I am Irwin Stanley Johnson
Born 5-12-1924
Father Harry Elmar Johnson
Mother Lily Johnson (nee Newman)
Home address Pine Haven Farm, Maudsley Hill, Gracemere via Rockhampton
Family members Beryl, Herb, Ken, Ellen, Reg, Iris, Irwin, Frank.
I don’t remember much about my pre-school years except pineapples. I went
to town with Dad to hold Dobbin while Dad sold pines and other produce. One
thing I can’t recall is ever sitting on Mum or Dads knee, or getting a hug. Schooling was at Gracemere State School. I started in 1931 and if I
remember correctly I finished mid 1938. Going to school during the great
depression was no fun, no shoes, very few children wore shoes about 100
pupils when I went to school. I managed to learn to read and write. I learnt tables, 12 times tables, we
had to, 12 pence = 1 shilling, 12 inches = 1 foot. Teachers, Mrs Green
(Green ant) Grade 1, Mr Crimmin Grade 4, Mr Douglas Head Master, there were
others but I can’t remember them. Games, Cross the road, Bedlam, Rounders, Marbles and Buttons. Many a boy
went home with buttons missing off his fly. Mum didn’t mind if you brought
home a pocket full, but she hated to part with any if you lost. Seeing she
made all our clothes and trousers were held up with Bracers fastened to
buttons and she needed plenty as she had 5 boys. Being a farming community there was always Garden and Calf Clubs and in
later years Pineapple Plots. I remember Fred Schirmer told me when I left
he won the prize, he said my pines were by far the best and they wished I’d
been there to tell them why. I can’t let the school years go by without saying how tough those years
were food wise, many a time we went to school with mashed potato and pumpkin
for lunches, sometimes a small pineapple when in season. In those years pineapples bore fruit in summer and winter and you never saw
one out of season. These days they gas them so they flower when needed. I also remember sore feet, toe nails kicked off on stones, as there was no
bitumen roads in the area till after the war. We also got prickly pear
thorns, we always had a limp, we used to let them fester, then squeeze and
out they would pop. I can’t remember when I started driving the horse and cart, I think about
13. I learnt the push bike about the same time, also riding the horse. I
remember Dad sitting me on the cart horse to take her to the creek for a
drink a few years before then. Cart mare Biddy had ideas of her own and
went into the middle of the creek to drink. Lucky she didn’t want a swim or
I wouldn’t be here now. I learnt to ride better when Dad bought a lighter mare Ruby. I even rode
her to school the last year now and then. I don’t think I was a good boy, as I remember a lot of beltings. If
anything went wrong it was always Irwin done it. Nearly changed my name to
Irwin Dunnit. Going back to those hard times, we used to go to Uncle Arthur’s Dairy and get a syrup billy of separated milk to help with Sago, Tapioca and Rice
puddings. Mum made lots of jams those days to sell to customers in Rockhampton. Ken
was doing a regular run 3 days a week, well it was 2 days a week with the
horse. I went with him on Saturdays we had a few scares with the steam
trams, the horse backed into a moving tram once. Just after this Dad bought
the first T model Ford and when Ken got his licence the horse wasn’t used
for town any more. About this time Dad took to work 5 acres on Uncle Charlie’s Kabra property.
Reg being the main worker, I joined him when I quit school. Dad made a
small cart with front buggy wheels for me to bring in produce. There was 1
acre of rough leaf pines and we grew corn, tomatoes, melons and sweet spuds.
