GAMBLE SINGH PARK VICTORIA

Places in Australia With Names of Indian Origin

Gamble Singh with his horse and wagon. He was sitting on the footrest and would not drive the wagon from that position as it was too dangerous to sit there if the horse was pulling the wagon.

© Len Kenna & Crystal Jordan 11 September 2021

Gamble Singh (aka Gambil/Gambol/Jamble), was an Indian Hawker from the Punjab who lived and worked in the Albury and Wodonga District hawking with a wagon drawn by two horses. Gamble followed the Sikh Religion and as is the custom of Sikhs he supported charities with regular donations of money to several charitable organisations some of which were: the Beechworth Women’s Patriotic League that sent parcels to Australian Soldiers during World War One, the Newtown Orphanage and the T. B. War Fund during World War Two.

He was an ardent horse lover and well-known horse owner and breeder and won prizes for his horses at Agricultural Shows held in the local and neighbouring districts.  He won many awards for his horses for example: the Best Dray Gelding Award at the Albury Show in 1936, Corryong Show 1937 & Rutherglen Show 1938.[1]  In January 1941 he sold two horses he had been working in his wagon to a Sydney buyer for £100 ($200). He sold the horse through Dalgety and Co. Both horses were bay in colour, one was a 4 year old mare and the other was a 6 year old gelding, they both had a large white star on their heads. They were sired by Widgiewa Ivo, a draught horse owned by Mr. Edgar Francis McKoy, and were kept at “Bandiana Park,” before Gamble purchased them and put them to work pulling his wagon.[2]

Gamble was confident in taking people to court for example William Clayton who stole trousers and socks from him in 1934 and Jack Hynes who owed him money.[3] He associated with other Indian Hawkers in the district Polah Singh (Bhola/Pala/ Phula)who was killed by his horse at Corryong.  Gamble regularly camped under two large trees on the property of Mr. McKoy in Wodonga.[4] He is believed to be the last Hawker in the District and Gamble Singh Park, at Wodonga, was named in his honour. In 1950 Gamble returned to Bombay, India but sadly died soon after his arrival in July.