Crestview

DESCRIPTION

NameCrestviewTypeBuildingResidenceGeolocation^[1] Last edited by: Will Chittick

DescriptionJohn Hubert Plunket Hobbs opened a chemist shop in Kiama in 1884, before moving his business to Albion Park. His home 'Crestview', and chemist shopfront were in Terry Street, Albion Park, and still stand today.

John studied medicine before switching to pharmacy, and for most of that time, right up until the mid 1920s, was the only immediate medical help available, between Wollongong and Kiama.

John’s father, William, managed Dangar’s Myall Creek Station in the 1830s. One night in 1838, during William’s absence, a group of station hands rounded up a group of Aboriginal people who were camped along the riverbank. The station hands accused the group of having killed fellow station workers in the previous months. The captured men, women and children were murdered. Twelve men were arrested for the crime, and all were at first acquitted. A second charge saw seven men found guilty and subsequently hanged.

William Hobbs, who reported the crime to the authorities, became so unpopular in the area, that he resigned from his position and joined the police force. In 1865, he was appointed Governor of Wollongong Gaol, where John and his siblings grew up.

In 1884, John married Emily Susan Dyer, the youngest of twins. Emily was deaf but could lip-read, and in later years, she learned to sign. John and Emily did not have any children.

John became the unofficial medicine man in the town, and developed a great reputation as a bone setter.

An urgent midnight call would see him get on his old ginger horse, with an overcoat over his pyjamas, woollen cap on head, and his black bag strapped to the saddle. He would then set off to a remote farmhouse to help with the birth of a baby, foal or calf!

He extracted teeth, sewed up gashes, lanced boils, set bones, and gave injections. Many patients were rushed to Hobbs for assistance for farming machinery accidents, lacerations, and snake and spider bites, to which he applied strychnine with great success!

Bert Weston wrote in Albion Park Saga that Hobbs was the unofficial medicine man, often attending the sick in times of emergency, setting broken bones and extracting teeth.

Mr. Hobbs died in 1926, and his wife Emily in 1938.

External LinkKiama Attempted Suicide 1888Hobbs Chemist 1899Spider Bite 1902A Trip to the Illawarra District 1913Death of Mrs Ameera Box 1920Inquiry Mrs Ameera Box 1920Probate Emily Hobbs 1942

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Family

'Crestview'.

Hobbs' chemist shop was in the northern front room of the building entered by steps from the street.

Heritage Information

Heritage NSW LinkShellharbour Heritage Inventory Sheet Last edited by: Erin Tierney

CONNECTIONS

CollectionPlacesFamilyHobbsLocalityAlbion ParkPersonWeston, Bert

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Crestview