Later we started a garden on the creek bank, irrigated from a well Reg and
I dug. It was there that I had the misfortune to put the garden fork tine
through Reg’s foot. We were digging sweet spuds and Reg said dig here, he
put his foot down just as I dug. Then he said “Well don’t just look, pull
it out again”. He then rode the bike 7 miles home to get it dressed. He
never ever had any serious trouble with it. I was 14 when I broke in a pony, mouthed her, cracked the whip all round
her so she would be used to it. I rode her round the yard a few times, but
when I got outside she soon got rid of me and took off. I later got a
drover I knew to ride her for me and did she buck, he said “The best ride
I’ve had in a while”. She never bucked again and was a good quite pony, The paddock was 640 acres and Reg and I walked and ran all over it at times
getting a horse. Saw many a brown snake and had some close calls. We had a
kelpie cross dog Tiger and he killed many a snake, but one day he wasn’t
keen and when I saw it I didn’t blame him it was as thick as my arm and
about 10 foot long. I think a python. Another good laugh was clearing prickly pear. We had horse and cart,
mattock and hay forks, we used the forks to throw the pears on the cart, one
missed and landed on the horse. We found him later upside down in a gully
and had to cut the girth to get him up. He was upside down! The shop in Gracemere was owned by Mrs Williams and she used to get me to
weed her garden at times she paid me well, I think she knew we never had a
penny. I used to spend it on dates or chocolates, aniseed balls and so on. I also helped cousin Arthur to dig his first well on his place. It was about this time I decided I’d had enough of this lonely life and
decided to leave home such as it was. I stayed with Schirmers and Griffins
milking cows and feeding pigs, weekends we used to ride horses up in the
mountain near Stanwell shooting roos and whiptails and edible birds. Harry
Schirmer also had a gold mine behind Kabra 80 feet deep. Fred and I used to
wind him down and up on the windlass, it was here I got to know a bit about
gelignite. He used to drill a hole in the rock and set a charge. We wound
him up about 40 feet until the charge went off and then let him down again.
He also had a three stamp mill to pound the Quartz with and get the gold
out. He used to even smelt it and make little bars to sell. It was about this time John Hickman got me a job on a dairy farm at
Thompkin’s. I had to kill my first calf and boil it for the pigs, he came
down and I was skinning it and it was still kicking, he said “Boy you're
supposed to kill it first”. I only stayed there for a few weeks, he said I
wasn’t a good enough milker. I went to Griffins and milked cows, pulled stumps and so on and got a job
on a dairy going round in a cart with water and nose bags and a bucket. All
his cows was in hammocks under trees as there was a drought. I had to give
them a drink then a nose bag then milk what they had, it took most of the
day. Heart breaking, I had to quit., only got 2 shillings a week. Got a job at Browns farm milking twice a day, farming in between. Hay,
melons, pumpkins, it was hard work but I got 15 shillings a week. When they
were irrigating I used to go in the horse and dray, crosscut saw, axe,
hammer and wedges and cut a load of wood for the steam boiler. They used a
steam engine to pump water into a ditch and flood the crops. I stayed at
this job till 17 and Bill said “Reg has gone to war, Ken has gone to war you
had better go home and help.” Well I tried but never got paid, I got my drivers licence in the T Ford and
did the hawking for a while. Herb had been in the army at Yeppoon but his
health was no good so he came home. Bill Brown got me a job with a Chinese Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaler and I
learned to pack fruit and ripen bananas and did deliveries to Chinese shops
around Rocky. Good Boss, Good Pay. Chev 4 ton truck. When I turned 18 I got called up for service. Turned 18 in the December
1942 and in the army January 1943. The 21st if I remember right marched
from Rockhampton Drill Hall to Stanley Street Rail Station on the train for
the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds. First time south of Rockhampton, had only
been west to Westwood. Fitted out with army kit first pair of boots I ever wore. In Brisbane
until March, then headed to Sydney Showgrounds. Saw the first rabbit just
over the border. This trip was a real eye opener to a country bumpkin.
About a week in Sydney then on to Kapooka just south of Wagga Wagga. Had
smallpox vaccination and Typhoid needle collapsed on parade next morning,
then put in field hospital for a few days, then back to No 3 Battalion for 6
months training as field engineer. Learnt all about explosives, bridge
building and demolition, of course marching and unarmed combat and shooting.
