Edith Euphemia Smith

Edith Smith

Edith Euphemia Smith, eighth child of Robert Smith and Jessie Scotland Giles Hope, was born 8 July 1879 at "Eremeran" Station, New South Wales. On 18 July 1908 she married Robert John McCullough.

Robert John McCullough, Solicitor and Pastoralist, Barcaldine, owner of "Urambee" near the above-mentioned town and of "Richfield Downs", in the vicinity of Longreach. Mr R. J. McCullough was born at Port Clenone, Londonderry, Ireland, on January 1, 1871. He is the son of the late Paul McCullough, who was a member of an old grazing and agrarian family, representatives of which were amongst the leaders of thought and progress in the Emerald Isle for generations. The deceased gentleman's grandfather, the late George McCullough was a noted patriotic and political leader in the days when Ireland possessed a separate parliament.

This gentleman, who suffered the penalty of exile to America for the ardour of his patriotism, was distinguished by a forceful personality and strength of character which were recognised as powerful factors in the disturbed times in which he lived. His great-grandson, the subject of this memoir, remained in Ireland until his sixteenth year, having in the meantime attended the Moneymore High School, concluding his studies at this academy as the result of a decision to join his elder brother, Mr Thomas McCullough, in Australia.

The latter who had at that time just reached man's estate, was attracted to the Island continent by rumours of its exceptional possibilities, but by the end of a few years, finding that the realisation of his dreams short of his anticipations, he returned to the Green Isle. On his arrival in the Land of the Southern Cross, Mr R. J. McCullough made his home with maternal relatives in Toowoomba, remaining with them for a time in order to continue his education at the local Grammar School.

Having chosen the law as the basis of his future career he passed the "Junior University" and the "Preliminary Law" examinations at the mentioned institution, concluding his scholastic course at the age of eighteen in the year 1889, when he became articled to the Legal Profession completing his training at the well-known office of Messrs. Chambers, McNab & McNab, of Brisbane. He was admitted as a member of the faculty at the Supreme Court, Brisbane, on December 4, 1894, and in the middle of the following year opened a practice at Blackall, Queensland, where he remained for a period under two years, removing his practice to Barcaldine at the end of 1896.

He has since been occupied with the duties of his profession in that centre, having in the meantime been mindful of the great possibilities of the pastoral industry which are so manifest in the Central West of the Queen State. As a result of his determination to avail himself of the first suitable opportunity of launching into a grazing venture, to took up "Ightham" selection in the Jericho district in the year 1908, this estate comprising forest country and embracing nearly 50,000 acres.

Though engaged in the practice of his profession he submitted the property to a course of development in regard to water conservation and other improvements and disposed of it in 1914 in order to attend more closely to "Urambee" a property situated about 40 miles south of Barcaldine, which was a part of "Avington" resumption and taken up by Mr McCullough at about this time. On the disposal of "Igjtham" he initiated an energetic system of development on "Urambee", whose acres are devoted to shorthorn cattle. In the hear 1916 he joined forces with Mr H. E. G. Whitlo and purchased "Richfield Downs", a property of some 35,000 acres situated in the vicinity of Longreach. Sheep form the mainstay of this estate, a flock of about 18,000 merinos being carried.

As mentioned elsewhere in this work, he is also interested in "Ilbilbie" station in the South Kennedy district, near Mackay, in partnership with Messrs Miller Bros. Mr McCullough has ever been prominently identified with his public life of Central Queensland and as a public spirited man has fulfilled what he considers to be the duty of a useful citizen by playing an important part in the various institutions tending to the welfare of the district and community.

He contested the Barcoo electorate in the Liberal interests against Mr George Kerr, who was afterwards leader of the Opposition and subsequently Minister for Railways in the Kidston Administration, yielding the laurels of the contest to that gentleman by the narrow majority of one hundred and forty votes. He is a member of Longreach, Barcaldine and Rockhampton Clubs and is one of the leading spirits in any local movement of importance. He has been Chairman of the Barcaldine Hospital committee for over ten years and is a member of the Show and School of Arts committees.

