George William Bales

George William Bales was born on 10-8-1907, he married Kathleen Mary (Kit) Burke (DOB 2.1.1909). Kathleen was the eldest daughter of John Thomas Burke and Ellen Agnes Buckley, whose families were both well known in the Nimmitabel region.
They had three children John Joseph Bales (5-5-1928), Frances George Bales (18-3-1930) and Valerie Mary (28-11-1933), and they resided in Boyd Street Nimmitabel for many years. The two boys left and eventually had careers on the Railway, and Valerie worked in the area, and married Bernie Buckley, and still resides in Nimmitabel. George Bales was one of the village's best known trout fisherman with more than 35 years of successful fishing. The Tudor Inn used to have some of the finest mounted fish ever taken from NSW Rivers. A rainbow trout weighing 13lb 2ozs caught 5 miles from town was displayed in Russ Burns Hotel (later known as The Tudor Inn). He was always sought out as a guide to the many anglers who visited the district. During the depression he tracked everywhere over the Nimmitabel plains for rabbits. Foxes and kangaroo skins were also made into lovely rugs for their beds. Unfortunately whilst employed at Rock Flat mine, he was involved in a delayed gelignite explosion, which resulted in the death of his brother-in-law Frank Burke, and he himself was transported to Sydney for
emergency surgery on his head. This accident occurred on 1-5-1953, and most people thought that he never fully recovered from this accident.
Kathleen died on 22-11-1972 and George died two months later on 11-1-1973

JOHN JOSEPH BALES (JACK)

A Requiem Mass was held at St Peter & Paul’s Old Cathedral in Goulburn by Fr Tony Percy, and Fr Philip Buckley from Page ACT with Acolyte Mr Tom Manning on Saturday 18 June after Jack’s sudden death at Woodhouselee on his son-in-law’s property ‘Black Hill’ on Wednesday 15 June

Jack was born on 5 May 1928 and was the eldest son of George and Catherine Bales of Nimmitabel. Together with his brother Jim and sister Val he grew up in the district and was educated at St Joseph’s Catholic School Nimmitabel. Age the age of 20 years he joined the NSW Government Railways in Cooma.

Jack then went to Goulburn where he met his wife Beryl. They were married in Goulburn at St Peter & Paul’s Cathedral in 1950. Together they had three children – Robyn, Colin and Janice. He was very proud of them all, and that extended to his eight grandchildren in later years. The whole family came together to celebrate Jack and Beryl’s 55^th wedding anniversary in March this year.

After starting with the NSW Railways here in Goulburn, Jack progressed through the ranks over the years and was appointed a locomotive driver in 1951. Later he became the youngest appointed first class driver of the XPT. At the time of his retirement Jack worked with his daughter Robyn and son-in-law John in their confectionary business for a number of years and became a familiar face as he delivered orders to the shop, schools and service stations around the district.

Jack was a avid sportsman. In his teenage years he played league and was a fast winger in the local Nimmitabel teams. He served with the Goulburn Workers Club Football committee and served as a gatekeeper at many of the local derbies. He was a lover of horses and competed in buck jumping in many local rodeos. Later he enjoyed golf, snooker and lawn bowls, and was a keen competitor in all, as was evidenced by the many trophies he won over the years. He also enjoyed a game of euchre and cards with friends, and always carried a pack of cards in the railway tuckerbox to use in the barracks whilst waiting for a train home.

Beryl and Jack had several homes in Goulburn over the years but finally settle upon retirement in Boomerang Drive where they have been for the past 12 years, showing great pride in growing and sharing around his roses, camellias and produce from his vegetable patch.

Jack loved the country life and he spent most of his time on ‘the farm’, and holidays in Nimmitabel with his children, and like his father George, he was a keen fisherman and loved trapping and shooting rabbits. He would walk for miles around the paddocks checking up on all the cattle. He also loved Tuesdays – cattle sale day at the local saleyards – a chance to catch up with friends and have a good old year with mates whilst checking out the market prices.

Jack’s ties to the Snowy Mountain region were strong – he took every opportunity to travel back to the area to see the change over the years. When he returned from his latest trip to the Monaro in May, he said it was the best time he ever had. Both his brother-in-law Bernie Buckley and Bernie’s son, Jim took him to Jindabyne and the local countryside bringing back many memories of days gone by.

The Bales, Buckley’s and Burkes were all pioneers of Nimmitabel and a close-knit family. In fact over 1,000 people attended a ‘Buckley Reunion’ in Nimmitabel Showground from all over the states, which was organised by Fr Philip Buckley to bring all the clan together. Over the 77 years of his life Jack also gathered a wide circle of friends as was evident at his funeral.

Jack leaves his wife Beryl, daughters Robyn and Janice, son Colin, and eight grandchildren – Sonya, Brian and Michelle Rawlinson, Iveta and Mara Bales, and Ben Jenna and Ryan Johnstone. He also leaves a brother Francis George (Jim) in Moss Vale and a sister Valerie Buckley residing in Nimmitabel.

The pall bearers were son Colin, son-in-law John Rawlinson and two grandchildren Brian Rawlinson and Ben Johnstone. The cortege proceeded to the lawn section of St Patrick’s Cemetery, Goulburn after being farewelled by his favourite singer Slim Dusty’s ‘To walk a country mile’ and ‘The rain tumbles down in July’.