Thanks for still being on the case, solidrock, I really appreciate it. I already have the information that you posted about Dingley Dell and I can assure you that the card game story is indeed true. My mother wrote down the story of the card game that my Aunty Gladys (George’s granddaughter) told her and when my mum visited Dingley Dell years ago she told the Trust the story and that is where the so-called myth came from.
This is the story my mother wrote, which is from the notes I have: "Grandfather (Walter 1st, George’s son), said he (Adam Lindsay Gordon) was a worthless person, wanted money the easy way and was cruel to horses. He shot himself at 37 years of age because he was at the end of the line, and left a poor young wife who had lost her child, to find him and then fend for herself. It states in the booklet (about Adam Lindsay Gordon and mentioned at the beginning of the note) that he bought the home (Dingley Dell) from George Randall - not so. George Randall sailed his father's boat out from England, and sold it and the cargo (whether he should have or not!!) and must have kept it (whether he should have or not). Anyhow, I don't know how soon ( because he was a worker at one stage) he bought the land of Dingley Dell, records prove this and he had the home built, other records show the price he paid too. Now the family story goes, and much bitterment with it that George was drinking at the local inn, Mt Gambier, and Gordon approached him and suggested a card game. George replied that he was drinking - Gordon replied, "Just a friendly game".
Anyhow, next morning Gordon was on the steps of Dingley Dell with two witnesses to say that he had won the property in the card game the night before so he (George) lost his home and farm and became a hotelier at Mt Gambier. Dingley Dell was named after some property in England.
Years ago the Trust caring for Dingley Dell said they had all the figures covering the purchase of the land by George Randall and the building of the home, but no figures pertaining to the sale of the property to Adam Lindsay Gordon or the handover of the deeds, which would have normally gone through the local government office”. End of story from Mum’s notes.
Did you know that Adam Lindsay Gordon was a remittance man?
