Cassandra Davenport describes her father George Bullard’s work at the Oakes Estate during the 40s, 50s and 60s.
The Machine Shop was a huge metal warehouse workspace, large enough to hold a small aeroplane. It was outfitted with tools and equipment needed to service the vehicles and tractors necessary to maintain and expand the Oakes Estate holdings. Apart from repairs, work was also carried out to design and make fancy gates out of wrought iron and even a small bridge was constructed on the Oakes Estate. Lengthy trenches were cut throughout the area George called “The Bushes”. These trenches were dug to collect water and dotted intermittently alongside them were Pump Houses which housed gasoline-run mechanical pumps which forced the water through pipes to a central Reservoir located in what is now called Sandyport, where it was treated and then pumped to The British Colonial Hotel, affording guests in the 1940s, 50s and until the mid 60s fresh and clean running water. Sometimes, these pumps would break down and George would receive a call late at night telling him that the water pressure was low at The British Colonial and so he had to make the trip, through the dark, bushy, unpaved and rocky roads to “The Bushes” to ascertain which Pump(s) had failed and then fix them with only the help of a searchlight, using his hands, not only to carry out repair work but to beat off the marauding mosquitoes. There was always the cacophony of frogs breaking the silence. Owls and other birds were plentiful. During the Season, George worked at night as a waiter at The Royal Victoria Hotel in order to subsidize his income to maintain his large family.
Once Government installed running water in the Western end of New Providence, there was no longer a need for The Machine Shop operation and even today, remnants of the trenches can be seen as one drives along the newly constructed highway that runs between JFK Drive and Saunders Beach. These trenches are also visible along sections of Ferguson Road in Perpall Tract. Perhaps many purchasers of lots in the Western end of the Island have found themselves faced with having to fill in parts of trenches which ran along their properties, not knowing why they were there.
I recently read about Sir Harry Oakes and how that his murder case is still unsolved.But to think that Mr.Bullard,whose house I walked by daily, was working for him.This is fascinating.Mr.Oakes is said to have owned 4000 acres of Bahamian land.