Couldn’t hit the target, complained about the rifle, the Sergeant got me
another one and I hit the bullseye. He wrote U.S. on the rifle after
testing it himself. After this training we moved to Wagga on the bank of the Murrimbigee River
for pontoon bridge training. On guard duty one night and collapsed, ended up in Kapooka field hospital
with appendix trouble. Transferred to the Air Force Hospital near Wagga.
Operation next day, they couldn’t wait for Dad’s permission, but it did
arrive later. Two weeks in hospital then off to Liverpool Sydney to
recuperate, for about a month. Then back to Wagga to do my training on light duties, no lifting. Finally
finished my training. Sergeant wanted me to stay to train others on wood
working adze and broad axe, he didn’t know how but officers said he’s needed
elsewhere. Moved back to Kapooka awaiting transfer to unit. Ended up in a field unit
near Raymond Terrace, just north of Newcastle, near the William River. We
had pontoon bridges in case one was needed over the river. The only
crossing was a ferry on a cable. I was with this unit for about 6 months, spent time off in Newcastle. It
was here I went to my first dance, the country people were very good to us.
Nearly all married women, young girls old enough to work were either in to
the forces or in the land army. The cook in the officers mess was after an assistant so I took it on and
learnt to cook. In 1944 the unit was disbanded. We ended up in Liverpool,
it was here I met up with the demon drink. I went on leave for Easter got
drunk in Newcastle and I was AWL. MP’S found me in Sydney and sent me back
to Kapooka. I was tried by my old officer and he just gave me camp
detention. I acted as company runner for 1 Battalion for months, then went as cook on
a wood cutting camp out near Tumbarunba. It was here I nearly lost the end
of my little finger, helping to load logs on a semi-trailer, ice all over
them. I didn’t even know it happened until someone saw the blood. I had to
walk 5 miles to camp and get my things ready to go to Kapooka on the semi on
top of the load for hours. After this healed I headed north to Townsville Oonoonba Camp. From there
out to Selheim Camp near Charters Towers for advanced jungle training.
Charters Towers was a goat town if you stood still they’d start eating your
clothes. We got a free meal in a Cafe one night a mate said he was reared
on goats milk and told the waitress the milk was goats milk and that was
illegal, the owner said “You eat for free if you no tell”. He was Greek. We had a shooting competition and I was winning until I realised they
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wanted snipers, funny but I couldn’t shoot after that, had eye trouble.
When the training finished back to Oonoonba and home for Xmas, final leave. January 1945 saw me on a boat for New Guinea 1st. Aust Field Company Royal
Aust Engineers. We were allotted tasks on board and I was to help in the
bake house making bread but 2 hours out I become sea sick and had 3 days in
bed. On the way up the boat called in at Lae and we were allotted ashore, we
went for a walk to visit the war cemetery and I found Mrs Brown’s brothers
grave. On the way back we went via a camp and I saw its name and said to my mates
“My brother Ken is here this is his unit”, so we called in. Back on board and more seafaring on the way north and ended up in Aitape.
