PASSING OF OLD BARN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20740, 6 December 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

PASSING OF OLD BARN.

MUCH TIMBER STILL SOUND. A large barn at Wilberforce, New South Wales, built by David Dunston, greatgrandfather of Mr. Stephen Dunston, who still lives on the property, and which had been standing for over 130 years, has been demolished. Originally built with timber obtained within half a mile of its site, the nails used in keeping it together were forged by a local blacksmith, Michael Nowlan. Some of these nails, sin. and 6in. long, were recently withdrawn, and were found to be as sound as the day they were driven in. Much of the timber used in the internal part of the shed was thoroughly sound after a century and a-quarter of service. So good, in fact, was some of the timber, that Mr. C. Dunston, a great-great-great-grandson of the original builder, removed some of it to use in the building of a. garage. The building withstood the ravages of the great-1867 flood, which removed another shed close by tho old homestead. Over 50 years ago the shingled roof_ on the old barn was replaced by galvanised iron, and the demolishers of the old building said that the iron was worth fully £4 a ton more after 50 years of service than tho new iron of modern times.