Ted Austin returns home to Molong

Remembering Ted Austin 1927-2017.

The children and relatives of Ted Austin recently visited Molong to inter Ted’s ashes in the Molong Cemetery’s Columbarium Wall.

Carol, Jane, Steve, Greg, Brian, Mike, Martin and Robert remembered how much their dad enjoyed his hometown when they came together at Barnsey’s Be Tempted – a building where their father worked as a young man.

Ted was the son of Les and Violet Austin who lived in East Molong and Bank Street in the first half of the 1900s. His siblings were Merle Kind, Lisle Austin (formerly of Hill Street) and Jack, Bill, Roy and Keith.

A keen Molong Rugby League player – Ted lived and worked in Molong until 1950 when he moved to Wollongong. In 1980 Ted and his wife, Kath, moved north to Emu Park (near Rockhampton).

Ted had many good memories of Molong which he shared with his family and often returned to his ‘hometown’ – the place he always talked fondly about.
He remembered the times he played with his brothers, sister and local kids on ‘Cowflat’ (now known as Hunter Caldwell Park) and swimming in the railway weir “back over the hill”.

After his remembrance service – Ted’s circle was completed with his family enjoying tea and scones together at Barnsey’s in the new room which was, until the 1960’s, where Ted worked – W.J. Amos Molong’s Outfitter.