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Cherie Sinclair was born 1930 @
Tyringham NSW,
daughter of "Poppy" Day & Baden Sinclair.
She married Robert (Bob) Masterman in 1955 @ Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Cherie nee Sinclair is the daughter of "Poppy" Day 1906 - 2004,
the granddaughter of Mary nee McLachlan 1883 - 1959,
the greatgrand daughter of Dan McLachlan 1852 -1917,
& thus one of the great great granddaughters of -
"McLachlan of Avondale" in Australia from 1850
Cherie & Bob Masterman - wedding day
The following poemlet
is from Cherie Masterman
in response to Alison's Tribute to -
Poppy Day 1906 -2004
Thank You
Dear Alison,
I thank you from my heart
And from Julia too.
If she could see your tribute
She'd be so proud of you.
What a lovely thought
And from one so far away.
"Thank you" seems so small a word
For all I wish to say.
But it comes from the heart.
Love - Cherie.
- Cherie (nee Day- Sinclair)
Masterman
Jacaranda Grafton nsw
Swaying
Jacarandas
It's Jacaranda time in Grafton
Where the Clarence river flows.
Now's the time we hasten
To chase away your woes.
For the Jacarandas are blooming
Their beauty is everywhere,
In the blossoms now on ground
Once swinging in the air.
A mass of bell-shaped blossoms
Covered with the dew,
Above the coloured flags
Placed there to welcome you.
There're many scenes in Grafton
But nothing to compare
To the Jacaranda Avenue
Nor our Market Square.
Cherie (nee Day- Sinclair)
Masterman
Jacaranda Grafton nsw
From My Window
I'm standing at my window
And gazing o'er the town
Such a sight of picturesque beauty
Would chase away each frown.
I see the Clarence River
Ever flowing on its way
And know that further onward
The fishes leap & play.
Here before me lies the township
With the jacaranda trees
And their purple flowers
Rocked gently with the breeze.
Clouds of purple blossoms
Suspended in the air
Then softly float to earth
To scatter here & there.
They make a purple carpet
For all of you to tread.
Though there're many blossoms fallen
There're still more overhead.
In many years to come
May they an emblem be,
An emblem of this city
Of the Jacaranda tree.
Cherie (nee Day- Sinclair)
Masterman
Parents are Cherie & Bob Masterman - son Ian &
Sharon wed - on our left is Jo - dau of Cherie
Dewdrops
Dewdrops on the flowers
Scattered o'er the town.
Nature's own bright jewels
Came softly with the dawn.
Magic little dewdrops
With a beauty that is rare,
Now glistening on the leaves
Came floating from the air.
Richer than our jewels
Dewdrops on the lawn,
Swiftly as they came
Have vanished with the morn.
Cherie (nee Day- Sinclair)
Masterman
TRIBUTE to -
Mary Agnes (aka
"Molly") McLachlan born 1883 @ Armidale NSW daughter of Dan McLachlan
born 1852, granddaughter of "McLachlan of Avondale" married John Alfred
Day (known as - "Jack") in 1905 @ Hillgrove NSW died @ Port Macquarie
NSW in 1959
This Tribute is
written by -
Cherie Sinclair born 1930 @ Tyringham NSW
daughter of "Poppy" Day & Baden Sinclair
married Robert (Bob) Masterman in 1955 @ Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Cherie nee Sinclair is the daughter of "Poppy" Day 1906 - 2004,
the granddaughter of Mary nee McLachlan 1883 - 1959
the greatgrand daughter of Dan McLachlan 1852 -1917
& thus one of the great great granddaughters of -
"McLachlan of Avondale" in Australia from 1850
Fond Memories of Mary
by Cherie Masterman, a granddaughter
Mary nee McLachlan Day in her mature years
I have wonderful
memories of my grandmother, Mary, --- back as far as Pre World War 2. The
first memories I have of Mary are between five & eight years of age, when
I would see Mary , her husband, Jack & son, Doug, arriving in the "ute".
On the way from their farm, they would make the mile trip from the main
road when going to the town of Dorrigo.
Mary, as her
parents & grandparents had been before her, was a true "pioneer" along
with her loyal & loving husband. She had lived in the "bush" when he was
possum shooting, mining, timber cutting & so on. They had also lived in
Sydney where they had been shopkeepers.
As a small girl I
remember her at our farm in Tyringham coming down to say "The King is
dead" (King George 5), (so that would be 1935); then with the news of
"Teddy" abdicating the Throne, with his brother Albert taking over as
George 6, (so that would be 1936). "Teddy" meant Edward whom it had been
intended would be King Edward 8.
Mary McLachlan & Jack Day in Sydney about 1920
Mary was a great
supporter of the British Throne. I remember Mary crying about it all. She
bought many tins with pictures of the Royals adorning them. (In 2004, in
Australia, she would be described as a most ardent Monarchist.)
