I AM writing to dissociate myself from Kim Odgers’ book, Our Town Our People, on Batemans Bay.
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The chapter on the Wray family contains material which is salacious and misleading.
I’ve been a Wray for 63 years and though the pioneer oyster farmer Timothy Wray had died when I arrived here in 1951, I knew all his then living daughters and sons.
Son Alan Wray served in the armed forces in WWII and my late husband, Tim Wray (Timothy’s grandson), served in the Navy on a minesweeper.
I’m relieved that none of those family members are still alive to read such demeaning rubbish as has been published in the book.
It was a pity that Kim Odgers overlooked the contributions made by some of the Wrays in favour of what can only be described as gossip and rumour.
Timothy’s daughter Stella married Barney Paxton and she was a respected member of the Batemans Bay Bowling Club. She was a dear friend to me.
I’d settled here a long way from home, west of Mackay in north Queensland.
Milly Wray moved to Sydney and trained as a school teacher.
After Timothy built Wrayville, he built a little school behind the home with the help of his two brothers, for all the children in the area.
In a photograph taken in front of the school are the students with their young female teacher who later became a nun.
When Stella and Emily (nee Wray) were elderly they had a visit from their exteacher, and I drove them to the old school at Wrayville, which was still standing.
It was a joyous and touching experience for all of us.
Their descendants and my daughters have been very upset at Kim Odgers’ portrayal of their great-grandfather and I have been featured with my photo as though I endorsed the sickening rumours he’s related.
Timothy Wray was an innovator and not involved in anything as nauseating as has been written about him.
Gwenneth Wray
Batemans Bay