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Lillian May Gore, wife of William James Stuart Gore of Windale. Photograph c1960. Lillian ran the Post Office at Windale from 1951 until her death in 1963.
Photo Ref: 4889
LILLIAN MAY GORE 1893-1963 Lillian May was born to Emily Ada and James Knight at Wickham, N.S.W. in 1893. She lived with her parents above the Hunter Street dressmaking shop and around 1909 she married Charles Colgan. A year later Lillian gave birth to her son whom she named Vere James. The Colgans went to live on the newly acquired land at Surprise Town, with the Winns. Charles Colgan's sister Elsie and her husband Alexanda Gill, also went to live with the other two families and both Colgan and Gill worked sections of the new property as gardeners. Lillian's marriage to Colgan was, a little later on, dissolved, and Colgan and the Gills left the farm and returned to live in Newcastle. Around 1920, William Gore, who had come back from the war, went to work on his Uncle's farm. He fell in love with Lillian and a short time later they were married. Lillian's son to Colgan, adopted his stepfather's name and was known as Vere James Gore, until the day he died. A son was born to the Gores around 1922 and they named him Allan. Allan joined the Army in the second world war but just before he was demobilised, he was tragically killed in a traffic accident. The peace and tranquility Lillian had known for over 30 years began to disintegrate in February, 1947 when the N.S.W. Housing Commission resumed part of her parents' land for housing purposes. She watched as the town grew and it was fitting that she was appointed as the town's first Post-Mistress in 1951. She was also the first shopkeeper. Around the time that the Post Office was opened, she opened a small candy shop in the front of the farmhouse. She and her husband sold sweets, potato crisps, cold cordials, ice cream (Victor and McNivens) and ice blocks. They only opened for business for an hour each night and the children depended upon the two Nuns in full habit in their Fordson panel van during the day for ice cream. Lillian conducted the Post Office from 1951-1963 when, in February of that year, she sadly passed away in her 70th year. Source: Saxby, Max The history of Windale: a surprise township, 1990.
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