I have been writing thankyou cards to people and can see how differently I sign my name depending on the recipient. I respond to many names , mostly without any hesitiation. I'm sure when my parents named me Hilary Joan they did not anticipate any confusion arising in the future but Alan was unwittingly ( perhaps with some help from my father) behind the fact that that has happened.
Mum wanted me known as Hilary Joan ...the whole double-barrel but as Alan was still only a toddler I became None and somehow my name within the family became Joan. All his life my father called me None and even wrote to me that way. Outside the family I was always Hilary.
All this came to mind when at my birthday luncheon my brother-in-law -when speaking -referred to me as Joan and I saw a few facial queries around the room. As the Darmody family had met me in a family situation they knew me only as Joan and always call me that. Last year one of Bill's nephews asked him why I had "changed" my name so I can see it is time I explained why I am known by two names.
For all the years before marriage I responded without thought to either name though I repeat that Joan was used only within the family and elsewhere I was always Hilary. Once I left Brisbane ,and apart from my immediate family ,I have always been known as Hilary. As my mother grew older she wrote to me as <Dear Hilary> which later became <Hilary Dear> and gradually both Alan and Lois have come to call me Hilary so I now dont think of myself as Joan. Though I still respond to it easily in a Darmody situation, it does not come easily to me to write it or sign myself that way, so if you receive a letter etc from me it may be signed Hilary, Hilary Joan, HJoan or HilaryJ...
I'm sorry if it is confusing to others but I know who I am! and Bill has become quite accustomed to calling me by either name depending on to whom he is speaking!
In a nutshell, if you are a Darmody relation you are welcome to call me Joan but to everyone else I am Hilary.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Monday, 25 July 2011
School days revisited
Most of my childhood memories are from my time living at Annerley and attending Yeronga State School. I cant be sure which are from the time before we went to Amiens from early 1942 and which are after our return in mid-1943 so I'll just mention them as they come to mind.
I mentioned slates in an early post. Recently I visited Jondaryan Woolshed complex near Toowoomba . This is an open-air Museum around the original woolshed and depicts many aspects of early rural life. Included among the buildings is a small one-room school. Although this related to times earlier than my schooldays there were some familiar features, including the slates and desks.
I remember sitting at desks such as these...with slots for the slates and ink wells for the older children. I also remember a blackboard on an easel . The chart on the wall brings back memories of chanting " a like an apple, a says..."
Each long desk had a long bench as a seat.
In early 1942 we caught the train to go to live in Amiens...the next chapter in my life story.
I mentioned slates in an early post. Recently I visited Jondaryan Woolshed complex near Toowoomba . This is an open-air Museum around the original woolshed and depicts many aspects of early rural life. Included among the buildings is a small one-room school. Although this related to times earlier than my schooldays there were some familiar features, including the slates and desks.
Each long desk had a long bench as a seat.
At some stage we moved up to double desks such as this...
I'm not sure if the ones I used were exactly like this as I seem to remember having a hinged seat which lifted back as I stood...and woebetide anyone who let their seat fall down making a loud noise!
I cant remember ever sitting at a single desk . I may have done so in senior school though even there I think the desks were arranged in pairs i.e.side by side.
Again as mentioned earlier, school did not have an ablutions block, washroom or such as is normal today. I well remember using a trough like this near the outside toilet block and a similar though longer one under the school building.
It makes me feel quite "ancient" when I see things in a "museum" which I remember using! In another building at the complex is an early dental chair which most certainly is familiar and brings to mind an occasion when I "missed" a dental appointment.
The dentist we attended was between the school and home and I was supposed to attend my appointment there one day on the way home from school. Somehow I "forgot" and went home in a different direction. Naturally Mum was not deceived and promptly rang and made another appointment to which she would personally take me. I had to have an extraction and the nurse came into the surgery and said "Your mother wants to know do you want her to come to be with you." Little Miss said "No! I'm not a baby!"
This is the only occasion in my life I can remember having a parent with me at the dentist.
It was quite common for children to be independent as few families had cars to take children anywhere.
One school holiday, one of the other State schools held a holiday program and I asked if I could go. The answer was as long as I could get there and back on my own. I think I had to take two trams; I remember enjoying tennis lessons. I wish I could remember where my interest in tennis had come from, whether I had my own or a school racquet. There were other activities but I enjoyed the tennis most.
When I was having private lessons in prepartions for the dancing exams, I was allowed to leave school a few minutes early on the particular afternoon. I would walk to the tram and then take it into the city. I did not know the name of the street where I had to get off but knew it was just past the main Post Office and there were green railing outside the building at the tram stop. One afternoon I must have been daydreaming as I realised that nothing was looking familiar. I could do nothing but stay on the tram which I assumed would go to the terminus and then return. I would have had only enough money for my fare to town and back so I must have been a bit upset when the conductor came looking for fares on the return...or maybe he queried why I was still on the tram...I cant remember that part but I do remember some woman giving me sixpence for my fare. The fare was only a penny which the conductor then didn't take so I ended up with the sixpence. I managed to recognise my stop in the city and the amazing part was that I was still in time for my lesson!!! That is a secret which only Alan knows but has probably forgotten. He used to be sent to meet me at the tram stop as it would be starting to get dark by the time I arrived back. We spent the sixpence on hot chips at a shop near the tram stop and that's another secret we had to share!
