EARNEST Jasper Symonds arrived in Australia from England as a 14 year old cabin boy and joined his uncle John Welsley Symonds, who had previously migrated and was living in Raymond Terrace.
Earnest was encouraged by his uncle not to return to sea and the young man headed for the surrounding forests to cut timber – he had somehow gained a contract to cut “knees” for boat building in Sydney and England.
Earnest worked the heavily wooded areas of Swan Bay, Karuah, Gloucester and Stroud where he met and married Emily Margaret Farley, the daughter of the publican of the Australia Hotel.
The young couple moved to Karuah which was central to the forests in the district.
They lived on the northern side of the Karuah River on Sawyers Point adjacent to the Karuah Engineering Works. Living in Karuah it was difficult not to consider the possibilities of entering the developing oyster industry.
With grand plans, Earnest purchased a lease from R.H.D.White and established an extensive rock cultivation lease by laying substantial turpentine piles on the sea bed and placing the previously caught ballast stones on top of the piles.
This labour intensive task resulted in a “man made” island known as Rocky Island.
In 1904 Herbert George Maxwell “Dickie” Symonds was born.
He worked for William Dalgleish at the Karuah Engineering Works where the K.E.W engines were developed.
These highly efficient engines were used widely in the timber industry and for marine application.
At 17 years old Dickie married Kate Johnson, the daughter of the local school teacher.
They had a daughter, Marjorie, who years later became a war bride and left for America soon after the end of the Second World War.
Marjorie died in Hawaii in 2011 aged 89 years.
Dickie married Beulah Motum of the Tea Gardens fishing family and had two girls, Lynn and Petrina.
Dickie moved into the oyster industry and with his immense enthusiasm and drive was elected by his peers as the founding President of the North Coast Oyster Growers Association.
The main objective of the organisation was to give a voice to the vast majority of oyster farmers who operated outside the Georges River, Sydney umbrella.
Within 10 years of its establishment the organisation represented the entire oyster industry.
With his determination Dickie became a political force who could not be ignored.
Dick Symonds’ original oyster shed, which he built, was on the Aliceton side of the Karuah River, now the site of the Karuah Motor Yacht Club.
Brothers Geoff and Neville Morante worked with Dick who moved over to the Sawyers Point side because of the nagging westerly winds and a lack of punt access because of the extensive mud flat.
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
