Rediscovering Ginninderra:
Mr Frederick Thomas Tom Jones
Born: 1865; Died: 1935; Married: Florence Rich
Frederick Thomas ('Tom') Jones - the ninth child of Isabella Donaldson and Thomas Jones, was born at GInninderra on 6 December 1865. He was educated in the Canberra district and spent his childhood and early years at Ginninderra and Rocky Gully (just over the ACT northern border of today).
Tom served his apprenticeship as a boiler-maker at Phoenix Iron Works in Sydney where he worked for over six years. A reference that he received in 1888 from Mr R. Tullock, the owner of the Iron Works, recommended him as a good man, always solemn, honest and attentive to his duty.
He married Florence Rich at Christ Church, Queanbeyan. The Rev Thomas Symons officiated in the presence of witnesses James Cavanagh and Tom's brother James. Florence, born on 7 October 1876, was the daughter of Alfred Mainwaring and Margaret Rich (nee Phillips). Alfred was a school teacher in the GInninderra district, and for a while proprietor of his own private school.
After their marriage Tom and Florence lived at One Tree Hill, Ginninderra for about ten years while Tom worked for Edmund Rolfe at Gold Creek. During this time he often enjoyed a game of social cricket. Around 1902 they moved to Weetangera, where Tom did a lot of fencing for Mr Everard Crace, owner of the Ginninderra Estate. A few years later they moved back to Mulligans Flat, and Tom continued to work for Crace at Ginninderra Cottage, while Florence made bread for his wife.
When Crace acquired Hazeldell at Boro near Tarago early in 1914, Tom and Florence and their family moved there, where he and his older sons worked. Around 1921 they left Boro to live in Goulburn, where Tom used to ride his bike each day to Kangaroobbee whilst working on that property for a Mr Singer.
Tom died in Goulburn on 30 May 1935 and was buried at the local cemetery. In 1955 Florence moved to Sydney to live near some her daughters. She died at Canterbury 26 June 1968 aged ninety one, and was buried in the Goulburn cemetery.
Tom and Florence had twelve children. Several of them married into other well known Hall and Ginninderra families, including James (married Harriet Morris, daughter of Henry Morris), William Henry Jones (Eva Annie Southwell), Isabella Hay (James Gillespie) and Lydia (August Frederick 'Augie' Hellmund).
[Edited extract from Hams (1987)]
Related Photos
References
- Hams, R. 1987. The Donaldson family in Australia 1837-1987. Author published
- Gillespie, L. L. 1992. Ginninderra: Forerunner to Canberra. The Wizard (Canberra local history series): Campbell