I wasn’t there long before I had Malaria and a stay in hospital and I had
taken precautions. Did a bit of hut building and road making before we had
a landing barge over night trip down to Weewak. We settled in to our camp for a few days and then were on trucks and taken
west into the mountain as far as the road went. Then it was walk with all
gear including an axe, for 6 hours less half an hour for a meal. Then pitch
our tents, some New Guinea natives carried cook house supplies. Just got
set before dark. Just on daylight next morning the shelling started from about 15 miles
back, aimed at the next ridge, the shells were clipping twigs off the trees
above our camp, but we were more interested on the next ridge. Next thing
we were warned we were under siege. Australian Infantry had us surrounded
ready for attack, it took some smart work by our look out to convince them
we were Aussie Engineers. It turned out our officer overstepped his mark and we were half a mile
ahead of the Infantry front. We had to back pedal 1 mile to find our work
which was cutting trees and laying log tracks for the Jeep Ambulance to
reach the wounded, it was very boggy. We were still there when the war
ended It was then pack up and walk back to the road and our trucks. After a few weeks the unit went home, the ones who hadn’t been up there
long, were transferred to another unit at Rabaul in New Guinea. I was
promoted to Corporal on transfer but I declined on arrival. They wanted me
to go to Japan with the occupation force but I again refused. So I spent my time at various jobs guarding prisoners, Tech store man
looking after all the tools and then truck driving until I came home in June
1946. Landed in Sydney cold as a frog, then put on a train for Brisbane and
they gave us an overcoat. Back in Brisbane I applied for leave to deepen the well at home as there
was a drought on, I was home a couple of months when I received word to
report back to Brisbane for discharge and was out about 16-9-1946. Jobs were scarce so I tried to upgrade the farm. I went to a horse sale at
the Rockhampton Show Grounds and bought a draught horse with one eye and an
unbroken young horse and an unbroken pony. I broke in the young draught
horse and he was a good worker. I only rode the pony twice and sold it. I
ploughed all the flat in front of the house and behind the shed and planted
crops. Tomatoes were hardly worth picking but sold a few on the hawking
run. Herb and I helped Dad re-stump a house in Archer Street for a Mrs Brisbin,
the only pay I had since leaving the army. I answered an add for truck drivers in Rockhampton and got a start with 4
others. We were put in the quarry spalling rock for crushing, some truck
driving eh. I didn’t go back. Money was getting scarce so I couldn’t go
out much, oh I had a Royal Enfield motor bike 250.C.C. Girls, most my age were yank left overs, so I wasn’t interested, did take a
few dancing but that was enough. Helped restart up the Gracemere Tennis Club, ploughed up the old court with
the help of my young horse and the mouldboard plough. I bought a T Model Ford 1 Ton Truck from Uncle Charlie. Cut and carted
fire wood but that was limited.
November 1947 John Hickman heard of a job going in the Bracewell Cheese
Factory (Port Curtis Dairy). I rang up and was told to come on down, I
started washing milk cans and milk vats, stirring curd and scrubbing floors.
Work was long hours and no overtime. I was batching with a couple of
other workers and it was great to have a quid again. I went to a dance at the Bracewell Hall and a cute auburn haired girl took
my eye and she danced fairly well too. The next outing was a joint 21st
birthday party in February 1948. Les Zeimer and Ila Carmichael. I had met
the three Carmichael girls as I had bought butter from their mother. Anyhow
this charming girl was there too, so more dancing. I was working with
Clarrie Austin, he was the Cheese Maker. He told me she was his cousin and
her Dad was Sooo big. Six foot two inches and twenty stone, even that
didn’t put me off. We used to see each other at the pictures and dances and
she seemed keen too. But the milk production dropped and I was paid off. I didn’t want to leave
the district so I took a job with Charlie Greenwood on his farm. I drove
his truck carting house blocks and tank posts from Boon’s Forestry Lease at
Cedar Vale. I helped Charlie pull down an old house to add to the one we
lived in. It turned out it was Connies Great grand parents house and
property. Years earlier her Great grandfather had a Cordial Factory on the
flat near the well. I used to help with the milking and his young son John enjoyed Country and
Western so we sang as we milked. I had some records and they had a
Gramophone. Johnny grew up and went on to record country and still sings
it. Anyhow the work went on, when Charlie wasn’t busy I hoed peanuts for
Salaomies and then pulled peanuts for Stan Murray. It was about this time I
got back in the Cheese Factory, also I had a Malaria attack and spent some
time at Lucke’s in Harry’s bed as he was away. Connie and I married on 18-8-1948 and lived in an old house on Nothlings
property, I also helped him plough with his Farmall and drag plough. It was
there Connie went to Rockhampton Hospital and a son was born premature, he
died next day and was buried in the North Rockhampton Cemetery. It was at this time that Clarrie Austin left the factory and went to the
Forestry at Many Peaks. It was then we moved into the Factory House Clarrie
had lived in. Des O’Dowd was Cheese Maker then for a while and then he took
over his Dad’s farm and I was Cheese Maker unqualified but capable enough.