During the Great Struggle of 1914-18 he occupied a seat on the local War Council. In connection with his professional duties he acts as solicitor to the Aramac, Barcaldine and Jericho shire councils. He married in 1908, Edith, daughter of the late Robert Smith, formerly a partner of "Isis Downs" and "Avington" Stations, and one of the earliest pioneer pastoralists of West Queensland.

The late Mr Smith was a man of retiring disposition but one who by the integrity of his life and actions had achieved a reputation for simple honesty which commended itself to the men of his time amongst whom honour and straight forwardness were the essential codes of good fellowship. he was survived by a widow and seven children, one of whom, Percy Smith, responded to the call of the Empire in her need for sons to fight for her ideals of liberty and the honour of her flag. Mr and Mrs McCullough have a family of two sons and three daughters.[1]

The following was written by Margaret, a daughter of Edith and Robert McCullough:

My mother (Edith Euphemia McCullough nee Smith) admired her mother (Jessie Scotland Giles Smith [nee Hope]) very much and I can remember stories she told about her.

When the HOPE family first came to Australia, on the trip over - which took about 6 months, she was sea-sick all the way. She was only about 14 years old at the time. She had several proposals of marriage, and I remember one story of how she buried a ring given to her by an admirer under some cow dung. There was only one man she ever wanted she reportedly said, and she got him. That was of course my grandfather Robert Smith, eldest son of Adam Smith. My mother spoke very lovingly of her father.

I met my grandmother only once, when I was a child of about 6. Our mother took my sister June and myself for New South Wales to a farm owned by her sister May Smith who was caring for our grandmother in her old age. However she still made quite an impression on me. Like most Scottish women she set great store by the male members of the family. She passed her stoicism onto my mother which helped her through the tragedies she suffered in her life, loosing 3 daughters and 1 son.

My father Robert John McCullough was a solicitor in Barcaldine when he and my mother were first married, where they made their home until 1923. My father bought a practice in Brisbane and started the firm of McCullough and Robertson., which is now a very large firm employing a big staff.

He was quite talented at drawing, especially caricatures. I was fortunate to inherit this gift, but unfortunately was not able to make a career of it, though I did once have a caricature published of a Queensland identity, in the Sydney Bulletin.

My only other commercial enterprise was that I worked at Extons on Stained Glass windows (for churches) designed by William Bustard a well known Queensland artist. We traced his original work onto the beautiful coloured glass shapes which were eventually leaded together. More recently I was proud that my design for symbol for the Goondiwindi crafts known as Gunya Crafts was accepted and now is attached to all their products. The only art work that I do now is for Church or Bowling Club brochures, etc.

I was 21 when World War One broke out and joined the army as a VAD in January 1942 where I served for 3 years and 3 months.

My husband Donald Clark-Dickson was a POW for 3.5 years after the fall of Singapore. We married in September 1947 and lived at "Culladar", Longreach where husband managed the property for my brother Godfrey McCullough for 20 years. Don's ancestors were Scottish and when we were staying with his first cousin June Reid, in Melbourne some years ago discovered he was descended from the same Armstrong family as we are. Also his wife's sister Kathleen, is married to Adam MacFarlane whose mother was one of the Hynam Smiths.

"Culladar" is a property of 30,000 acres, 60 miles from the nearest town which is Winton. We were not onto power in those days and had a 32 volt generator which was very limited really. School lessons were by correspondence which meant the children had to eventually go to boarding school. However our three girls have all done well - gaining University degrees.

We decided to leave the west in 1968 as the girls were getting to school leaving stage, and we felt it important to make a home base near to their centre of training, having had so many years away at boarding school.

Jessie Hope [dob:1841]

Family Smith

Adam Smith [dob: 1815]

HOPE stemmata

[1]McCullough family papers

HOPE stemmata: from Ancrum to Apsley