The Quandry Home

1906 8th March: John Vernon Nathaniel Lucas married Emma Fish at Temora, NSW, in the bride's family home.

They settled at Quandry, out of Temora. Seven children were born of their marriage.
1914 Saturday, September 26th; "The Temora Independent" Newspaper reported that a fire that occurred on the Tuesday 22nd [copy of report was supplied by Wilma and Ken McCubbin].

"Blaze at Quandry" "At about 8.30 a fire broke out at Quandry, when a house occupied by Mr J. Lucas was, with contents, totally destroyed. The building, which contained four rooms and a kitchen, was built of weatherboard and iron roof and was owned by Mrs D. Hastie. Both Mr and Mrs J. Lucas left that afternoon for Temora, and no reason can be given as to the origin of the outbreak.

The house was insured in the office of the Liverpool, London and Globe company for 300 pounds, while the furniture was insured with the same company for 70 pounds."

At the time of the fire John Vernon Lucas was 34 years of age. His wife Emma May was 28.
Their family which shared in the trauma was;
Vera May [born May 11th 1906] aged 8 at the time;
John Frederick [born January 1st 1908] aged 6;
Ada Emma Veronica [born April 6 1909] aged 5;
Emma Maud [born September 14th 1910] aged 4;
Cecil Alfred George [born June 6th 1912] aged2;
Myrtle [born October 24th 1913] aged 1;
Their youngest was expected and arrived about 10 weeks later;
Mary Alice [born December 3rd 1914].

This photograph records the remnants of the house. It suggests that the rear structure was clad with iron, not weatherboard as was the older house mentioned in the newspaper. This picture was taken by Warwick and Pam Grace in 2000.  Ken and Wilma McCubbin kindly drove them around the district in order to view family sites.

This sketch of the Lucas Home Quandry, based on the early photograph, drawn by Warwick Grace in 2000.
The pictures show the building that Mary and other members of the family can remember.

The photo below shows this later home in flood time, in the early 1940's
[photo supplied by Geoff and Roslyn Lucas].

John developed Parkinson's Disease later in life. He was a gentle man, who enjoyed playing with his grandchildren.
He died in Temora on the 2nd December 1954.