I also relieved the engineer when he had holidays and days off, again
capable but unqualified. I tried to study for my steam ticket but algebra
beat me as it did at school so I never got my ticket. After George
Armstrong gave up carting milk to the factory, P.C.D. sent up a Chev 4 ton
truck and I drove that for months and made the cheese as well. Work at the
Factory went on for about five years. I suppose I should talk about my introduction to salmon fishing at the
Narrows. Stan Wylie worked at the factory he was courting Rae Austin at the
time. He told me he knew of a good boat at Maryborough which was his home
town. We did a bit of talking and in the end Harry Lucke, Len Austin, Stan
Wylie and myself bought the boat in shares and had it railed to Mt Larcom.
It was a 16 foot flat bottom pine boat with two sets of Rollock chocks.
Well that started the fishing that saw many a haul of salmon, King, Tailor
and Grunter came our way. In a winter sometimes you could fill a sack bag with salmon in an hour.
Of course because of the size of the boat, we had to leave it at the
landing. It wasn’t long and everyone used it, we had to book our own boat.
The local police men all used it sometimes with us. I recall Stan and Len
and I going one time in an unregistered Dodge utility and when we pulled up
in Mt Larcom for bread and butter a big Sergeant came along and said “I’m
Harry White relieving cop, can I come with you”, what could we say. We had
a good time, he wouldn’t even throw the tiddlers back. One time Sergeant George Tanzer rang up and asked could he use our boat,
again what could we say but when he got there no boat. It was never seen
again. George searched from Gladstone to Rockhampton without results. That
was about the time trawlers started using the Narrows. Anyhow enough of
fishing. I worked at the factory and was the last one paid off when it closed in
1954 I think. I stayed in the house and took on any work I could get. I
could still get carpentering and put up a couple of sheds. Even worked at
Mt Alma Station for Neil Galletly, dipping, yard building, fencing and so
on. Then we took on share farming with Laurie Kirwin for a year, Then moved to
Armstrongs old house. From there we went to Ben Nichols at Hut Creek farm and finally to Lucke
Bros No 2 Dairy at Cedar Vale for 19 years. Some of the hardest years of
our lives, until we got on the milk to Rockhampton run. That was the first
time dairying paid us for our labour. We had to buy grain and hay to feed
the cows and they milked well. We also had pigs and I used to kill and
butcher one now and then, also calves. It was a busy time for all, but most of all on Connie, as the family kept
growing. The older ones got used to Army stew while their mum was away. I bought an unbroken filly from Ron Austin and a colt from Clarry Austin.
The filly broke in easy and turned into a good horse, the colt was a
different story. After gelding him I couldn’t do much with him, he used to
throw himself down when I handled him, so he was never ridden. I swapped him to Don Taylor for a young Bay filly still growing. I broke
her in young and she was alright while in work, but after a spell she would
buck around the yard when saddled, but she never bucked with me on her. She
was by a race horse and showed good blood. I sold her for breeding before
we left the farm. Len Austin lent me a skewbald mare for the kids, the boys all rode but the
girls gave up early. I had never seen a horse like this one. On a full
moon she went berserk and would gallop round and round the paddock, but she
was reliable with the youngsters. One of those time she even chased Stan
when he went out to catch her. One event that wasn’t funny at the time was an old cow from C. Lucke’s, she
had a calf and must have been troubled by dingoes and when Connie was very
pregnant and yarding the cows, this one chased her round and round a stump,
it was a matter who tired the most. Well the family grew to 11 to feed and Connie said enough and had an
operation, that ended the run. Six boys and five girls took some feeding
and clothing for sure. Connie did all the sewing, school clothes and all.
