Schmidts familietræ (www.sm1.dk)

Valdie was often away cane cutting but eventually built up a herd of cows which he then managed.

He had a small bird egg collection. It is thought that the beginnings of this collection came from his father Neils. He also owned an extensive shell collection which was displayed in cases at his Elizabeth St house at Urangan Hervey Bay Queenslan d AUSTRALIA. Source: Colin Christensen - recollections

After leaving school Valdie did general labouring and cane cutting in season, mostly in North Queensland.

On the 2nd of December 1922, he married Olga Alice Mildred Andersson, daughter of master mariner Alex Leander Andersson of Nikenbah. Valdie must have had a push bike to go courting 12 kilometres from home.

It was then that Valdie built a home facing Cypress Street, Urangan which ran along the northside of the farm property. Valdie and Ollie’s children were born at that home - Mervyn Valdemar Christensen, born 21 August 1923 and Colin Christens en, born 10 February1926. Source: Colin Christensen

It appears that Valdie was born on 5 Jul but father Niels did not register the birth until 12 Jul so Valdie's birthday was always celebrated on 12 July and Niels was quite happy to join in the celebrations on that date. Source: Colin Christensen

Niels and Julie had already introduced their youngest son to bird watching. So with space in the new home, Niels gave their collection to Valdie after Julie died. Valdie’s collecting increased as his sons became more adept as climbers. Th e dairy farm increased in size by incorporating some leasehold areas.

Urangan is a popular bayside area and at that time the population always increased during school holiday periods. The dairy supplied milk to customers up to the limit of supply which was increased by bringing in extra fodder such as cane tops an d minding the herd along the long paddocks.

At the farm Valdie had a saw bench run by an old engine pensioned off from the Maryborough electricity supplier. This allowed Valdie to also supply firewood to many customers.

As parents Valdie and Ollie always worked to ensure their sons had a reasonable education. Both received Public Service appointments in Brisbane after having attended High School in Maryborough. (Train to Maryborough from Urangan at 6.30 am afte r bringing in the cows to the milking yard, then home at 7.00 pm. Weekends were for farm work.).

Lack of assistance and later a shortage of petrol during the war years shows up on the egg catalogue. Valdie and Ollie occupied the Cypress Street house during the war period, milking up to 20 cows by hand without assistance.

After the war, Valdie acquired a small motor boat which he put to good use in Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay.

In 1946 the old home at Cypress Street and the farm land were sold, (Except for one parcel of 26 acres facing Elizabeth Street) when demand was high for englobo land close to the bayside. Valdie and Ollie had erected a large shed complete with sho wer room, toilet and laundry on the Elizabeth Street site. This served as temporary accommodation until they erected a new two storey home.

Valdie’s egg collection did not come to the temporary accommodation.

Timber logs for the new home had been cut from cypress pine ridges on the old farm and trucked to Pialba for milling.

Mervyn remembers helping load the trucks when on a short leave before taking up a new position after his discharge from the Army. Colin was not released from the Navy until August 1946 having lower demobilization points. Also as his place of emplo yment before joining had been extended with the advent of the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement Act and wishing to study architecture under Post-War Rehabilitation, he immediately took up the offer of a position in its architecture section.

Mervyn and Colin accepted the chance at Christmas 1947 to crew a yacht in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. They and the owner and various friends formed the "Brisbane All Boats Yacht Club" to nominate "Sea Tang" for the race. After that and the fo rmation of the "Queensland Cruising Yacht Club", Colin could not spare the time to visit Urangan until late 1953.

At that visit all discussions were about Valdie’s sea shell collection which already was an interesting display whereas the only thing going for the egg collection had been the knowledge gained in Ornithology. This visit was to the new hom e at Elizabeth Street.

Very few nests require high or dangerous climbing however Valdie did make a rope ladder mentioned on the data card for the White Bellied Sea Eagle where W. Reeves was the climber. It was also very useful when hoisted over a nearby branch allowin g sighting into a nest to watch when laying was complete. Colin certainly did not feel relaxed on the rope ladder. It resided in the rafters of the old shed in 1984.

In about the late 1930’s, Valdie exchanged eggs with a collector in New Guinea. There had ben no disputes between Colin and mervyn over eggs. The stamp collection was the only point of contention.

Valdie did not discuss his eggs collected after 1946 even though those shown as collected after that date were from locations frequented by him. The visit to Peel Island was not by choice. Other than the eggs collected by Mervyn at Macquarie Islan d and Mawson the whole collection was from the Hervey Bay area.

Ollie died at home at Elizabeth Street on 16 November 1984. Valdie had depended a lot on Ollie not only in recording data for his collections but in day to day needs. Mervyn and Colin took him in at Brisbane but he finally insisted he was capabl e of living alone at Urangan. This was not successful and the local doctor at Urangan arranged his admission to the nursing home at Point Vernon on 5 June 1985. On all visits by the brothers he wished to visit the Urangan home where a gardener ha d been retained to keep it in its show place condition. Valdie died on 11 August 1990. Valdie and Ollie are buried side by side at the Point Vernon Cemetery.

The Elizabeth Street property was sold on 1 June 1991.

The house had extensive gardens. Camelias, Hibiscus & Antherium grew along the right hand side of the driveway. Further to the right were the citrus and avocado trees. To the left were the mango trees and the `chook' run. It became a rental proper ty and was later destroyed in a fire. The site is now clean - no house or trees or shrubs. It adjoined a resort structure and hotel. What is the value of a match". Source: Colin christensen