Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Basil Henry Walter Mudge was born 13th February 1909 at Streaky Bay to parents Ernest Henry & Caoline Rachel Mudge (nee Barns). Basil started sharefarming for Charlie Nugent at Petina when he was seventeen, at one stage cropping 1700 acres. His batching days must have been fairly hard as, at one stage he was hospitalised with food poisoning, losing all of his fingernails and toenails.

In 1933, Basil and his brother Reg purchased the scrub block where Ian and Kathleen Miller now live but, after a mice plague one year and a grasshopper plague the next, Reg left and looked for more profitable work. On 11th August 1936 Basil married Wlsie Jean Drever at the Memorial Hall at Wirrulla. Jean was born in 1913, daughter of Thomas David Drever and had been living at Miltaburra. They lived at Petina for a few years, Jean relating that their first bath there was a side car from a motorbike. They had a family of six children, two of whom died of throat infections within a fortnight of each other - Marlene Dorothy Mudge born April 1936 died 9th October 1945 at Ceduna, Geoffrey Ernest Mudge born March 1941 died 29th September 1945 at Ceduna, Milton Thomas Mudge born 1956, Elizabeth Margaret Mudge, Leon Mudge and Kathleen Mudge.

In 1939 Basil and Jean purchased the Nunjikompita General Store from Ron Dunn where they remained for nearly 20 years. As well as running the store, they had the Elders Smith Agency, a wheat buying agency and fuel agency - they delivered fuel to farms after picking it up from Port Haslam where it was delivered by ship.

They also ran a transport buisiness with Chevrolet Maple Leaf truck carting such items as wool from as far as Lake Everard to Haslam, salt from the salt lakes in the Gawler ranges, fertiliser which came up form Port Lincoln by rail in bags and these Basil delivered to farms. Part of the time, he operated the truck on gas which was produced from coal in a gas producer behind the cab but petrol was more powerful so was switched on to get over sandhills etc. like a turbocharger. On one occasion, he had to winch the truck over some sandhills. When going to the Smoky Bay district, he would often shovel a load of shellgrit on, for the return trip, for use in concreting throughout the district.

Stock was carted as far as Wilmington which was the nearest railhead connected to Adelaide. By law, they had to use rail or they weren't allocated any petrol during the war as rail was more efficient. One night, going through Horrock's Pass, the lights cut out and he had to drive in moonlight. Max Drever was with him on that occasion.

Jean was kept busy rinning the shop and looking after the family while Basil was away in the truck etc. There were two trains a week with mail and passengers and which brought groceries and fresh vegetables for their store from Port Lincoln. Once a month, Leon's bedroom would be converted to a surgery for consultations by a dentist and the locals would come to have any troublesome teeth pulled out (no fillings in those days).

On some Saturday nights, some of the families would come in and climb up on the truck and off they would go to a dance somewhere. The children had to sit up the front by the gas producer.

In 1952, Basil and Jean purchaed Section 38, Hundred of Perlubie. "Maildaburra", Sections 2 and 3 of Hundred of Petina was purchased in 1958. It is believed that this was originally part of Point Brown Station which operated in the 19th century. Leon finished school in 1958, the store was sold and the whole family shifted to Maildaburra and became full time farmers. Basil was a Justice of the Peace and also served as a councillor on the District Council or Murat Bay (now known as Ceduna) for fourteen years.

Basil and Jean retired to Streaky Bay in 1968 and Leon took over the running of the farm. He married Marilyn Dew of Adelaide in 1969 and they have four children - Natalie, Carolyn, Jacqueline and Darren. Carolyn and Darren completed studies at Roseworthy Agricultural College and then returned home to farm, whilst Natalie and Jacqueline remained living in Adelaide after finishing their studies.

Basil Mudge died on 29th August 1979 and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery in Adelaide.