PAVER TALES Local families can record their family names in stone at the entrance of the Glenorie memorial Hall. One such family has purchased two single and six double pavers to record their heritage in Glenorie District. Here is their story:
PAVER TALES Local families can record their family names in stone at the entrance of the GLENORIE SHORE FAMILY 1909-2025
The significance of the Shore Family’s contribution to the development of Glenorie cannot be over emphasised. James Cullen Shore, our grandfather (The Patriarch of the Glenorie Shores) was born of English parents at Lanarkshire Scotland in1875. He moved to Middlesex, England, from where he immigrated to Australia in 1902. He settled in Chatswood where he set up a horse drawn coach service.
Here he met and married Georgina Scranton (1905). They lost their first child, Mary, in her year of birth. Our father (James Leonard) was born next in 1907 followed by his brother, Dudley 1908. In 1909 Grandfather moved the family to a farm 5 miles along Cattai Rd, Glenorie at “Hillside” where he farmed and added Gladys,1910, Charles, 1912, Sydney, 1913, Margaret 1914 and Jean 1916 to the family.
In 1918 Grandfather purchased another 20-acre farm near present day Gleness Place. In 1924 he added 80 acres which backed onto his holding. During this period, while still living at Hillside, the family worked hard developing their citrus orchard and adding some poultry. The children had to walk 5 miles each way to Glenorie School. Grandfather, along with the Halcrows and other local parents, partitioned the Dept. of Educ. to open a new Primary School at Hillside. This was successful in 1926 much to the children’s delight. Now the walk to school was only half a mile.
Our father James Lenard Shore, the eldest in his family married our mother Eileen Stanlie Mobbs in 1930. Her proud ancestry dates to 1797 when a convict William Mobbs of Mobbs Hill fame, Carlingford, arrived on the HMS Barwell.
Their first home was the small cottage which still stands opposite the entrance to Garemyns Lane. After starting a family, they moved to Baulkham Hills where Dad worked as a truck driver for Herb Mobbs. The children attended Castle Hill Public School.
In 1933 James Cullen Shore bought the stone from the demolished Glenorie School of Arts (where the present-day Memorial Hall stands.) With this stone he built the Shore family home (now Bells residence) at 56 Cattai Ridge Rd.
In 1941, Grandfather took ill which resulted in our family returning to live with him in the Stone House at Glenorie and taking over the running of the Farm.
After Grandfather, J. C. Shore passed away in 1942, Dad and Mum, over time, purchased the property from Dad’s siblings Gladys and Margaret who married Christies from the Shetland Islands and settled in Glenorie. His brother Sid spent time fighting in WW11 and remained as part of the Occupation forces in Japan and married June, a Japanese girl. He returned to Glenorie to raise his family. Jean the youngest member of the family married Frank Smith and spent much time living in Glenorie before moving away to Ettalong and later Granville.
Meanwhile back at the Stone House in Glenorie, Dad (Jim Shore) started a carrying business in Glenorie, picking up produce from local growers to drop off at the Hay Market, Sydney and brought back requested items such as boxes, fertilizer and stock feed. This further encouraged development of farming in the district.
At the same time, he started diversifying the farm from only citrus. He planted Granny Smith Apples and Summer Fruits, mainly Peach Varieties and introduced intensive crops such as cabbages, watermelons, pumpkin, peas, beans, turnips and tomatoes.
What fun we had picking & packing produce after working the ground, planting, fertilizing, watering and spraying the crops as they grew!
Schooling posed some problems. The older children Les, Esme, Col and Beryl attended Glenorie Public School until a drop in enrolment at Hillside Public threatened its closure. The Headmaster, Mr Bridge, approached Dad and the Shores transferred from Glenorie to Hillside saving the school which continues to thrive today. Harold and I completed all our Primary School Education at Hillside.
Part 2 to follow next month…
To order your paver, whether your family are original settlers like the Shores or have come to Glenorie District recently, click here.
You can also visit https://sparrowmouse-cs46.squarespace.com/engraved-paver-purchase
Any questions that you may have can be addressed via email to [email protected]
