Home Index Contacts
Main Sections:
Feas of Clestrain
John Fea, Falkirk
Stronsay Feas
Sanday Feas
Birsay Feas
Shetland Feas

Site Maps:
Feas of Clestrain
John Fea, Falkirk
Stronsay Feas
Sanday Feas
Birsay Feas
Shetland Feas

Names Index

Related Websites:
Gray
Pharay

Other Website:
The Glasgow Orkney & Shetland Benevolent Society
James Fea and Jean Cooper \ Peter Fea and Christina Hepburn \ Eleanor Wymms Fea \ Eva Melita Linklater

Vera Pearl Halfpenny and Wilfred Davies

Vera was born at Mudgeacca in Queensland.

When Vera was three years old, she moved with the family down to Adelaide and lived in the house at 59 Newbon Street, Prospect, which later changed to Nailsworth. When the depression hit her father went back to Tibooburra and got a job on the border fence (Queensland and New South Wales). When in Adelaide, Vera attended the Walkerville Primary School with her brother and sisters. When just finished primary school, the depression in Australia was at its peak and her father couldn't afford to keep two homes going so the family packed up and moved up to Wompah, Queensland.

Vera and Queenie (her little sister) began correspondence school.

What 12 year old wouldn't love country life after the city. Correspondence was a walk over; I only went as far as getting my intermediate. Dad taught me to ride horses, milk cows and goats, milking cows I hated, didn't mind the goats though. We milked the cows in the good seasons and goats in the dry ones. We lived on the banks of a lovely gum creek, so swam all through the warm weather and played tennis. Dad brought back from Sydney, where he went for specialists treatment for a heart complaint, a 22 rifle and 1000 rounds of bullets and taught me to shoot and I became fairly good at it.

I was home with Mum and Dad enjoying country life, my one ambition was to train for nursing when I was 18 years, it was then the earliest one could train. At 17 years they were extremely busy at the Tibooburra hospital and knowing of my intentions Uncle George brought the doctor - Dr. McLean, out to Wompah, asking Mum and Dad if I could work in the wards, good experience said they. It was too and I enjoyed it and I then started my training on 1st January. I had turned 18 the previous October.

It was to Horton Park I went when I finished my training at the Broken Hill and District Hospital. Home 10 days when the matrons daughter became ill in Sydney, so I was asked to relieve there while she was away, the second in charge, then matron and I was on the staff.  We're now in the height of the war, the matron didn't return and the deputy matron who had applied for war service left to enlist, this left me in charge for twelve months. Dr. Maclean had left twelve months previously. I am now the only trained nurse at the Tibooburra Hospital, on call and duty 24 hours a day every day. I was in touch with the Flying Doctor twice daily or at anytime he was needed. Dr. Woods, Flying Doctor, did a monthly clinic at the Tibooburra hospital, but came up for any emergency.

I left the Tibooburra hospital and started midwifery training June 1943, and after our marriage lived at Terilka Station until February 1947 when we bought the Tibooburra store .

Vera married Thomas John Wilfred Davies at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Lane Street, Broken Hill, NSW.  The Rev. Hugh C. Wilson married them.  Her little niece, Jeanette Evans was flowergirl.

At that time Wilf was a Station Manager on Terika Station, NSW. He had applied to join the R.A.A.F. in January 1940 but had to cancel his application when his father died of cancer soon after.

In January 1958 Vera and Wilf sold the store at Tibooburra and moved to Broken Hill, NSW where they owned the Orange Spot deli at Railwaytown,  NSW.

Due to Wilf's asthma getting progressively worse, they moved to Queensland where they bought a block of land in August 1980 at Mt. Coolum and had a home built for them. They there from 1981 until 2001, when they moved down to Adelaide where they live in a Retirement Village near the beach.

Children born to Vera and Wilf are:

  • Margaret Jean Davies who married Jim English. They eventually divorced. Margaret lives with her partner Peter, and she works as a Clerk in Broken Hill.
  • Ann Rosalyn Davies who married married Paul Keenan.
  • Roger Thomas Davies who married Karen Sue Thomas



Printer Friendly Version Return to top of page