Jane Bunt

Marie Ottey remembers, "Dulcie Lewis was born in 1917. "Jane Bunt reared Dulcie Lewis as one of the family, they never officially adopted her but she certainly is one of the family."

Southern Highland News

Newspaper obituary

April 1952

The passing of Mrs Jane Bunt of Boolwey St, Bowral, on Wednesday last came as a great shock to her many friends. Although her health had been indifferent for the past few weeks she had been about and tendered her usual small duties about the home on Wednesday and retired about 9 P.M. where she passed away shortly afterwards at the age of 86 years.

She was the daughter of the late William and Jane Small of Camden and came to this district as a child and in later years married Henry Bunt of Burrawang, where they lived for many years, later moving to Glenquarry where her husband predeceased her 23 years ago.

The late Mrs. Bunt endeared herself to many friends with her gentle kindly ways. She was an active worker for the Red Cross and supported charitable organisations until her health necessitated her retirement.

After a service conducted by the Rev. D. A. Hook in St. Jude's Church, the remains were laid to rest in the Bowral general cemetery on Friday afternoon. The large number of beautiful floral tributes showed the high esteem in which the deceased lady was held.

She is mourned by a family of three sons and three daughters, ten grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren.

In loving memory of our dear Mother, Jane Bunt who passed away 23rd April 1952. Inserted by her loving family, Will, Fred, Emily, Lonnie and Syd, daughters-in-law Eileen and Madge, and son-in-law Jim.

Such holy love inflamed her breast,

She would not seek on earth to rest,

But strong in faith and patience trod,

The narrow way that leads to God.

Jane, the times she lived in: Brick makers were in demand from the earliest days of the colonies, and some buildings still stand in the area made from local bricks. Commercial brick making was established near Bowral in the 1880s, and is still carried on there today (Bowral Brickworks).

From the earliest times meat has been processed in the area, and there is evidence it was salted for sale in Sydney, and even exported. There was also an early industry tanning hides.

When the great rabbit plague hit the area in the 1880s, hundreds of people were reported to have been involved in trapping, tanning, and processing the meat

During this time rabbit carcasses by the millions were exported from Australia, frozen, to England. The mind boggles at the thought of the English eating imported frozen rabbit while their counterparts in Australia ate fresh beef and mutton!

Karen Rhonda Jurd nee Bussey

John Jurd, b.1941