Brothers, Allan Valentine and Sydney Herbert Worthington

by Rozlyn Lilley

Allan joined the army as a bugler at the age of 11. He served K company 1st infantry regiment and later, aged 15, was the youngest soldier to leave Australia for the Boer War.

His brother Sydney Herbert Worthington also enlisted and fought in the Boer War and the 1st World War.

After returning to Australia Allan went to live in Tyalgum in 1906 on the far north coast of NSW and was engaged in timber cutting. In 1908 Allan became the Tyalgum carrier carting cream to Murwillumbah. He married Elizabeth Rice in Feb 1909 at Moobal and they lived in Perkin's little house in Cudrigan St. They had 8 children all born in Murwillumbah. They lived in Tyalgum until 1915 when Allan acquired a selection at Round Mountain, there they milked cows for 20 years. They moved to Murwillumbah in 1935 and started a transport service to Brisbane. Allan was a great story teller and although he only lived in Tyalgum for nine years, many of his stories were about Tyalgum's early days. Allan died in Murwillumbah in December 1963.

Photo of Allan Valentine Worthington