Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Stanley Arthur Dwyer was born on the 6 January 1877 in Haydonton NSW (now combined with Murrurundi NSW). As a child and teenager he grew up in the Murrurundi and Quirindi areas. He and Catherine McFadden married in Gunnedah in 1906. He is my maternal Grandfather.

His daughter Anne[1] often spoke of her father and described him thus. Stanley was 172cm tall, had auburn hair, eyes that from a distance looked black, but were really the deepest blue one could ever imagine. When he was happy, his eyes danced for joy, flashed fire if he was angry, and when sadness struck him, they made people who loved him weep. There was no doubt in Anne’s heart that his eyes were the most expressive in the world. Stanley a qualified print setter, and in his early days he worked for a newspaper in Sydney. However, Stanley’s heart lay in the country, and in time, he returned to working on the land until his retirement in the 1940’s.

When Stanley was a teenager he was a bit of a larrikin. He was a wonderful horseman and in his teens he rode as an amateur jockey at the old Quirindi racetrack in NSW. He related[2] to his family how as an amateur he had ridden the first winner of a race that was to become the Quirindi Gold Cup. Mr James Clarke owned the cup winner “Repentance” and after the race, he had a photograph taken in front of the Underwood Memorial Gates at Quirindi with his Jockey Stanley Arthur Dwyer astride on Repentance, and Mr Clarke himself holding the solid gold cup.

Stanley also related a funny story to his family about how he and two mates made a debacle of the match race between the three best horses in the district. Three local racehorse owners had three very fast horses, but because they so evenly matched, it was hard to gauge which was the fastest. To settle the issue a special race was organised.  As Stanley and two of his friends were the best young riders in the district, owners approached them to ride the horses in the race.

When the flag dropped, they set off at a gallop together. As the raced progressed, the horses were all neck and neck. One of the jockeys called out to the other two that he was going to have to do something as he had bet all his money that his horse would run last. Quick as a flash, he tumbled off his horse. Not to be outdone, the other jockey said to Stanley, that he had also bet all his money that his horse would lose, so he turned his horse around and rode back to see if his friend was hurt.

Stanley kept on riding, and with only one horse in the race, he just cantered home for the win. As he crossed the finish line, a Steward ran out and grabbed the horse’s bridle, all the while screaming at Stanley that they were all “smart little buggers” and that they would all pay for the farce that they had just performed. Stanley affirmed to his family that indeed, there was a song and dance made by the owners.  The Committee fined the jockey who deliberately fell off his horse and the other who went back to pick him.  As well, both incurred a lifetime ban from the racecourse. However, because Stanley had finished the race and there was no proof that he was involved in the actions of the other riders, they had to exonerate him.

This race and the Gold Cup race probably took place before he enlisted and went off to fight in the Boer War during the period 1899 – 1901.

Stanley and his brother Victor enlisted in the 3rd Regiment Division “C” of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles.

This information regarding the sailing dates and arrival in South Africa was sourced from the Australian War Memorial Archives[3]: The 3rd Regiment of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles travelled to South Africa in three groups (1901): B and D Squadrons were the first to leave Australia, sailing from Sydney on 15 March, on board the transport Maplemore; A, C, and E Squadrons disembarked at Durban on 17 and 23 April. Another draft was sent from Australia to reinforce the regiment. These men travelled on board the Antillian, leaving Sydney on 5 April and arriving at Durban on 12 May.

Stanley was not a seasoned sailor, and he always laughed about how he suffered from seasickness.  Apparently, he became seasick almost immediately the ship left Sydney Heads, and he took to his bunk in misery, not ever getting his sea legs. The port of Durban in South Africa was indeed a wonderful sight for Stanley, and he soon regained his good health and humour. Like many return soldiers, the war took a lot out of Stanley and his brother Victor. Sadly, they never regained the quiet innocence that they had before enlistment.

The following two passages are stories related by Stanley to his family regarding his time in South Africa as a Mounted Trooper in the Boer War[4].

