accordingly Mother moved her curtain partition a few feet further from the centre, making a very nice          Bush School room 18ft long by 12 wide. She very soon got sufficient scholars to enable her to apply for the Govt          grant. I rented a wooden building in Nairne and from the first was succefsful as regards numbers, tho' there was          another School in the village. We soon succeeded in obtaining the Govt Aid for both Schools getting our papers          signed by Mr Allan McFarlane J.P., who came and inspected the rooms, and kindly certified for us while Capt          Davison the other J.P. in the Dist. refused to do so, being a partisan of the Nairne School teacher.    Headmaster.    Daughter to work at 12.               I think that at this time our eldest girl, Mary, who must have been 12 years old went as nurse girl to the family          of Mr Jas Johnston OakBank where I know she was kindly treated and highly esteemed and where she remained          a considerable time.               And now we seemed fairly launched on a sea of temporal prosperity, which was however to be succeeded in a          year or two's time by the sharp and bitter storms of adversity. But I will not anticipate.               From the time of our coming to the Valley, our children attended the Sunday School at the Wesleyan Chapel          in Nairne with their cousins and we and the Tilley’s often went down to Chapel in the evenings.          When our House was built, and the School opened however I thought it would be a good thing if we could open          our house for Divine Worship on Sunday evenings, as there was no service nearer than Nairne, and the dwellers          in the Valley generally were living a careless and ungodly life. Accordingly after due invitation and notice given          I held my first service within a few weeks of the opening of the School and was much gratified at the attendance          which was large from the first, and within a week or two entirely filled the house. Of course I preached myself,          being entirely unconnected with any other religions body except the Congregationalists, under Mr Stow, in          Adelaide. This was continued until I went to the Diggings in April 1852, and when I returned in October I found          that the Primitives had taken up services at another house and soon built a Chapel.               And now I come to a period in my history that completely changed all my plans, and threw me and my          dear wife and family into great poverty at least for a time, but in which I can now clearly see the leadings          of my Heavenly Father. The Melbourne Gold diggings broke out I think in October 1851 and within 3          months almost the whole of the adult male population had left the Colony for the New El Dorado.          I continued School at Nairne till the end of the year, and might have carried it on afterwards could I have          lived without money, but the bone and sinew of the Colony were gone, causing the greatest amount of          depression possible. Every one leaving carried with them, all the gold (coin) they could raise, so that the          Govt had the greatest difficulty in carrying on, and the Colony was nearly bankrupt and most of the          merchant and shop keepers were obliged to resort to a paper currency. Whole rows of Shops in Hindley St          were closed, grass grew in the once busy thoroughfares, and nothing but ruin stared us in the face.    Gold rush & poverty.          I had a few pounds left, and I sold my interest in my cottage at Norwood for £20, for I was thinking of          following the many to the Diggings in April. I will relate one incident in regard to this, to show to what          straits the Colony was reduced. I had walked down to town and received the money for my house, and next          morng. I met Mr Prankerd the Land Agent whom I knew well. He said Oh! Mr Ryder I have got a property          to sell that will just suit you. It is at Prospect. There are 4 acres of land fenced and a well built house of five          rooms and a stack of hay of about 3 or 4 tons, and you shall have the lot for £20. I had great difficulty in          refusing it, for I had the very money in my pocket, but I did for of what use was land or house to me.          The Colony was bound to go to ruin and my family couldn't eat house or land, the difficulty would be, I          thought how to feed them, for flour was £5 per bag and all other things in proportion. So I kept my money          altho I believe within a year from that time the same property would have fetched two or three hundred          pounds.               About April 1852 our party was organised. It consisted of Mr John Bott, Messrs Brinkley, Tilley, Ryder and          another whose name I have forgotten. (Mr Hart of Balhannah and a Son.) All were Primitive Methodists residing          in the Valley. We had a team of 6 Bullocks and a Dray which was to carry our provisions and also our swags, and          we were to walk. I arranged with Mr Clezy Senr of Nairne, to supply my family with provisions etc while I was away,          in the hope of being able to pay him on my return. My share of the expenses of the journey caused my £20 rapidly          to lessen, and when I started I left your Mother with £1 and a bag of flour while I had only a few shillings.                      The narrative of our journey overland, I kept in a diary which I have preserved and which if spared, I will append          to this history. We were about 5 weeks going over, and had to endure a little hardship in sleeping out at night, and          walking 500 miles, and in many other ways, but I had almost constantly good health not only then but throughout          the whole time I was away. Indeed I know it must have hardened me for the 35 years I have passed since then. I was          then in the zenith of life, 35 years old and have in the mercy of God been preserved to the age of man 70 years, in          tolerable health. Praise the Lord. When I came home I found another little girl had been born to me and was glad to          find your dear Mother and the other children all looking fresh and well. As to my success, it was but small, altho I          was at Bendigo in all the good time when gold was plentiful. I had sent home by escort 6 ozs of gold, and I brought          with me about 40 ozs.               The first thing to be done was to discharge my debt to Mr Clezy for the maintenance of my family, and as I got          only about 60/- per ozs for my gold in Adelaide and my bill was over £90 - I was left with only a few pounds when          I had discharged my liabilities.    Physical labour.               