Memories of Bullamon in the 1950s
Local people have many different memories of Bullamon during Biddy Brown’s time, many including the garden.
Jane O’Sullivan (nee Pilcher) and her siblings Rosemary and Andrew remember visiting Bullamon when it was Biddy Brown’s home.
“I remember the front path with the trellis over it with bougainvillea’s on it, was lovely and shady. Also, there was always a small metal tank in the veggie patch to the right as you are coming in and that was where Biddy or her brother had the cow pads soaking for the fertiliser. I remember veggies were on right (coming in) and flowers and a patch of lawn on left near the house.”
Biddy Brown was noted for her dressmaking skills as well as her gardening. “Biddy made a lot of ball gowns for our mother (Lorna Pilcher, nee Hill), one I remember especially was a brown taffeta bodice with taffeta and net over it for skirt and Biddy sewed lots of sequins on the skirt, we went over and lots of times Mum had fittings.”
“… the one thing Ro and Andy remember is the sheep dip and Dad (Philip Pilcher) driving the sheep over from Niminbah for dipping…” The dip was built by Biddy’s father, Tom Brown, in 1932 for the convenience of his neighbours on properties that not long before, had been part of Bullamon. Biddy continued the dipping service after her father’s death. In 1954, the rate was one penny per head.