The Roar - Issue 21 Term 3 2026

Edwin Ray

For many years, the family lived quietly at “Werona” a few kilometres out of Bathurst, as the neighbours of the Lee family, and from 1932 the Bowe family on “Karralee”. Late in February 1942, the Ray family received the news that son David Arnold (known as Arnold), a Flying Officer in the RAAF, was missing in action after an operation in Western Europe. A few weeks later, nineteen boys aged from 6-11 years irrupted into “Karralee”, changing Ted’s quiet existence. Before 1942 was out, he had called the fire brigade to put out a grass fire started on a windy Summer’s day by his new neighbours at The Scots College Branch School. The boys had decided the best way to clear the long grass was to set fire to it. The northerly wind took the blaze in the direction of the Ray property. Before the year was out, too, the police were called to a battle between the Scots boys and some from Kelso Public School. There had been a raid from town on the Scots boys’ cubby houses, which had sparked a reprisal.

Lorna Ray, Edwin’s daughter, later recounted that “Werona’s” front gate was not visible from the school, and became a gathering place for little boys who did not wish to be seen. Then there was the orchard. Ted Ray was a leading figure in the fruit growing industry in the Bathurst district, and the apples and peaches on his property were a temptation to hungry boys wanting to supplement Dining Hall provisions at a time when food in the dormitories was not allowed. Recollections both official and unofficial tell of visits to the Ray residence by boys caught at this to apologise to Ted and his family, or to pay for stolen fruit. The last known raid (and “known” is the deliberately chosen word) occurred at the turn of the 21st Century. A boy who had been missing on a Sunday afternoon had been up at the orchard. Unfortunately, the fruit he had eaten up there was not yet ripe. His irritated stomach decided to deal with the problem a couple of hours later in Chapel. An exchange of correspondence has also recently come to light from 1961 when the Farm Manager set up a piggery rather too close to the Ray family’s kitchen window.

It would be expected that relations between the Ray family and the school would be rather tetchy. They certainly did not hold back from letting the School know if they were unhappy. However, the response to having two and a half dozen small boys suddenly appearing next door was remarkably generous. The use of fire to remove long grass was replaced by Edwin bringing over his horse-drawn slasher to mow it. Something he did regularly until a groundsman could be employed. There were also gifts of fruit from the orchard. Edwin Ray was a member of the congregation of St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Bathurst, and the Minister there, Rev. Alan Dougan, had assisted Scots Sydney in finding a location for the Branch School. An advisory committee was formed to assist with the running of the Branch School. Its minutes show that it acted in some ways like a college council, overseeing work that needed doing and facilitating contact with local businesses, and watching over the affairs of the school. Edwin Ray was the Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Committee.

It was this committee that did much of the work to convince the Presbyterian Church of the desirability of creating a school in Bathurst. In 1945 it became the interim council for the new school, and eventually the Council of Scots School Bathurst. Edwin Ray continued to be a member of the Council of the new school and its Vice-Chairman. His support for the school continued unabated. Members of the Council were often to be found at the School on weekends on working bees to clear overgrown areas, lay footpaths and other practical efforts to improve the school grounds. His son-in-law, Lloyd Gibson, had trained in agriculture and horticulture at the Roseworthy Agricultural College in Adelaide, and whilst gaining some practical experience at “Werona” in the late 1940s. He was sent across to Scots to assist with the management of some of the dairy cows and pigs that the school kept. The Ted and Nell Prize for Choral Work was awarded on Speech Day at Scots up until 2018. Edwin retired from the School Council in 1956, and died in 1958. Recently, his grandsons have presented to The Scots Museum the silver tray that was given to him in 1956 on his retirement from the Council. This article has been prompted by this and some other recent donations from Edwin Ray’s family. Being one of the founders of Scots, the Betty Ives Archives Centre collection is gradually gathering together some material about Edwin Ray. This has been somewhat difficult as the family were very modest and private people who did not seek recognition for their generosity.

