The life of Ivy would see her 'sharefarm' in Bellbrook and Jerseyville, with a move to Nulla Nulla Creek where she would meet fellow poets and musicians such as Slim Dusty.
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Ivy Hudson was born on 30 April 1899, the daughter of John George Frederick Perrin Hudson and Islet Maud Brecht.
John Hudson established a homestead at Hickeys Creek and drove bullock teams with loads of timber from the Upper Macleay to the wharf at Greenhill.
John and Islet had fourteen children, Ivy being the fifth eldest. Ivy attended Hickeys Creek Public School until she turned 14, when she had to leave to assist her mother at home. Ivy was the second oldest daughter in a family of ten children at that time and her older sister Elizabeth Mary had just married.
John and Islet would have another four children.
In 1915, three of Ivy's brothers enlisted in the AIF, although the youngest Ossie was initially rejected as being under age. Ivy began writing poems and painting as a young girl however, after marrying Stanley Waters in 1919, she concentrated on raising their family of seven children.
At first they lived at Torooka where Stan worked for Bob Lainey, dairying and growing corn. Joan, the first of their seven children was born here.
After two years they moved to the Scott property Burrega, near Bellbrook, where Stan share-farmed with Ken Scott, growing corn and raising pigs.
Life was hard with Ivy having to make her own bread, butter, soap and clothes.
After six years and now with four children, Ivy and Stan went to Jerseyville on the Lower Macleay, where boats replaced the horse and buggy as the main mode of transport. They sharefarmed with Charles "Octa" Dennis, dairyfarming and growing corn.
After only two years they moved back to Hickeys Creek and while here they bought there first motor car.
After six years, they made a major move in 1934 out of the Macleay Valley to Bowraville. They were to spend sixteen years on the Nambucca before settling at Carcolla on Nulla Nulla Creek in 1950. They sharefarmed here with Sam Chapman, who was also a noted poet, once again dairying and growing corn.
In 1959, Ivy and Stan retired to a house on the old Nulla Nulla mill site.
After only a year, Stan sadly passed away. Widowed and with her family now grown up, Ivy resumed writing poetry and many were published in the Primary Producer newspaper under the pen name "Babbling Brook".
The now defunct Primary Producer went out to every farmhouse and was extremely popular. Ivy drew on the many incidents of her early life as subject matter, her main themes being her childhood at Honeysuckle Cottage, the young men of the area going off to war and her father's bullock team driving.
At Nulla Nulla she met country musicians Slim Dusty and Shorty Ranger, who put several of her poems to music.
Some of these songs, such as The Old Rusty Bell released by Slim Dusty in June 1961, are now firm country music favourites.
Ivy passed away on 20 July 1973 leaving a rich legacy of poetry which captured the essence of the Upper Macleay and its people.
This story along with others will be included in the next Journal of the Macleay River Historical Society featuring Women of the Macleay.
