Tim the Yowie Man: Raking up the past in the search for Tom Maloney

"I was in bed reading your column on my iPad late at night, saw the photo and immediately yelled out, that's my uncle!" exclaims Shirley Moore, of Queanbeyan.

Moore reveals that her uncle, Tom Maloney (1904-1985), "collected rubbish and leaves around Canberra with his horse and cart for many decades up until the early 1970s."

"He used to stop out at my mum and dad's house on the Sutton Road on the weekend," reveals Moore. "He'd put shoes on his beloved sulky 'Dobin', and get him ready for work for the next week."

Meanwhile Moore's niece, Judith Schofield, of The Causeway, reports "quite a crowd gathered for Tom's last run, to bid him farewell – he was quite well-known around town."

"He'd been doing it almost all his whole working life," confirms Schofield, who fondly recalls occasionally joining Maloney's busy Civic run with "a few" of her10 siblings.

"We'd sit up front of the cart while emptied the bins, picking up rubbish and leaves," recalls Schofield. "Many locals would smile and wave and say hi as we rode past."

Although he had extended family in Yass, Queanbeyan and Ainslie, according to Schofield, Maloney, a life-long bachelor, "lived for long periods of time with a squatter known as 'Old Sox' at bottom of Mt Ainslie".

Like Maloney, 'Old Sox' also worked for the Department of Interior on parks and gardens using a horse and dray.

"We used to go to Sox's hut after school and they'd give us lollies," recalls Schofield. "The hut had bare floor, tables and chairs and beds and water and kerosene lamps, and cold showers."

Meanwhile, Schofield's cousin, Judith Bourke, of Young, recalls Maloney making time after work to take the kids at Marymead School in O'Connor for a ride on the horse and cart.

It's remarkable to think that so many decades after the invention of the truck, that our city's leaves were still collected by horse and cart up until the early 1970s.

I just wish Maloney and his old mates were still around, for it would be much more peaceful having our leaves raked and tossed into a horse-drawn cart than 'collected' by an army of fluoro-vest clad leaf blower-wielding city rangers who terrorise civic and surrounds every autumn morning.

Did You Know? 'Old Sox' (his real name was Gwynne Lewis Sutherland) was a World War II veteran who squatted in an old hut behind Campbell High school until he died in the mid-1980s. He was given his unusual moniker because, apart from his time in the army and during the occasional game of tennis at the Forrest Tennis Club, he never wore any socks. Following his death authorities promptly demolished his hut, chook run and vegetable patch.

Other carters: Tom Maloney and 'Old Sox' weren't the only leaf collectors on horse and cart. Bin Forner, of O'Connor, fondly recalls another Canberra character Joe Bellicanta.

"He was a pre-war Italian migrant who did a great job cleaning the curbs and gutters around south Canberra in the 1950s and 60s," recalls Forner.

Keeping the streets clean wasn't the only chore undertaken in horse and cart mid-last century. Suzanne, of Holt, recalls "as a child in the late 1940s and early 1950s, several horse drawn carts which operated around Canberra including the Coggan's bread cart delivering warm fresh bread to households around Kingston."

The historic image of All Saints Anglican church in Ainslie (Where in Canberra, April 15, also seems to have struck a chord with readers, many commenting on design features of the landmark Canberra church, which was previously a railway station at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.

Greg Royle, of Red Hill, reports prior to the railway station being dismantled and moved to Canberra, the original wooden roof was destroyed by fire and the bell in the tower was missing. "After its reconstruction in Ainslie, a new roof was made from Tasmanian mountain ash," reports Royle. "And its railway heritage is reinforced by the bell donated by the NSW Steam Train and Locomotive Preservation Society". According to Royle, the bell has quite a history too. "It comes from a locomotive in the US, which was transported to Australia and used on a rail line in the Lithgow area as a fire alarm before being scrapped then salvaged by a member of the society who then donated it to the church."

While fitting that the bell has a railway connection, apparently its somewhat alarming tone has long been a talking point for nearby residents.

Thurgar is correct – one of the stain-glass windows was originally part of St Clement's church in Sheffield, England which was bombed during World War II. Your columnist is reliably informed that P&O shipped the glass out gratis and that is was added to All Saints in 1963.