I don’t know where she found the energy, as it took it out of me. My health
broke down, I had some heart trouble. The Doctors didn’t know exactly what
it was but it turned out later to be blocked arteries.. Connie also had trouble and had to have a Total Hysterectomy Operation and
never went back to do any more milking, this was a year or so before we left
the farm. Stan did an apprenticeship with Dudge Barram and came out an A Grade
mechanic. Bob did carpentering with Joe Haughton and is a good tradesman. He was
rough on cars as a lad and smashed a couple up before he settled down. Marion went to work in Rockhampton. So did Jenny and Linda and both made
bad choices in men but parents don’t have the say they used to. The farm was sold up in July 1976, and we moved to Bundaberg, Connies idea.
We lived with Bob and Marion in Gavegan Street, Bundaberg, North Bundaberg
until we bought an old house in Young Street, North Bundaberg, handy to both
schools. Colin was still in Primary School and Delma, Ian and Owen went to
North High School. Mum found some work with Home Care and I finally found work at Tofts,
assembling farm machinery. Cane machinery was new to me and quite
interesting, the job lasted one year. I worked with Garth Harrison and his daughter Allison showed Delma around
the school and they became good mates. Garth and I still have a fishing
trip now and again. It was about this time that Kevin had a smash up on his motor bike in
Rockhampton. We were called up and he was in a coma for 11 days but like a
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good Johnson he came around and made a reasonable recovery. I got a job in the Bundaberg Bag Factory and worked there until I retired
except for a couple of months, when it closed and changed ownership. Ian
and Owen also worked there. Owen doing his apprenticeship as fitter and
turner. I also got their mate Gary Robertson a job for a couple of weeks
and it turned into years. He is still there about 16 years later. We sold the North Bundaberg home and bought one in Barolin Street and lived
there for about 4 years. I should mention here that Mum got a job as
cleaner at the bag factory for about two years and then as a school cleaner
in a new school at Avoca and worked for five years there until retiring. We have at this time been retired for twelve years. We live on a war
service pension. My health had been worsening for some time before I quit work and I had a
heart attack soon after and was sent to to Brisbane Greenslopes Repatriation
Hospital for assessment and they found I had blocked arteries. I had by-pass surgery at St Andrews Hospital Brisbane and came home Xmas
Eve eight days after the operation. It was a hard row to hoe but I slowly
recovered and live a fairly good life. I even played tennis after helping
Ian to build a court. I still find vibration a bad thing on my chest, chain
saw for instance. I suppose I should say how I spent my time in later years. I took to wood
turning and made lots of things for family and friends. Mug stands, vases,
candle holders and even tea trolleys for the ones who wanted them all except
Stan I think. But in the end the dust got to me, so after another heart
attack I gave the lathe to Bob, if I twas to take a trip to Eidsvold I could
still do some turning if I liked. Connie and I tried playing golf, we bought a couple of sets of clubs and
had some fun. Connie had to give it up after knee trouble and a nasty
operation. I still play sometimes. I joined the club aged 72 and have a
game with Colin now and again. We had a tragedy this year when Owen went missing at sea off Cairns and we
still don’t know what went on up there. I am very proud to say that my sons all turned out good men. All had a
trade except Ian and were good at the job at hand. Stan a mechanic, Robert
(Bob) a Carpenter Joiner, Kevin Fitter and Turner, Owen Fitter and Turner,
Colin Diesel Fitter, Ian has a steam operators ticket, Estate Agents ticket,
but is best known for cement work on the Bundaberg and Gladstone Councils.
