Rediscovering Ginninderra:
Hugh 'Hughie' Vallance
Born: 1894; Died: 1973
Hugh Vallance (1894-1973) was born at Grenfell to Hugh and Sophia Vallance [Hilder]. Hugh married Lily Gladys Genner in 1925, at Redfern, Sydney. He was the third of nine children, most of whom were born in Yass. Hugh died in Griffith ACT on 2nd June 1973. As a young man he worked for a while as a shop assistant in the Hall General Store, and was remembered by Claude and Mabel Brown in their (unpublished) memoirs:
"Another chap who worked at our shop [Southwell and Browns General Store, Hall] was Hughie Vallance from Murrumbateman. Hughie lived with us during the week and rode home on his push bike at weekends. A serious accident happened to him during his stay at our place. One Saturday morning Hughie harnessed old Jack, one of our quieter horses, to the cart intending to deliver goods to Craces at Gininderra.
Being Saturday, Ross, Milford, and I went along for the ride. At the last gate adjacent to Crace's house he jumped on to the horses back in climbing out of the vehicle in order to open the gate. However Old Jack objected to someone on his back and gave a buck with just enough impetus to throw Hughie on to the ground, breaking his leg near the ankle. We boys struggled to get him into the cart and took him home. The Doctor was called and he was taken to hospital. Hughie ever afterwards walked with a limp. After his leg knitted he accepted a job with a hardware store at Lithgow. He later lived at Richmond and Canberra, where he died at his sister's home, about 1974." (memoirs of Claude and Mabel Brown)