Margaret McKinley, with reference to Margaret Blackwood’s interview of 1997
At the end of January this year a small hand printed notice appeared on the closed gate of Elena Knight’s vegetable stall in Galston Road, opposite the entrance to Rowland Village.
It said “Dear Customers, Just to say thank you all for your friendship, loyalty and patronage over so many years. I have enjoyed my life trying to be of help to you all, and lots of enduring friendships in that time. Love and thanks. Elena “
This is absolutely the end of an era for Galston. Elena, one of the seven children of Jim and Bessie Knight, was born in Hornsby in 1936. The family lived in a rather charming timber home and grew all sorts of fruit and vegetables, which were displayed and sold from the front veranda. People came from all parts of the district and beyond to buy their fruit, vegetables and eggs, Jams, Chutneys, and Honey. All sorts of plants were also for sale. In about 1987 this house was demolished as it had no electricity, a leaking roof and termites made it unsafe. The modern brick home was built in its place and this is where Elena lives now. In 1973 the ABC produced a segment of ‘A Big Country’ ( that was before colour TV) featuring Elena and her father out on the farm picking acres of beans. This film is in the Dural Historical Society archives.
As a child Elena attended Galston Primary School and later the Hornsby Domestic Home Science School ( now Hornsby TAFE ? ). She left school when she was 15 and worked in the Galston General Store for a while. But her services were required on the Farm, where she has worked ever since. Her father, Jim, sold off all but one and a half acres of the farm in 1970. Jim, died in 1986. Elena cared for her mother for the next ten years until her passing in 1995 Elena has always helped others, and now her many nieces and nephews are able to help her. The people of Galston will miss seeing her around and wish her well in retirement.
At the next meeting of the Dural Historical Society on Saturday, 11th March at 2 pm, the guest speaker will be Judy Horton who will be speaking about the artist J.P. Russell.
All welcome
