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Censuses reveal early Woy Woy

In 1899, the nation's affairs were a long way from the peace and quiet of South Woy Woy.

However, in June, landowners in the district were called upon to vote in a referendum that was to decide if New South Wales wished to become part of a federation of States to form a Commonwealth.

The second such referendum held, the result was a vote of favour of Federation.

Perhaps local people read about the rampage and subsequent capture of Jimmy Governor during the year, or the arrival in May of a new State Governor, Earl Beauchamp.

Our State was involved in two international conflicts during the year - in July, New South Wales offered a contingent of volunteers to fight the Boers in South Africa, and the following month, a naval contingent left Sydney for China to fight in the Boxer rebellion.

Closer to home, the people of Woy Woy and the Correa Bay area were lightly governed.

The boundaries of the only local council in the district, the Borough of Gosford, embraced only the township of Gosford.

The main railway construction was completed, although there were still railway workers in the area, quarrying ballast, working on track maintenance, and probably the construction of sidings.

Two censuses held in 1891 and 1901 provide some information about the people of Woy Woy.

1891

The local timber industry had found a new lease of life with the need for railway sleepers, and the exchange of goods and produce was greatly facilitated by the service offered by the railway.

The district was becoming more densely populated, and there was a need for ten census collectors to distribute and collect the forms in 1891.

The census was taken mid-April and completed and certified between April 15 and 17.

Census Collector, Robert John White, made an effort to include every dwelling, inhabited or not. Living at Woy Woy were:

Abraham Parkes (2 males, 1 female)

Fredrick Wm. Taylor (2, 1)

Seymore Lukene (2, 2) (The collector commented that the original form was 'not filled in right', and was replaced with another.)

Peter Swansen (3, 2)

William Adams (1, 3)

William Good (3, 2)

(A total of 13 males and 11 females living at Woy Woy in April, 1891.)

Additionally, the Rev. Canon King is listed as a 'householder' of two uninhabited houses 'constructed of wood and iron, 4 + 2 rooms respectively'.

There was also a camp of men who were probably railway workers:

Thomas McKay (1 male) - camp

Alec Anderson (2 males) - camp

Mauriel Boland (2 males) - camp

Richard Young (1 male) - camp

John Hobson (1 male) - camp

It was recorded that William Mullens, who had been camped with the last seven males, had 'left the work before census night'.

Inflating the numbers were the men employed at the ballast quarry at south Woy Woy, 'sleeping in Government tents':

Charles Andrews (2)

Frances Barker

Samuel Booth

John Brown

Frederick Buckley

George Burke

Agostino Lazzarini

Alfred Leggin

Samuel Luvelee

Jeremiah Madden (2)

William Mullins

F. B. O'Hearn (2)

Peter Pontoni

Patrick Power (3 men)

James Seymour (2)

William Smith

Thomas Stapleton

Albert Stratford (2)

Walter Swinfield (2)

Henry George Taylor (2)

Robert Thompson (2)

Jantorio Vegro (2)

Samuel Wright

There was also Edward S. Luck (4 men occupying an old house, one of whom was John Burns).

Robert Cochrane, Martin Rob and Edward Zecherson were listed on the census form, but the collector had remarked 'Travelling - camped out night of Sunday 5th inst.'.

Felix Brown had 'left the work' since having his census form given to him.

Another John Brown had been given a census form, but as he was a guard on the ballast train, he slept in the train van at Gosford Station on census night.

The problems in collecting the forms from the railway workers caused the collector to include a note with the returned census:

I have felt great difficulty in dealing with Schedules filled in by the men now employed in getting ballast and reballasting the line west in my Sub District.

Their engagement is only temporary, and while employed, in most cases sleep in Government tents - two men in many instances occupying the same tent - they are not householders in the sense which I understand the term to be used in the regulations nor does one have priority over the other, when two occupy the same tent.

To avoid confusing Tents with Houses that have some character of permanence about them, I have inserted the word permanently in the blank at the foot of each page.

So, in 1891, added to the probable population of Woy Woy - 26, in six permanent dwellings - there were also about 40 men temporarily working close to the town, living in tents.

1901

In 1901, Census District No. 31 consisted of the whole of present-day Gosford City and Wyong Shire, as well as much of Lake Macquarie Shire.

The total population of this vast district was just 6,049, living in 1,234 dwellings.

There was an average of just under five people in each household.

There was a provision on the form to determine the number of 'Chinese' and 'Aborigines'. However, in the whole of the Census District, only three Chinese were counted, and no Aborigines.

The Correa Bay area was included in the Sub-District called 'Between waters of Brisbane Water & Maintain Range'.

The Census Collector was once again Robert John White, who was required to distribute and collect returns from an area described as: 'The islands and shipping of Brisbane Water & all between the Mountain ranges or Tableland and the waters edge of Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River from the intersection of the Railway at the north of Narara Creek and the mountain range to Wiseman's Ferry including Mangrove Creek as far as Popran Creek.'

The total population of this sub-district was 689, living in 123 dwellings.

The average household consisted of almost six people.

Living at Woy Woy were:

Abraham Parkes (5 males, 2 females)

Frank Piper (1 male)

James Parkes (7, 2)

John Tolman (6, 7)

James Murphy (2, 2)

Robert Britliffe (5, 2)

William H. Culral (3, 4)

John Puscele (2, 1)

Stanly Maifi (3, 1)

John B. West (3, 1)

A. Cameron (2, 2)

John T. Jones (1 male)

Mrs Henry Costeleg (4, 4)

Charles Roberts (6, 4)

John Cook (1, 2)

Mr Gunston (1 male)

James Borek (1 male)

Robert Henderson (house not occupied on census night)

John McMullen (3, 3)

Arthur Webster (6, 1)

Walter Stewart (4, 2)

Mrs Burnes (1 female)

James Green Vidler (1, 2)

W. B. Solway (1, 2)

W. Hughes (6, 1)

Henry Parkes (1, 1)

In the total of 122 people counted at Woy Woy on census night, it is impossible to say how many of these people were visitors to the area, staying at a guest house or a holiday cottage.

However, there is a good chance that a significant number were visitors, as it appears that the census was taken over Easter, which was already becoming a popular time for tourists to travel to Woy Woy.

Some of the names in the 1901 census are familiar - Parkes, Vidler, and John B. West, the owner of an early store.

The population was certainly swelled by four men who had camped in Woy Woy on Sunday night, but 'left by first train Monday leaving papers filled in'.

The census also tells us that there was one school established on the Peninsula, at Blackwall; but no church.

It is unclear from this census how many people were living in the South Woy Woy area.

Joan Fenton, July 2000