Vernon Walter Henry Gard

I was born on 27 March 29 in Nurse Cuthbert’s home in Franklin Tasmania. I am the second son of a family of four boys. My father came by boat to pick us up and road us across the Huon River to Woodstock. We lived at Ray Watson’s apple farm. He had a row of pine trees. I have often looked for them but they have long since gone.

I remember going to Huonville about 5 miles away to shop. We owned a horse and trap, the horses name was Golden Hop. He was a retired race horse although he wasn’t old. I think he had an obedience problem, whenever he was place in the trap and my mother would get in, as soon as she put her foot up on the step, he would rear up on his hind legs as soon as she was in. His legs would come down and he was off to a gallop. Many people would stop and look at this horse galloping along the road with mum and us kids on board. He was as gentle as a lamb with my mother and would follow her around the paddock. She always had sugar balls in her pocket.