PUTTY PEOPLEJanuary 2017 Newsletter of the Putty Community Association Inc.

FIREY NEWS By Margaret Ferguson Putty was again fortunate in not having to deal with fires during the past month. Thank you to everyone in the community for taking the care you have in protecting our valley from any outbreak this season.

Our Community First Responders were kept busy on the same day in December with a call to attend to a lady experiencing breathing difficulties and later in the day, a boy who had fallen from a horse. Both received treatment from the CFR’s and Ambulance NSW with the boy taken to hospital for observation.

A Putty Brigade and Putty CFR crew attended the road accident on Putty Road, north of Howes Valley on 2nd January. Sadly a southbound motorcyclist was killed and another badly injured when the lead rider in a group collided with a light rigid truck travelling north. Fortunately the truck driver was uninjured.

It is now the practice that a Community First Responder call resulting from a motor vehicle accident (MVA) will be attended by the CFR’s along with a Rural Fire Brigade tanker in case a fire should occur at the scene.

January In the Georgian calendar, the first month of the year brings in New Year's Day and the excitement of new beginnings. This evolved when in 700 B.C., the Roman ruler, Numa Pompilius added January to the end of the ten month Roman calendar, giving it 30 days. However the Romans made it the first month of the year and Julius Caesar added one more day to January.

PUTTY CHRISTMAS PARTY 10 DECEMBER Well attended, the Putty Christmas party was filled Christmas carols, a beautiful Nativity scene, Santa’s arrival in the fire truck with presents for all the children, good food and lots of good cheer! A big thank you to all who brought a plate along. The community would like to thank all the organisers and workers for their efforts to make it such a success.

The Romans named it January after Janus, the God of gateways. Janus had two heads so he could look in both directions, back at the old year and forward towards the new year, at the same time.

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THE O’BRIENS MOVE ON Terry and Jacquline bought their 105 acres in Putty in 2003 and built their lovely house, designed

by their son, Nathan. They have enjoyed their Putty existence but unfortunately Jacquie’s health has been declining and they will be moving to Canberra to be near their families. We wish them well in their new abode.

Jacquie has past connections with Putty in that her great great great great great grandfather, Richard Beile Reynolds and his brother sailed with the 3rd fleet from England. They were convicted of stealing lead off the local church roof, dobbed in to the local authorities by their cousin and sentenced for penal

transportation in Sydney.

Unlike England, which was an aristocratically controlled society, the more egalitarian Sydney society gave good opportunities for those to work hard and succeed despite lacking any rights of birth. Since the brothers were literate they were granted land on the Colo River at the corner of the Hawkesbury and the Cold Rivers.

Richard Beile Reynolds was appointed District Constable in 1814 until 1827. It was during this time that Howe blazed a trail from Windsor to Singleton to open up the Upper Hunter. Part of the original convict road still exists on the property of High Wollemi and past the front of the Gosper’s property.

Richard Beile Reynolds’ first marriage to Maryanne had produced a son, John Reynolds. Maryanne then married John Gosper, who owned land around the Colo area.

Richard’s second marriage was to Sarah Stirling and produced 11 children and one daughter, Hannah, married John Gosper, son of John Gosper and Maryanne. The couple were granted land at Putty, at Weeney Creek, named Wheeny Farm, now the primary 357 acre property owned by Kim Grace. They built a house and raised cattle. They are both buried in the Wilberforce Cemetery.

One of their grandchildren, Robert Gosper owned a property on a mountain now called Gosper Mountain and grew corn, oats, potatoes and pumpkins. He built a hut and when family or visitors came he would hide in a cave to avoid them and only come out after they left. He was Jacquie’s first cousin, four times removed, but fortunately that social trait is not genetic. Another time a woman turned up with her three children and declared that she was married to Robert. However the family had never heard of Robert’s marriage and said this was not true. However Robert didn’t deny it and this was a mystery that did not go away

Robert Gosper died of heart disease at The Pines on 15th February 1915 and is buried in the Upper Colo cemetery. He passed on his beloved Gosper's Mountain to his nephews, Wilfred Arthur (Bill) and

MOTORCYCLIST DIES ON PUTTY ROAD AT HOWES VALLEY On Monday 2nd January a motorcyclist was killed and a second airlifted to hospital in a serious condition following a horror crash on Putty Road, 45Km from Singleton and north of Howes Valley. This motorcyclist was the seventh to be killed on Hunter roads since last August.

Hunter Valley police said the deceased and the injured man were riding ahead of a large group of motorcycle enthusiasts when the tragedy occurred.

The group was heading southbound when the lead riders were involved in a collision with a small rigid truck. Police are investigating whether speed may have been a factor

Emergency services arrived to find a large number of distressed friends and fellow motorcyclists at the scene. Putty Rural Fire Brigade and CFR members attended the incident and assisted where necessary.

Putty Road, known as a hotspot for motorcyclists, was closed for several hours. The driver of the small truck was not injured.