I went to town and tried hard to get a School under the Board of Education which had been established while I          was away, but could only get the promise of being appointed when a vacancy occurred. Nor could I obtain any other          situation, so I returned home, and hired myself out to Mr Hefford who came home with us from the diggings, to          help him with his hay-making. All day long for a week or two, I dragged a heavy rake over the paddocks for I was          not strong enough to do the pitching and stack making and he gave me my food and a few shillings per week as          wages. Before Christmas my money was all gone and it behoved me to do something for our support. Accordingly          on the Monday morng. before Xmas day 1852, I shouldered my swag, and having with my last half crown bought a          sickle at Johnny Disher's Store, I sallied forth up the Woodside road to get a job at reaping of which I knew no more          than the sickle I carried. I was directed to go to Mr Jas Inglis's farm at Western Branch about a mile from Woodside          as his wheat was ripe. I think I see him now, as he came out to speak to me in front of the house, a fine tall old          scotchman. I asked him for reaping. He scanned me well for a moment or two, and then said abruptly You're no          reaper. No, said I. What are you then? A School Teacher, I replied; and then in answer to his questions, I told him          all he need to know about myself. Well said he, my man, so as you could not get work in your proper calling, you          have come out to get reaping in order to support your wife and family. Yes, I said. That was so. He looked down on          me so benignantly and said. All honor to you my man, if all colonists acted as you have done, it would be better for          all of us. Come in, my man, and get your breakfast, and I will go to the field with you, and set you to work. You will          be very awkward at first, but don't be discouraged you will cut your finger, get that over as soon as possible and          then you will be seasoned for the work. Mrs Inglis a good motherly old lady gave me a real good feed, and then          Mr Inglis took me to the field. He set me a large piece, took the sickle and showed me how to use it, made a band          for me and made me make another and promised to come now and then and further instruct me, all which he more          than performed. At first I was very awkward, but gradually got into the way of it, and by the end of the week felt          myself quite areaper. I worked for him for six weeks and reaped ten acres, doing for the last 4 weeks my half acre          per day easily, thus earning 10/- per day and my keep.               Afterwards I reaped for Mr G Mills in Hay Valley but did not do so well there. I was with him 3 weeks. This          reaping was a good thing for me and kept the wolf from the door from Christmas to the end of Feby. I then went to          town again, but could not get a school nor anything to do in the shape of Clerking etc. Returning, I did odd jobs for          the farmers, wrote letters for them, measured land, besides working for them on the farms or anything to earn a          shilling. Among other things, I heard that Mr R Bairstow of the Mount wanted someone to thresh (by hand) a small          stack of oats. Accordingly I walked 7 miles to the Mount, saw Mr Bairstow and asked for the job. He said, Do you          think you can do it Mr Ryder. It is hard work? to which I replied, I don't know I can but try. So he set me to work,          prepared the floor for me and promised to look round occasionally and change the floor and see how I was getting          on. The weather was frightfully hot the sun scorching, I stripped to the work, began thumping away with the flail,          bringing it down oftener upon my poor head and shoulders than upon the Oats, while the weight of the instrument          of torture, and its jarring motion, tried my arms and shoulders with great pain, and soon filled my hands with blood.          But there was no help for it, I kept on somehow till sundown, the master changing the floor occasionally and I          thumping away not at all intelligently, but feelingly at any rate. After supper, I lay down in the barn on some straw,          but not to sleep. Oh! the pain I endured! I had raised bumps on my poor head unknown to any phrenologist, while          my shoulders, arms, and hands were racked with anguish. However, at 5 the next morning I was at it again, but          with the consciousness (I own) that I had got a job I could not perform. About an hour or two after, George Pope          a farm labourer, almost the only man left in the District who did not go to the Diggings, came up to the slip-panel.          Oh! said he you're there Mr Ryder, I can go back then, I promised to come and help Mr Bairstow, as he couldn't get          anyone, and I know he wants to get the Oats to the Market as soon as possible. Stop a minute George, I said.          This job thrashes me! I cannot do it, bad off as I am, and the master coming up, I said, Don't let Mr Pope go, for          this job is too much for me, so we went into breakfast and I was relieved of the job and went home a sadder and          wiser man.                  A struggle with his faith.               Since returning from the diggings there being regular service in the Valley by the Primitive Methodists, I had at          the request of the Rev J Dare (afterwards Dr Dare, the popular preacher of Melbourne) then Wesleyan Minister of          Mt Barker Circuit, preached at Nairne occasionally for them and afterwards my name was placed on the plan as          Auxiliary.               I had commenced a School in a ruinous hut, in the Valley and had got together a few children, but with no          prospect of earning a living by it, and my mind was much depressed. I looked on my troubles and thought God was         dealing very hard with me.               One day Mr Dare came in and asked me to go to Mt Barker and preach for him on Good Friday in the coming          week. I told him in my then state of mind, I could not preach anywhere. I thought God had forgotten me, and then          told him all my troubles. He said Send those children away, which as it was near noon, I did. Let us go to prayer,          said he, and down we knelt on the mud floor of the hut, and he prayed most earnestly for me. Afterwards, he said,          Now my dear Brother Ryder, cheer up. I verily believe that the Lord will appear for your help, Don't indulge those          hard thoughts of God, but believe and pray, and God will deliver you. I felt greatly encouraged, and promised to          preach for him, and on Good Friday evg, I walked over to Mt Barker and very well remember turning aside into the          wattles at the back of Blakiston Church and committing myself and all my troubles into the hands of Jesus, and          then going and preaching from the words "It is finished" having a glorious time, and walking back forgetting          all my woes in my unutterable joy.               In May we went to Echunga at the request of the Hon Jacob Hagen M.L.C. who promised to give me the use of          the School house there free of rent, and to get me the license and to do everything possible to enable me get a          living, I thought I had a good chance. It cost me £1 to take my family over there, and I opened School, and stayed          there a month, but the Honorable behaved the reverse of honorable to me, would not use his influence to get me          the License, and refused to lay out a shilling on making the house and Schoolroom habitable, the rain coming in          both Schoolroom and house, which latter consisted of but one room, and when a month had elapsed, as I received          a reply from the Board of Education refusing to grant a License for the School until it was put in repair, I had no          alternative, but to give it up and go back.