Chen Quin Jack

Sydney Leslie Jack
BORN — 5 MAR 1896, Bundarra, NSW Australia
DIED — 1993, Coonabarabran NSW Australia
MOTHER — MARY ANN FULLER
FATHER — CHEN QUIN JACK Miner Aged 56 from Canton, China

In his younger days Les and his elder brother William or Billo had taken over the mining operation from his father Quin Jack. This photo shows the mining operation they set up at Hymen Villa. Les also traded in rough diamonds and gemstones. While on the farm, Les also farmed sheep and a few cattle.

 The following is an excerpt of an interview by Janis Wilton (JW) talking to Trevor Jack (TJ) (my Grandfather) at Coonabarabran on 25 June 1990. Excerpt courtesy of Janis Wilton.

Trevor is recalling his memories of the farm

Trevor: … He used to kill all his own cattle and pigs and everything there and boil them up. Matter of fact we went up there just after the sale…my uncle had the sale up there. The pig vats, the old pig vats that he used to have out there to kill the pigs and boil them up were still there and they were huge things. Huge vats, take a whole pig, 300 pound pig, no trouble. And these vats used to boil them up and get all the hair off them and butcher them.

Janis: And then use the pork fat to cook?

Trevor: Oh, they used everything. Don’t think any part of the pig was wasted.

Following the death of his wife, Les had been placed in an old-age care home in Inverell. He married June Pamela Morelli in 1982 when he was 86 years old and she was 56. However, the marriage was brief as Les outlived his younger wife.

After the sudden death of Fred, his older brother, Uncle Les became a father figure to Trevor and Russell. This close bond is why, in the mid-1980s, Les moved to Coonabarabran to live with my grandparents, Mary and Trevor.

Uncle Les was quite a character, very kind, and softly spoken yet full of wit, stories and bush wisdom. He quickly became an integrated part of our family, and I was close to him. I can remember when Halley’s Comet was blazing across the sky one night in 1986, my grandparents dragged the by-now old Uncle Les from his bed to witness the event. “it was much better the first time” he said – which was way back in 1910! 

Lucky for us — and you — Les was a hoarder. He brought with him a vast collection of objects. He had outlived most of his contemporaries, and everything had passed to him. So I have Great-great Uncle Les to thank when sharing all these fabulous mementos.

Among some objects that Les bought with him was a violin which he purchased in the 1900 and gave to Trevor and Great-great-grandfather — Quin Jack’s abacus, which he used to do all his sums.

The following is a collection of family photographs of mostly from – 1917 – 1940, mostly take in Tingha or nearby Inverell