I remember the day after it was announced that Australia was at war...though I had no concept of the full import . I heard Mum talking to Mrs Minogue between the two houses. Neither was a person to chat over the fence so I realised that something very important had happened. When Dad and a friend started digging our air-raid shelter where the vegetable garden used to be it was obvious that something worrying was happening.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Holidays
I have been sitting reading by a sunny window in the sunroom. It is a beautiful day outside though still very cold in other parts of the house. I will be happy when this winter is finished as it is much colder than we have had for about five years...when I was 5 years younger! The slightly warmer sunny day has turned my thoughts towards our annual holiday at the beach.
Beach holidays have always been part of my life and I was fortunate to have parents who were able to give me those holidays and share with me their enjoyment of the surf and beach.
My mother grew up in Southport and lived there until 1930 and our early family holidays seem to have been spent in that area now known as the Gold Coast. I remember one time in a guest house at Burleigh Heads in later years but mainly those later holidays were at Maroochydore or Caloundra and those northern beaches are still my favourites.
Beach holidays have always been part of my life and I was fortunate to have parents who were able to give me those holidays and share with me their enjoyment of the surf and beach.
My mother grew up in Southport and lived there until 1930 and our early family holidays seem to have been spent in that area now known as the Gold Coast. I remember one time in a guest house at Burleigh Heads in later years but mainly those later holidays were at Maroochydore or Caloundra and those northern beaches are still my favourites.
 |
Beach belle 30's style!      
On the Maroochy river
   Oh yes, I am looking forward to that sun, surf and sand again! |
Looking back - looking forward
It has been a few weeks since my last post. Instead of looking back to earlier memories, I have been creating new ones. I had a wonderful week with all my family here to celebrate my 80th birthday. Family, you did me proud and I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did. I appreciated the way you all played your part and made it such a great experience.
The week following the luncheon was rather full-on and that unfortunately was followed by a week with a bad head cold from which I am only now starting to recover.
It is other people's perception of one that makes you realise that you must be now "officially" old! Odd little remarks or actions e.g. I was recently returning my shopping trolley to the bay when a younger woman walking hers back stopped and offered to take mine. I remembered when I used to do this for older people!
Before I get back to the recording of my childhood years I am now going to add a few historical facts to give more of the background to the times in which I grew up.
As mentioned earlier , my brother Alan was born in 1929 and I in 1931.
In 1929Australia's first airmail stamp was issued.
In 1929 in Melbourne Hoyts converted 20 suburban theatres from "silent" to "talkies."
In August 1929 audiences enjoyed the first Australian-made talking picture - a newsreel made by Fox Movietone.
That must seem incredible to the younger family members who have so much technology literally in their hands today.
In 1930 Brisbane City Hall was opened; the first wireless telephone service with England began; and the First Empire (now Commonwealth) Games were held (in Canada where Australia won 3 gold medals.)
At the same time, unemployment was extreme and there was much poverty; public soup kitchens were set up in many areas; many families lost their homes and squatters took over empty houses; others lived in make-shift humpies in public places such as Sydney's domain as they couldn't afford rent.
In 1931 QANTAS carried airmail from Brisbane to Darwin as part of an experimental service to the UK.
In 1931 the two ends of the Sydney Harbour Bridge joined in the midddle ; the bridge was opened in 1932.
In Oct 1931 the Chinese People's Republic was declared
Escalators appeared in some of the larger department stores; the first electric shaver went on sale; the British House of Commons agreed to the playing of sport on Sundays; and in preparation for the Olympics of 1932, the Olympic committee agreed to women athletes participation in track and field events; the first showing was held of a Donald Duck cartoon.
In 1932 the Australian Broadcasting Co.Ltd. was formed( later the Govt ABC)
In 1932 the jingle for Aeroplane Jelly was very popular.
In 1934 Bert Hinkler set off from London to fly to Australia but crashed in Italy and was killed; the first traffic lights were installed in Sydney; the Australian Womens Weekly was launched; there were the now famous bodyline cricket protests;
By 1934, ominous signs were appearing of the threat of war in Europe and Japan was making inroads into China and parts of Asia.
An anti-war congress was held in Melbourne
In August 1935, there was a large anti-war demonstration in Melbourne.
also in 1935, the cane toad was introduced to Queensland to control the beetle damaging sugar cane crops.
In 1936 George V died. In Dec. Edward VIII abdicated and Prince Albert became King George VI in 1937
In 1937 the first regular airmail services between Australia and America began.
This year also saw a polio epidemic in Australia and New Zealand; particularly in Victoria. Police were stationed at the NSW-Vic border ; any children under 16 years needed a health certificate stating " no contact with the virus for 21 days " before they could cross the border.
In 1937 the golden Gate Bridge in San Franciso was opened;
In 1938 Air passenger links with England were becoming more regular.
