The Great Wooster Tree


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SHREWD AT 95. MR. CHAS. WOOSTER IN THE CITY CROWDS.

The Northern Champion Newspaper, 23rd March 1932

The Northern Champion Newspaper, 23rd March 1932

 

 

SHREWD AT 95.

MR. CHAS. WOOSTER IN THE CITY CROWDS.

A Sydney "Sun" man saw Mr Chas Wooster of Nabiac, in Sydney for, the bridge opening and was inspired to write the following: — "Con" men peering around corners, others casting sidelong glances at him, "Con'' men to the left of him,"Con" men   to the right of him, but still Charles Wooster, 95. years of age, "father of Nabiac," on the Wallamba River, a patriarchal gentleman who is in Sydney every Easter, but this time particularly for the Bridge opening, has no fears for the nimble fingered and glib-tongued gentrv. More like 60 than his great old age, Mr Wooster, despite his varied experiences and adventurous life in all parts of the world, still looks the "hay- seed" — an easy prey to the confidence men who follow him around the city. 'Excuse me, but I seem to know you. Weren't you shearing on the Warrego?' whispers a voice over his shoulder, as Charles Wooster turns to answer. 'Yes, I was; but it was many years before you were born.' "Come on, Joe,' says the con. man to his confederate, and wily Charles Wooster preens his whiskers and waits for the next "shearer" WOULD BE A RISK .  

The oldest soldier in the .Common wealth, still genially happy with a keen humour, Charles Wooster would like to, link arms with Mrs Maria Ryan, the centenarian, who will cross the Bridge at the official opening. ''But," he says,   with a gay twinkle in his eye, "I had better not, for, you see, it is Leap Year. So it's off." At the age of 12 Mr, Wooster was a sailor in the Mediterranean, and in 1857-8. the time of the big famine in Ireland, he was helping to run Russian grain to the .stricken con try. In 1863 he left London as chief officer of the Helvellvn and arrived in Auckland - with the first and only consignment of live rabbits ever to leave Britain. Leaving the sea for good, with the exception of a short period', of trading on the coast of- New South Wales, in later years, Mr Wooster plunged into the Maori war, with the flying column under Colonel Hautain BATTLE FOUGHT ON RUM He was with General Cameron, when the latter flew his flag of truce — his handkerchief tied to his sword, at the battle of Arakau,  (should read Ōrākau)  which lasted for three   days. Wars then were fought on rum and it was a common sight to see half a dozen men around a bucket ot rum. dipping it out with pannikins, until the last dregs had gone. That was the position at Arakau when General Cam eron pleaded with- the Maoris to liberate the women and children from the pah. A woman jumped on the parapet and told Cameron that the women and children - would die with the men. Suddenly the chief dashed out of the pah and sprinting across country, with a   blanket around him, was the target for Cameron's rifles. "But" says Mr Wooster, "not one marksman could hit him". They were too full of rum by this time- Eight hundred gallons of rum, in addition to the issue, was consumed during the battle. From gold mining in the Northern Territory, where he found the first gold, and at Gulgong, where he uncovered the first reef. Mr Wooster went to Nabiac. There while a storekeeper he cultivated the whiskers that became such an attraction to the confidence men of Sydney.      


Owner of originalThe Northern Champion Newspaper
Date23 Mar 1932
Linked toCharles Wooster

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