​So Many Wonderful Childhood Memories

 

My first home was Parramatta in what was called a "Soldier Settlement Home"...  simple timber houses with a tin roof which were cheap rentals for married  soldiers who had served in WW2. 

 

My earliest memory was the toilet out the back and my fear of visiting it at night. It was much easier to get to than Nanny Loomes' outside toilet which took a long twisting walk through what seemed like a forest to get to... in fact, Nanny only had a wonderful herb and flower garden  with cement footpaths winding their way around uplifted beds.

 

Although we moved from Coleman St to Concord before I started school I still have one more stark memory of an incident that was told many times with shouts of laughter during my childhood.  For some reason, my brother Doug,  who was just 11mths older than me, found some bright yellow house paint in the backyard and decided to paint the back fence. Because I was talking to  a kid through the back fence and wouldn't move, Doug painted the whole of  the back of my hair yellow. I understand mineral turps washing and then shaving my whole head was the only solution... very glad to say that it grew back and I wasn't scarred for life with bad memories... although I can remember a hatred of a brightly coloured  knitted beany!

 

After we moved to Concord, Doug and I started school at Mortlake Public School and walked three kilometers each way without any parents each day. In these days our family had no car and had grown to four kids and one on the way. I never knew what happened on one set day when I was in Mrs Rolf's 2nd class. My brother, Doug, proudly told stories later about this day. So here it is although  I must say I'm not sure how much was bravado and how much was truth. His third grade teacher told him to sit next to a girl and he didn't want to. This escalated to a verbal fight between the two, followed by the teacher chasing Doug as he jumped from desk to desk as all the classmates screamed. He was caught and dragged to the principal's office... but on the way, he escaped and started to walk home. The principal beat him home and he and  Mum took to the streets in his car looking for Doug. It doesn't surprise me that this is the only part of the story I was ever told. I can imagine the reaction my parents had! And the punishment! Wow!

 

What I do know is that both Doug and I were transferred to North Strathfield Public and that's where our other four brothers and sister started school.