Turner Family

G. P. (Geoffrey) Turner, who was Roz and Jennifer's grandfather, was an accountant in Wagga Wagga. With his wife Mary he bought Archdeacon 'Jolly' West's house at 155 Annetts Parade in the early 1940s. Later on they also purchased land that was released on Broulee Island, those blocks were all resumed before any developments began and the Island is now a nature reserve. The Clark family also bought land on the Island which was resumed.

Geoff and Mary had children Pauline, Lloyd, Peter and Beverley.
Lloyd with his wife Lyris bought the vacant No 157 next door to GP in 1950 and built a holiday home there for their family Ian, Jennifer, Geoff, Roz, and Libby. In 1980 the home was renovated and they retired there. In 2005 their daughters Jennifer and Roz, and Roz' husband Michael purchased the property from the estate, Roz and Michael previously owned No 45 Annetts Parade, fronting Candlagan Creek, from 1975 to 2004.Peter bought No 155 Annetts Parade from his father GP in the 1970s and that house is now owned by his children.

Beverly purchased No 173 Annetts Pde 'Flametrees' in the 1970s, it is now owned by her daughter Jodi. Beverley lived for many years at No 173, and was a strong contributor to the Mossy Point Progress/Community Association. She passed away c2014.
Michael, co-owner of No 157, had separate associations with Mossy Point from 1949 as his parents were friends with Jim and Hilda Roper, they had a holiday home at No 149 Annetts Parade, and with Nana and Dick Grey of Lindisfarne, No 151. He also spent many holidays at No 111 Annetts Parade on The Creek with family friends through the 1950s.

The Turner family's boatshed next to the current boat ramp on Tomaga River was gifted to the NSW Marine Rescue by Lloyd in the late 1990s as he felt that they needed a base in the area, the shed was sold or given back to Council by the Marine Rescue authority when it became surplus to their requirements. In 2003 their old jetty was returned to Council an is now the Public Jetty next to the boatramp.

In 1951 Mary lost her life in a boating tragedy off the mouth of The River, she was 58. Charlie Milwain, Bert Duckworth and Ed Clark (see the entries for Milwain and Duckworth in the A-Z page, and the page for Clark) rescued GP and tried to bring his wife Mary's body to shore from a rock between Cone Rock and Melville Point Tomakin. They carried out the rescue in rough seas, strong wind and driving rain using a seven foot (2.1m) dinghy, Milwain was a non-swimmer, he had an empty four gallon (18 litre) drum with him. The three were each awarded a Silver Medal by the Royal Shipwreck Relief & Humane Society of NSW for their great bravery. Others assisted once they knew what was going on, not the least being Ron and Rita Young.

It was many years later that Ed and Elaine Clark's son Ross married GP and Mary's granddaughter Jennifer Turner.

Some of the Turner family aboard the Mary J, probably in the 1970s

On 4 March 2017 The Mary J was re-launched in the Tomaga River after an extensive restoration. The cabin was beyond repair, but the rest of the craft is now "as new". Restoration was carried out by Graeme White in his boatshed in Rosedale with assistance from several other master craftsmen.

Graeme White working on the restoration of the Mary J.

4 March 2017 - The Mary J Proudly Cruises On The Tomaga River Again