Introducing Four Local Treasures: The Hazells and the Hilliers (and some early Australian medicines)
Mr Sid and Mrs Maree Hillier pictured in their Gunning home recently with their historic bottle of medicinal turpentine. Well over 70 years ago a young Sid was bed ridden for a fortnight with a very serious gash to the leg suffered when he was impaled by a cut sapling stem while riding his bike home from school. He owes his return to full health and mobility to this very efficacious and versatile product. The bottle they are displaying is the same one used by Sid’s mother to treat his injury at the time – and it still retains a good amount of aromatic turpentine today. In recent weeks I have had the pleasure and privilege of talking with three local people who know a lot about our district history, having lived through many decades of it themselves. Mr Sid and Mrs Maree Hillier and Mr Harold Hazell have been helping me learn about their lives and times in the Gunning district generally but particularly for the Oolong and Lade Vale areas where I also live. Mr Harold Hazell wh...