Histories

The Wingham Chronicle & Manning River Times 11 Dec 1936

We Cockneys.

By J, A. Wlnney.

Met Mr. Charles Wooster the Maori War veteran, in Taree on Tuesday. Although within a few years of the century mark, barring eye trouble— which attacked him a couple of years ago— he was still going strong, and walking about unattended.

We had a long talk about our own home town— the little "village" on the Thames called London. I was well con versant with the end from which Mr. Wooster hails, and we discussed the landmarks that we knew in our youth, and the alterations that friends had reported to us since we had come to Australia, very much in detail. Mr. Wooster has been at this end of the Globe 76 years. I can only claim 56 years. Then London, for personal transport, was at least 60 days or more away— now it's only a little over a week by air, and communication by wireless a few minutes. The motto of the City of London is "Domine dirige nos" (O. Lord direct us), and the pious injunction has di rected quite a good number of Cockneys to the Manning River