With the increasing threat of war, Canberra announced the creation of a new Defence dept; many refugees from Europe were arriving in Australia; troops were being trained and tenders called for army uniforms; censorship came into force for communications between Australia and overseas.
In Sept 1939 Australia, following England, declared war on Germany.
As mentioned in an earlier post, this was the year we moved to Annerley.
For me as a child life went on as normal and reading articles from the time it is interesting to see that despite all the anxiety etc all the usual Aussie sporting fixtures still took place!
A small item I came across during my research tells that The Ready Mix company of Sydney was "the first company in the world to truck pre-made concrete to construction sites" around this time ,so building and construction was still happening.
In 1940 A call-up ( to the forces) was issued for all single men up to the age of 33 years.
In 1941 single men to the age of 45 and married men to the age of 35 were called up. At first only married men without children were called up but as the war went on this was extended to a wider section of the population
Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour and in Malaya and Singapore, Australia declared war on Japan.
This is a brief background to the times I have covered in earlier posts.
I will continue with more personal reminiscences next time.
 |
| Hilary at the luncheon to celebrate her 80th birthday |
The week following the luncheon was rather full-on and that unfortunately was followed by a week with a bad head cold from which I am only now starting to recover.
It is other people's perception of one that makes you realise that you must be now "officially" old! Odd little remarks or actions e.g. I was recently returning my shopping trolley to the bay when a younger woman walking hers back stopped and offered to take mine. I remembered when I used to do this for older people!
Before I get back to the recording of my childhood years I am now going to add a few historical facts to give more of the background to the times in which I grew up.
As mentioned earlier , my brother Alan was born in 1929 and I in 1931.
In 1929Australia's first airmail stamp was issued.
In 1929 in Melbourne Hoyts converted 20 suburban theatres from "silent" to "talkies."
In August 1929 audiences enjoyed the first Australian-made talking picture - a newsreel made by Fox Movietone.
That must seem incredible to the younger family members who have so much technology literally in their hands today.
In 1930 Brisbane City Hall was opened; the first wireless telephone service with England began; and the First Empire (now Commonwealth) Games were held (in Canada where Australia won 3 gold medals.)
At the same time, unemployment was extreme and there was much poverty; public soup kitchens were set up in many areas; many families lost their homes and squatters took over empty houses; others lived in make-shift humpies in public places such as Sydney's domain as they couldn't afford rent.
In 1931 QANTAS carried airmail from Brisbane to Darwin as part of an experimental service to the UK.
In 1931 the two ends of the Sydney Harbour Bridge joined in the midddle ; the bridge was opened in 1932.
In Oct 1931 the Chinese People's Republic was declared
Escalators appeared in some of the larger department stores; the first electric shaver went on sale; the British House of Commons agreed to the playing of sport on Sundays; and in preparation for the Olympics of 1932, the Olympic committee agreed to women athletes participation in track and field events; the first showing was held of a Donald Duck cartoon.
In 1932 the Australian Broadcasting Co.Ltd. was formed( later the Govt ABC)
In 1932 the jingle for Aeroplane Jelly was very popular.
In 1934 Bert Hinkler set off from London to fly to Australia but crashed in Italy and was killed; the first traffic lights were installed in Sydney; the Australian Womens Weekly was launched; there were the now famous bodyline cricket protests;
By 1934, ominous signs were appearing of the threat of war in Europe and Japan was making inroads into China and parts of Asia.
An anti-war congress was held in Melbourne
In August 1935, there was a large anti-war demonstration in Melbourne.
also in 1935, the cane toad was introduced to Queensland to control the beetle damaging sugar cane crops.
In 1936 George V died. In Dec. Edward VIII abdicated and Prince Albert became King George VI in 1937
In 1937 the first regular airmail services between Australia and America began.
This year also saw a polio epidemic in Australia and New Zealand; particularly in Victoria. Police were stationed at the NSW-Vic border ; any children under 16 years needed a health certificate stating " no contact with the virus for 21 days " before they could cross the border.
In 1937 the golden Gate Bridge in San Franciso was opened;
In 1938 Air passenger links with England were becoming more regular.
With the increasing threat of war, Canberra announced the creation of a new Defence dept; many refugees from Europe were arriving in Australia; troops were being trained and tenders called for army uniforms; censorship came into force for communications between Australia and overseas.
In Sept 1939 Australia, following England, declared war on Germany.
As mentioned in an earlier post, this was the year we moved to Annerley.
For me as a child life went on as normal and reading articles from the time it is interesting to see that despite all the anxiety etc all the usual Aussie sporting fixtures still took place!
A small item I came across during my research tells that The Ready Mix company of Sydney was "the first company in the world to truck pre-made concrete to construction sites" around this time ,so building and construction was still happening.
In 1940 A call-up ( to the forces) was issued for all single men up to the age of 33 years.
In 1941 single men to the age of 45 and married men to the age of 35 were called up. At first only married men without children were called up but as the war went on this was extended to a wider section of the population
Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour and in Malaya and Singapore, Australia declared war on Japan.
This is a brief background to the times I have covered in earlier posts.
I will continue with more personal reminiscences next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)