In 1900, EJ left his teaching job in the lower Darling area, to move to Wentworth. He was presented with a large thick folder, covered in red leather with gilt impressed lettering (shown right).

Inside the folder is typeset gothic text with an elaborate hand painted border (see illustration far right).

The signatures at the bottom (see lower right) appear to be the owners of stations in the area, and, most likely, the fathers of children that EJ taught:

Tom Cullinan in a letter said that M. Cullinan was his paternal grandfather Michael.

About Conorgie, Tom said: To the best of my knowledge Mick Dharcy selected and lived at Conorgie (aboriginal) sold it to D. Barnes, they still own it.
Conorgie, it seems, is a government designated block of land (that may have once been a small station) on the Darling, between Lethero and Lelma (see map).

L. Barraclough (another signatory) was Tom’s maternal grandfather Luke. His mother Susanna Barraclough was first taught by E.J. at "Duffies Bend school near Lelma station (owned by the Lamberts) about the turn of the century... she was born in 1893". Duffies Bend is 80 km north of Wentworth on the Darling River, off the main road to Pooncarie, on the east side of the river.

According to Tom, Luke Barraclough senior took up Kapana 640 acres below Darling Hotel, now Lethero, in 1878. He died in 1884. Kapana was all flooded in 1890. Two rooms were put on dry pine logs and floated down to Wentworth. This is now part of Lelma. George Lambert married a Barraclough girl. The family is still there.

Almost 100 years after EJ left the district, his granddaughter (Des’s daughter), Meredyth, wife of Andrew Cunningham, sold Nindethana station, 80 km north of Wentworth, to Hayden Cullinan (and his wife, Fiona), yet another descendant of Michael Cullinan (signatory) .

A third signatory, C.E. Barritt, is probably Charles, the son of Joseph Barritt, who bought Moorara station in partnership with the Wrefords from the McLeods in the 1860s.

The year after receiving this award, EJ married Christina Wilkes and moved to Euston, where he taught for five years.