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Character Profile – Bridie Boyle

Bridie Boyle was born at Coraki on June 15th, 1908. In 1940, her husband John Francis (Jack) Boyle placed a deposit on land for his family at Boyle’s Hill near Billinudgel, now known as the Billinudgel Nature Reserve. Sadly, this was the only payment Jack was to make on his property as a tree-felling accident took his life in August, 1940. At the time, Bridie had one son, a 9 year old named Dan and a beautiful three month old daughter name Colleen. Now well-known locally as Colleen Mudge, wife of Bob.

It is through this great tragedy that we discover the depth of character and caring nature of many wonderful people who were locals in the Billinudgel Community. After enduring overwhelming grief and sorrow, Bridie made a decision to keep the land her husband had chosen and build a future for herself and her children. As retold by Colleen, if it wasn’t for the caring and supportive Billinudgel community her mother would never have been able to build their family home and carve a future from the land. “It was wonderful people like Mick Moffatt, Bill Reilly, Hedley Hungerford, Jock McKerrow and Charlie O’Donnell who stepped in and helped Bridie at a time when help was desperately needed.” This group of men met with the manager of the then Bank of NSW and arranged for Bridie to sell 30 acres of the original property so that she would have the funds to pay installments on her land. This gave her enough time to start earning an income from the farm in order to meet the remainder of her payments. “This is what the community was like. Always helping and supporting each other through whatever life delivered to them,” said Colleen.

It is interesting to note that part of the land sold by Bridie later became well known in the local area as Lot 107. This was the block which was to be developed as sportsfields for Ocean Shores but unfortunately the community was overruled by Byron Shire Council in 2006 and the much-needed sportsfields didn’t eventuate.

Bridie Boyle became a well-known and respected figure in the local community. She milked cows in the morning and afternoon but still found time to work for charities. Colleen recently recalled the times when Bridie would travel to Mullumbimby once each week to sell raffle tickets to raise money for Legacy. After rising early to complete her farm chores, Bridie caught the 10.00am train from Billinudgel and spent the entire day in town raising money for war widows, then returned home to milk the cows before sunset. The fact that she was a widow herself was of no concern to Bridie and she continued this practice for many years.

Bridie was also a member of the RSL Auxiliary and the Red Cross. She was one of the women involved when the RSL Auxiliary decided they needed a new RSL building. Together they set out a plan and after working tirelessly providing lunches and cups of tea at Cattle Sales, they actually raised enough money to build a new RSL Club.

Bridie loved to dance and with her toe-tapping dance partner, a sprightly young man by the name of Merv Reynolds, she traveled to Lismore, Uki, Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads to compete in competitions. As she did not have transport Jack McMahon kindly drove the dancers to the required dance halls. Jack’s wife Ivey also loved to dance but Jack, not keen on dancing went to every event in the district but never took to the floor. As a young woman Bridie became a champion ballroom dancer. This love of dancing was passed on to her daughter Colleen who often accompanied her mother to the dance halls, watching and learning the finer details of every step. As a legacy of this, Colleen trained young debutantes for the annual St John’s Catholic Debutante Ball for a period of 24 years from 1980 to 2004.

Bridie Boyle was very much a community figure and will long be remembered as one of those inspiring people who helped to shape the Brunswick Valley into what it is today.

For more information on the history of the Brunswick Valley
visit the Brunswick Valley Historical Museum at Mullumbimby.

or www.aussiegateways.com/history