Stanley rarely spoke to his family about his South African war experiences in any detail. He would not tell them of the battles and hardships, but he did regale them with tales about things he and some of his mates got into. One of the funniest tales that I can remember was about an Irishman named Paddy who was one of his Unit. Paddy loved to make a good stiff brew on a still from whatever fruit he could find. He would always set up his still whenever the Troop set up in an area for a sufficient time. The story goes as follows.  One day when the group was in camp, Stanley and a couple of other soldiers were out on patrol when they suddenly heard rifle shots, and a lot of shouting and screaming. Although they had not seen any Boers, they thought someone was under attack, so spurring on their horses they rode toward the noise. They were a few miles from their camp, galloping up a creek bed where according to Stanley they came across a sight that was the funniest sight they had ever seen. Paddy was at his still, and so were a troop of drunken monkeys. Monkeys were in the trees screaming, fighting, throwing things and falling about. As well a squabble had broken out between Paddy and some of the monkeys. Paddy was shooting at the monkeys, who were busily eating his fruit and drinking his brew. Entertaining as it was, they had to knock Paddy out, put him on his horse and get him back to camp before the Boers or the British Officers came to see what was causing the noisy din.

He also told of the differences he observed between the Australians and English soldiers. The majority of Australians in his Regiment were all seasoned bush men, great riders, all used to living off the land, and they took to fighting guerrilla style warfare, similar to the Boers. Food was scarce and mainly scavenged from Boer farms, crops, fruit and stock. Supply lines were sparse, so food was often in short supply, but the British soldiers were not bush wise and often went hungry rather than share in what the Australians had sourced. After one such scavenge Stanley and his mates offered to share their haul of pumpkins with some of the British soldiers, who like the Australians were also very hungry. He said they were surprised when told by the Officer that British soldiers would not be lowering themselves to eat cattle fodder. Stan and his mates thought it strange hungry men should turn down food and with no such concerns, were soon cooking up pumpkins to satisfy their rumbling stomachs. He was surprised when several of the ordinary British soldiers ignored the Officer and came over to the Australian camp to join in the pumpkin feast. Pride does not fill a hungry man’s stomach.

When he was 29 years old, Stanley married Catherine McFadden at Gunnedah NSW in 1904. They had five children Robert Stanley Trevelance [Bob] 1905, Mavis Ida Nellie [Polly/Nell] 1908, Fredrick Howard John [Freddie/Larry] 1911, Lorna Kathleen Jean [Daub] 1915 and Anne Gertrude Ellen [Nancye/Sookie] 1919.  After Stanley returned from the Boer War, he bought a grocery store in Quirindi in NSW. However, Stanley was too kind-hearted and not a good manager of money, so when folk were short of money, he allowed them to buy food on credit. Unfortunately, generosity in a weak economy sent Stanley bankrupt. Suddenly, he was penniless with no business and a young family to try to support. Fortunately, Catherine’s parents owned two large rural properties and assisted them financially until Stanley could get a job.

Stanley held various jobs, usually working on properties. In the 1920 he secured a job as Manager of “Rocklands” a cattle property in the mountains east of Murrurundi. The family spent a few happy years there until the property sold in the late 1920’s during the Depression. Stanley eventually found work on Werriston Station and moved his family to Werris Creek, where he lived until the 1940’s when he and Catherine moved to Newcastle.

Stanley’s son-in-law Donald[5] related his memory the first time he ever saw Stanley, it was in the late 1920’s and the Dwyer family had just moved into Werris Creek. Cecil and a couple of his boys were working in their home paddock late one afternoon , when a man leading a horse, with a dog trailing behind came along. As the man was a stranger to Donald and his brothers, they asked Cecil who he was. When Cecil looked up from whatever he was doing, recognised the man and called out “Hello Kinch” to which Stan replied, “Hello Abby”. The Marshall boys were astonished they had never heard anyone call their father “Abby” before and pestered him to tell them how he got that nickname. The two men had been friends in their younger years and quickly rebuilt their acquaintance, remaining good mates for the rest of their lives.

Stanley was well respected and loved by his family and friends. He was regarded by his peers as an expert horseman. His Great Grandparents Michael Dwyer and Margaret O’Grady were both Irish convicts, transported to Australia in 1826 and 1828. His father Michael Dwyer (Jnr) and Ellen Robards were the first of his family born in Australia. Stanley was a proud Australian who loved his country and marvelled at how Australia was growing as a nation. 

Stanley died in Newcastle on the 18 October 1952, his ashes are in the crematorium graveyard at Newcastle Memorial Park Beresfield just north of Hexham NSW.

Written by Kaye Dillon maternal granddaughter -2024

[1] Anne Dwyers description of Stanley
[2] Stanley Dwyers story about his amateur jockey days
[3] Australian War Memorial Archives
[4] Stanley Dwyers recollection of stories from the Boer War that he experienced.
[5] Donald Marshall’s recollection of his first sight of Stanley Dwyer