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PRAYER, BIBLE STUDY & SUNDAY SCHOOL

Our Lady of the Valley Services at the Putty Hall

Every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the Month. 9am Service, 10am Bible Study &

11am Sunday School. ALL WELCOME

FRIDAY NIGHT DETOUR STARTS AT THE PUTTY HALL

10 February 6 - 10pm

The PCA invites you to catch up with friends or meet new ones in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Delicious meals are available at reasonable prices. The Putty Community Association practices the responsible service of alcohol. All profits support Putty Community activities.

OPERATION SILVERSTONE Newcastle Herald, Dan Proudman - 1 Nov 2016

Police announced a four-month operation across the Central Hunter, Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie commands targeting riders on their favourite haunts, including Putty and Wollombi roads. The operation will continue until 1 March 2017.

They are the remote, out-of-the-way roads that attract motorcyclists with an almost endless run of snake-like turns and tight corners. But the same characteristics that suck in riders along the Hunter’s favourite thoroughfares are also killing them. Riders in the Hunter Valley region, particularly the Putty Road, have been warned that the NSW Police will target speeding in their latest campaign called Operation Silverstone.

Chief Inspector Trent Le-Merton, Northern Region Traffic Tactician for the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, said Operation Silverstone was about keeping drivers and riders alive on our roads.

“Unlike the legendary Silverstone racing circuit, our roads should not be used as racetracks, as some drivers and riders have, which is costing lives,” Chief Inspector Le-Merton said. “The operation will involve a range of police resources including both marked and unmarked Highway Patrol cars, police motorcycles and aircraft for aerial surveillance, all focused on detecting those drivers and riders putting themselves and other road users at great risk.

Motorcyclists made up about 20 percent of the 2015 road toll which is alarming given motorcycles only make up about 5 percent of registered vehicles,” he said. Chief Inspector Le-Merton said it was those riders detected speeding and overtaking unsafely that were presenting a great risk on our roads.

“Many speed-related motorcycle crashes happen in good conditions with no other vehicles involved. There seems to be an over-representation of mature-aged riders on powerful machines who are coming ‘unstuck’ on curves striking roadside objects.

“At 60km/h, you will have travelled 25m in that 1.5 second before you even start to brake. Drivers and riders who are tired, distracted or impaired by alcohol or drugs can take longer to react.

“Driving or riding at a speed that reduces the time you have to react to unexpected hazards will increase your risk of a crash. Always be aware of your surroundings and other road users.”

PCA AGM The AGM will be held on 4 February at 4pm at the Putty Hall. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be provided. All welcome!

SINGLETON REGIONAL LIVESTOCK MARKETS COMBINED AGENTS STORE SALE This will be held on 13 January at 10am at the Singleton Regional Livestock Markets, 56 Gresford Road, Singleton. Contact 6572 1525 for further information.

UPCOMING EVENTS

TRADES AND SERVICES

Fresh Food winner of the Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2013. Royal Easter Show award winning ham.

King Road, Wilberforce Shopping Centre Ph: 4575 1961

Fitzgerald MotorsSales and service of mowers, ride-on

mowers, chainsaws, trimmers, mulchers, water pumps, generators, posthole

diggers, sprayers etc

9 Fitzgerald Street, Windsor Ph: 4577 3401

www.fitzgeraldmotors.com.au

Aircon, refrigeration, electrician, heat transfer kits. Lic: 167542C

Ph: Matt Ward 0413 850 298

LEC AIR & ELECTRICAL

NEWSLETTER CONTACT

Year to date Dec 2016 802.50mm 984.00mm Dec 2015 964.30mm 1181.00mm 10 yr av 794.30 mm 794.30mm

Recordings were taken at Fairview, Putty, with reference to the Bureau of Meteorology www.bom.gov.au. Recordings were also taken at Mellong Grove, Putty Rd (south) and The Top Place, Putty Valley Rd, north.

If it rains at Putty, residents are encouraged to post their rainfall on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/PuttyCommunityAssociation so weekenders will know if they need to water their gardens.

PUTTY RAINFALL DECEMBER 2016

Munro’s Meats

PUTTY PEOPLE ADVERTISING In publishing these ads, the PCA is

not endorsing or recommending any product or service advertised below.

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SOUTH NORTH Dec 2016 50.00mm 77.00mm

Dec 2015 103.10mm 155.00mm

Dec 10 yr av 103.10mm 122.00mm

PUTTY WEBSITE ‘Putty Valley Online’ Putty Valley Online contains many interesting links including:

• Trades & Services Directory at www.putty.nsw.au/whereis

• Weekly cattle sale prices from the Meat and Livestock Authority (MLA) at http://www.putty.nsw.au/rural/mla-prices-markets/

PCA FACEBOOK For news as it happens. If you haven’t already signed up to our Facebook page, you can do so by clicking Like at: https://www.facebook.com/PuttyCommunityAssociation

Post your pictures and stories! ADVERTISING: pca@putty.nsw.au

For all your building & home Improvements

* New Homes & Cottages * Alterations & Decks * Bathroom & Kitchen Renovations * Granny

flats Jason Bomski - BUILDER

Please call with any news, activities or photographs to include in our

monthly newsletter. Martha Babineau, phone 6579 7000

mailtroika@gmail.com