Not all correspondence about the striking suburban structure related to the building's design and interior decorations. "Years ago I heard a story that when it was the cemetery railway station, coffins for paupers were made for the NSW Government by contractors," says Henry Kark, of Rivett. "Over time the quality of these coffins got very flimsy and occasionally when they were unloaded from the back of the train onto the platform they fell apart!"

According to Kark's macabre story, "apparently it was upsetting for mourners of wealthy departed, at the front of the train, to see pauper bodies lying about and the NSW Government ended up having their own pauper coffin workshop."

A reminder of the exclusive free guided tour of the heritage-listed church from 11am-noon next Saturday May 6. Ph: 0419 218 410 or bhurrell@csu.edu.au for more information. Expect a bumper crowd.

Your akubra-clad columnist continues to be surprised at the number of emails received regarding the natural beauty and variety of wildlife around Yaouk, located just across the ACT's southern border (Where in the Region, April 8).

David Vincent, of Weetangera, who regularly fishes a "hidden spot' in the valley with his son Michael reports, "during a trip last week not only did we land a nice brown trout, but we also saw a wedge-tailed eagle close-up, a blue tongue lizard, a feral goat and a turtle."

"It's a beautiful valley and some great secret fishing spots if you don't mind a walk," reveals Vincent.

Meanwhile, Jenny Harper, of Griffith, also waxes lyrical over the variety of wildlife in the Yaouk (pronounced 'Yiy-ak') Valley. "How lucky we are to have such a gem so close to Canberra where we're able to see platypus, eagles, echidnas, lyre birds, plenty of kangaroos and wallabies, the occasional fox and the sky packed full of stars!" exclaims Harper who has a weekender in the valley.

This column's recent exposé on the convict-built bridge hidden at the back of Derrick VC Rest Area near Goulburn (Roadside Treasures, March 25) prompted many emails, with many readers like John Jones, of Kambah, "astonished to find out about this after driving past it for 40 years!"

However, according to Paul and Kathie Hely, of Moruya, the secluded sandstone structure isn't the only concealed convict-built bridge in the area. "There is another stone bridge near the Mackey VC rest area just north of the Illawarra Highway exit over Black Bob's Creek," disclose the Helys.

The well-travelled duo explain: "There is an old road that continues down from the entrance for a hundred or so metres to reach the bridge.We have stopped there many times for a cuppa and even saw a platypus late one afternoon."

Has anyone snapped a photo of this historic crossing?

Gwen Hubert of Pearce thinks she may have solved the mystery of the naming of 1243-metre high Brown Mountain (January 27)

She believes the mountain and associated 'pass' notorious for rock falls, which leads to the far south coast "was named after three brothers from Ireland."

"The Brown brothers settled in the Bemboka area in early days," says Hubert. "I have no proof, but it seems likely."

Can anyone confirm Hubert's hypothesis?

Prompted by this column's recent feature on the new Black Mountain bushland nature walk (February 4), Monica Hart, of Duffy, recently stepped out along the 2.2 kilometre long track.

Hart reports: "Just before we reached the main viewing platform over the lake we noticed what looked like a lizard on the right hand side of the track.On second glance we realised it was just piece of wood."

I'm not sure about you, but I think it more closely resembles a seal than a goanna. What do you think?

Cryptic Clue: 'Wild' in December 1820.

Degree of difficulty: Medium.

Last week: Congratulations to Flora Carapellucci, of Forrest, who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as the entry to the World War Two air raid shelter at Calthorpes' House in Red Hill. Carapellucci just beat a number of readers to the prize, including Sebastien Bignell, of Curtin, and Conrad van Hest, of Woden, who "would like to know if the air raid siren is still in place and working at the old Kingston Powerhouse Station (now the Canberra Glassworks)".

To celebrate Calthorpes' House 90th birthday, as part of the Canberra & Region Heritage Festival ( April 29-30), ACT Historic Places are hosting a number of tours of this treasure trove of our domestic history. Tours at 1pm, 1.45pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm. 24 Mugga Way, Red Hill. Cost: Adult $7, Conc $5, Family $15. More: historicplacesbookings@act.gov.au

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday April 29, 2017 with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.

CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie Street, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns online.