Ian laid a lot of the pavers in the Bundaberg Mall and laid a lot of gutters
and roundabouts. He is very handy with his hands he just built a set of
steps on his house in Gladstone, very satisfactory. The girls had some hard times with partners. Lil lost her first husband in
a shooting accident at East End when she had one child and was pregnant with
another. I am glad to say another man came along and has been a good
husband to her and a good father to the two older boys as well as his own
two. Glad to know you Neil. Marion has a reasonable marriage and reared a happy family who all settled
into good jobs. Marion still works at the Bouldercombe School. Jennifer made a very bad choice of her first partner, I won’t say more on
that one. She seems luckier on the second one although he has some health
problems. Linda has two daughters by an old school chum who didn’t see fit to marry
her. She later married another bloke and has a son to him. They move
around a lot with Linda’s job in the Social Security. They are at Esperance
in West Australia at present but expect to be transferred to Queensland
shortly. Delma seems the most settled on a cane farm with two daughters who are so
different in all ways. I thought it might interest some of the family if I put on paper some of
the changes that I have seen in my 72 years. As a child I remember Rockhampton Streets to be all metal and rough.
Mechanised Graders were just arriving on the scene. Steam trams were the
town transport, the Tram Depot was where the Bus Depot now is at the bottom
;of Denham Hill. Shank’s pony was the main way of travel. If you don’t know about shank’s
pony well shanks are your shins, and your feet was the pony. There were some bicycles about but they weren’t reliable, prickly pear and
other thorns causing many punctures and roads were rough. Horse and cart was the farmers way of taking goods to market. Milk Carts,
Bakers Carts, Butchers Carts and Dunny Carts for night cleansing outside
toilets. In the country you dug a hole and buried the lot. I can remember people riding a horse in to town with a can of cream on the
pommel of the saddle going to the P.C.D. Butter Factory. Cream from the
bigger places travelled by train in some areas. There were not many cars about most were Utilities, T models, Chev fours,
Whippets, Uncle Arthur had a Armstrong Siddley he used to do a milk run in. The only motor bikes around were Douglas V belt drive and Harley Davidson V
belt drive. The ones I came across weren’t very reliable, you had to know
about Magneto’s and spark plugs and Carburetta’s with cork floats that were
treated with Shellac and Metho and when they got old they would flood. I saw my first Aeroplane at about 6 or 7 years old Bi planes Gypsy Moths. It was about his time that brother Ken got interested in radio and ended up
making a crystal set, you could only get 4.R.K. the station was and still is
at Gracemere. When you think of the changes now, first valves came along and loud
speakers and then transistors and now micro chips. T.V. hadn’t been thought
of in Australia. Photography was done by a big Camera on a tripod and no films. Glass
plates were used we still have a lot of Dad’s here. The photographer used
to get under a black cloth to take the photo. Now we have automatics and
even Video Cam Corders. Now even cameras you take the photos and then plug
into your computer and print out your photos you have just taken. I think the biggest advancement was with aeroplanes, from these little
fabric winged things to supersonic jets and even rockets to the moon and
beyond. T.V. is another winner to think you can sit and watch sport on the field
live. Of course cars from T Model Fords with only foot pedals and a brake
top gear lever. Now automatics, Air Conditioning and Cruise Control. The
mind boggles I started in a T Model Ford, got my licence at 17 and
progressed to an A. Model Ford, Chev 4’s, Willeys Knight, Chev six, Hillman
Minx, Ford V.8. Ute, Austin A 90, V.W.Kombie Van, Holden, Ford Falcon,
Toyota Hi Ace, Mazda 626, Nissan Pintara. The older cars I did all my own
repairs, but today with computers and electronics no hope. I doubt if I
could change a fan belt on the Pintara. Well back to my story I must have been about nine when we got electric
light on. I recall seeing the lines put in place along the road as I walked
the mile to school. There was no such thing as Home refrigeration. About
time I finished school, Ken got a hand Ice Cream Churn from one of his
vegetable customers. At Xmas only we got a block of ice and made Ice Cream
from Mums milk egg custard the first I ever tasted. The kids with some
money could buy penny ice creams at the school gate in the summer. It was
brought from Rockhampton by horse and cart. But it was the great depression that the young ones of today, just have no
idea, how tough it really was. Well I’m going to give it away now, its time
to relax in front of the Giggle Box.
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