Rediscovering Ginninderra:
John 'Jack' James Goslett
Born: 1885; Died: 1968; Married: Isabella (nee Rule)
John 'Jack' James Goslett was born November 17th 1885 in Gundaroo. He was the son of John Goslett and Mary Ann Jobbins. His parents were first cousins to each other. He had one sister Emily (Mrs J. Gary). Jack Goblet's father, John was killed a few hours before he was born. Here is a newspaper article describing the horrific accident:
Sad fatal accident
This morning (Tuesday)
about seven a.m. John Goslett arrived in town to
summon the midwife to his wife. The two started
together for Goblet's home, and when about half way
along the street Goslett's horse began to rear or
buck, with the result that it came down on him, and
when he was picked up two or three minutes after
it was found that the blood was running from his
mouth and ears. In about an hour after he breathed
his last in the Commercial hotel, whether he had
been carried. His wife, or rather widow, was safely
delivered of a son about an hour after he died
A few short years after his father died, his mother married Thomas Boyd. The Gosletts had lived for a short period of time in a cottage not far from the Glenwood homestead, and Mr Boyd was employed on the station for a short period of time. Young Jack Goslett had little opportunity to attend school and was obliged to start work and provide for himself at an early age. Consequently he, too was employed on Glenwood, which continued for a good many years.
During the year 1911, Jack purchased a property at Boro, near Tarago, which he named 'Cuba'. In the same year he married Isabella ('Bella') Rule, daughter of David and Agnes Rule of 'Allwood', Wallaroo.
Jack Goslett also had a natural gift as a sheep and wool judge. He established a Merino sheep stud at 'Cuba', and was quite a successful prize winner. Jack and Bella had a total of three daughters: Dulcie (Mrs Cumberland, Mrs Undery), Eileen (Mrs Mervyn Southwell) and Florence (Mrs Weir).
In the year 1931, Jack returned to Wallaroo and purchased the properties 'Woodgrove' and 'Woodland' from Leon Smith and continued the breeding of Merino and stud sheep with much greater efficiency. When Isabella's brother William died in 1950, the Gosletts acquired the old family property known as 'Allwood'. The Gosletts made 'Allwood' their home for the next ten years, but in the year 1960, Jack purchased a fine brick home adjacent to Gladstone Street, Hall, where he lived the rest of his life. Jack passed away on July 8th 1968 and was buried in the Hall Cemetery. He was aged 82 years. Isabella died in 1985.
Related Photos
References
Smith, L. R, Memories of Hall, Roebuck, Canberra, 1975