On my birthday,
nineteenth day of November, Mary arrived at our farm with a "Brownie"
that she had baked especially for my special day. She made puddings &
meals to take to her parents- in-law, Julie & Alf Day, who were living
close by.
I remember Mary best
from the age of eight. This is when I went to live with Mary & her
husband, Jack, at Glenferneigh, in their red wooden house where their
son, Doug lived with them & farmed.
There are memories
of a home with the smell of fresh rising bread on the hearth or from the
oven as it baked. I also remember the tea brewing in a brown & yellow
basket weaved pot --- (I hold this pot as one of my treasures) --- leaf
tea from a tin chest bought from Griffiths' in Sydney; little "brownie"
cakes made sparingly from fat saved from meat, apple turnovers &
gingernuts, all eaten from a table covered with a clean home-made cloth.
Mary nee McLachlan Day - Port Macquarie -
location of new home - with her brother Dan McLachlan & sis in law Daisy
Mary awakened me
before she went to help in the dairy. When she left the house I was left
to dress, strip my bed & hang the linen on the sunny window sill for her
to re-make the bed later. Then when I saw her coming up the rise I set
the table & put the plates in the oven to warm. She then cooked the
breakfast. It was Mary who taught me to love bread fired in bacon fat
---never any waste.
When I was twelve
years of age, Mary gave me a lovely little blue dish that she knew I had
always loved. In time, I have given this small dish to my daughter as my
daughter loves blue pieces. Mary also gave me a vase. She was parting
with these treasures as she had started to drop & break things.
Mary combined her
love of royalty & history with her appreciation of the colloection of fine
china pieces. She had bought a sandwich tray & plates for her daughter,
Jullia Agnes ( known as "Poppy"), that is my mother. On each piece was
the design of the image of Charles the second (the Merry Monarch) &
Nell Gwynn, the "Orange Girl". These articles I now own.
As I grew into my
teens, I still visited that red wooden house still with its smell of
baking bread. At this time though the baker also came calling for a
"cuppa" on his country rounds.
The house was
surrounded by lilac bushes. Wherever Mary lived she had to have lilac
bushes & violets. Mary loved to wear violets on her dress. A big peach
tree grew outside the kitchen --- best peaches I have ever eaten. Broken
in two the seed left a deep red pattern in a rich peach-flesh ---always to
be remembered. Mary taught me to use mint against stings & bites.
Glenferneigh near Grafton NSW - home of Mary &
Jack Day - set off from Glenferneigh house - 24 April 1952
I love reading, as
do my family. For this love of reading, I owe a lot to Mary. When I
loved with she sat on my bed at night & read to me in her soft voice often
with a Scottish brogue (she cultivated this, I'm sure). I still
remember the books --- "The Poston Gate", "Bridget" & a story of a
seagull. Mary's sisters, Marie & Phoebe, sent me books.
Among the books that
Auntie Phoebe sent me, were "The Elsie Dismore" books. One was signed by
Phoebe in 1946, along with a special message for me. I still have these
books. I thought I had one handy but can't locate it. My grandson has
been here for most of the holidays & things have been moved around in the
cupboard. He loves reading --- perhaps because I tried to follow Mary's
example. In my teen years, our cousin, Alan Rixon, guided my reading to
A.J.Cronin's "The Big Fisherman", & others of the best authors.
Glenferneigh near Grafton NSW - home of Mary
McLachlan Day - says goodbye to Glenferneigh house - 24 April 1952
After Mary had read
to me & while still sitting on my bed, she would teach me to say my
prayers. When I grew up & visited Mary, I would help her make her big
brass bed. On her dressing table, sat a little round tin box with a handle
. Inside this, there were tiny rolled up scrolls (Biblical quotes). We
would choose one, read it & try to live by it that day. I have never been
a church goer but I hope that I have lived doing Christian things. I have
taught my children likewise.
In their
retirement, Mary & Jack sold the farm at Glenferneigh & moved to Port
Macquarie where they spent many pleasant days by the Pacific Ocean. As I
was working away from home & subsequently married, I only saw Mary for
quick visits. The last visit was when Mary was in bed ill. At that time I
had my first two children, of whom the second was a very ill litttle boy.
Mary advised that I take him to visit a specialist.
Glenferneigh near Grafton NSW - home of Mary
McLachlan Day - embroidery & her Box of Biblical Promises
As we began to say
goodbye Mary took a box from under her bed. From this she took some
tartan flannellette material. When giving this to me she said that I
should use it to make up coats for my children. That was my "goodbye" to
Mary. The exact "hello" I cannot remember.
These are the
memories of Mary that will forever stay in my mind.
-from writings of -
Memories of Mary nee McLachlan Day
in contributions of 1995 & 2002 compiled by -
Cherie Masterman @ Buderim Queensland, Australia |
