Tues.
morn. 17 October, 1995
Dear
Bill,
My
sincere thanks for the Australorp History, an excellent reminder of the great
achievements of this grand old breed - "old" when we consider the
Australian poultry sphere anyway. I was interested to see that you had
included the "Bravo, Queensland" piece, you mentioned my good
memory, well I suppose it is sound enough for some of those 1920 & 1930
happenings, but not so hot on the day before yesterday.
I
appreciate very much the work that went into this and hope it receives due
recognition. I’m glad you touched on the original naming of the breed,
interesting looking back to see that it took so long to catch on, I recall
that even during the late war years, the South Australian G’ment plant at
Parafield was still calling them Black Orpingtons in official papers.
Yet
at the same time, as I Saw when I was in England late in the war, people over
there gave it its proper name, although it remember, there was one only
Australorp in the national laying test at Surrey, Eng., when I visited. At the
same time, I did not see a single Orpington while I was there. People did talk
of Orpington, because the last of the V bombs fell on Orpington, Kent, where
Cook, the breed’s founder once hung out. I put all this in an article I
wrote for Poultry at the time - my records show it was in the issue or 23
Sept. 1946. At the time I was struck by the huge range of breeds being raised
commercially, not for show, over there. there were great numbers of Leghorns,
both Blacks & Browns as well as Whites, and every heavy breed imaginable.
Except Orpingtons!
Must
not prattle on, happens when you get on to poultry: I was interested to hear
of your reading assist, appliances and my hope is they will go at least some
of the way to easing the sight handicap.
My
best wishes go with this and again thanks for your kind gift of the History.