Returning to Arnold Ray: his Hudson fighter bomber clipped the mast of a ship whilst engaged in an operation that took him over the Frisian Islands off the Dutch coast. There was an attempt at an emergency landing on an ice floe, but the aircraft went through it and sank. One of the three crew (unfortunately not Arnold) survived, but the other two went down with the aircraft and their bodies were never recovered. The survivor, Pilot Officer F. S. Knight, was rescued and became a resident of a German Stalag for the rest of the war. Because of operational secrecy rules, it was not until 1948 that the family were told of what happened to Arnold. I have looked up Arnold’s war service record on the National Archives of Australia website, and that is where the information on him comes from. It must have been quite a distressing time for the family. The telegram reporting him missing is in the War Memorial files, along with letters from Edwin and Nell trying to find out what had happened to him, organising copies of death certificates and getting a report on what happened from the pilot who survived by way of the International Red Cross. Arnold’s personal effects were collected by a friend, Flying Officer John Osborn, who organised for them to be returned to the family with the assistance of the American Naval Reserve. The effects included the satchel that had belonged to All Saints Old Boy Major Harold McIntosh. The canvas bag that they came in has been given to us by the Ray family at the same time as the silver tray. Because of the strong connection of the Ray family to Scots, the bag has been accessioned into The Scots Museum collection, and will be a primary source for students studying the effects of World War II on the home front.

The Ray family continued to reside at “Werona” after 1958. Edwin’s daughter Nancy was well known in the Bathurst community, and more widely as an author of books for children. On her retirement as personal assistant to a businessman in Sydney, Miss Lorna Ray returned to the property and was the School’s neighbour. She allowed the school to use some of her land as part of the School Farm, was a vigilant observer of the farm and what went on there, and a generous donor to, and friend of the school. She died in March of 2025, aged 103 years.

Whilst researching this article, a story was found in The Bathurst Times for 1 March 1911 (so it is hardly hot off the press!).

‘GUILTY.’

William Cunneen, 20, labourer, was charged that he did on January 20, 1911, at Kelso, break and enter the dwelling house of Edwin Ray, and steal therefrom one double barrel gun, one brush, and three boxes of cartridges. Accused pleaded guilty and was remanded for sentence. At the original hearing of the case before the Police Court, Constable Lennon deposed that on January 31 he went to Ray Bros’ house and saw the shutters of one of the windows and two panes of glass broken. There were foot marks leading to and from the house in the direction of Lee’s paddocks. On the ground, under the window, he picked up a vest button. He then went to Mr. (late) John Lee’s residence about 400 yards away, and there saw the accused. He showed Cunneen the button, and upon the production of his vest pointed out that there were a couple of buttons off it, and that the one picked up under the window was identical with those on the vest. He took the accused to ‘Karrallee’ [sic] and compared the boot tracks on the ground with his. They exactly corresponded. Cunneen remarked, ‘Yes,” but there might be other tracks the same.’ Witness [ie Constable Lennon] arrested him, and on the road to Bathurst asked accused, “What did you do with that gun?” “I would have returned it tonight with a note,” he replied. ‘”Where is it?” the witness asked, to which Cunneen replied, “I will tell you on one condition, and that is that you say how you found the gun.” Witness said he would do nothing of the sort. Accused went on, “Well, you will find the gun in the loft of the old stable. Accused, when; charged, replied, “I am very sorry I intended to put those things back. I only took the gun to shoot a few rabbits and I would have put it back tonight. I hadn’t a chance to put it back before Mr. Ray returned to the house. Witness visited the loft and found the articles in a bag with the following note attached:—”Karralle, [sic] Tuesday, January 30, 1911. To Mr. Ray. He who took the gun- sincerely wants your forgiveness.’ In reply to witness [Constable Lennon] accused stated that he had written the note, and explained that he had entered the house through the window, and that he had taken the articles.

William Cunneen was sentenced to hard labour for this action. It appears that he was, as they say, “known to the Police”.

Mr Andrew Maher
Archives

Photo 1: John and Richard Gibson with the tray presented to their grandfather Edwin Ray on his retirement from The Council of the Scots School in 1954.

Photo 2: The tray and the inscription thanking Edwin Ray for his contribution to the Council of the Scots School.

Photo 3: The bag which was sent to the Ray family with the personal effects of their son Arnold, who was killed in an air accident over the German-occupied Frisian Islands in March of 1942. There is a photograph of Flying Officer John Osborn, who collected them and a business card for Ensign John Wilson of the United States Naval Reserve who facilitated their return to Australia.

Photo 4: A photograph of Edwin Ray with his wife Nell that includes son Arnold. Daughter Lorna, who lived in the family home and was the College’s neighbour, is on the left. (Credit: John Gibson).