13087AM-- George LEAMAN (b

A war-time air-rad alert ¹1 bob = 1 shilling = 10 cents		Once we were sent home from school because there was an alert. Japanese warships were reported coming down, and we expected to be invaded or bombed at any time. I remember this in particular because of an incident with some apples. Trucks from the Apple-and-Pear Board drove around the suburbs and for five bob¹ you could buy a sugar-bag full of apples. My mate and I helped the truck drivers stack their empty boxes. Sometimes this made us late for school and we would get into trouble. However, in compensation, the Apple-and-Pear Board man gave us a box of apples.This day we were again late to school. No sooner had we set down the box of apples than everybody was sent home because of the alert. I raced home and told mum there's this big alert, and we all had to go down into the air-raid shelter we had dug in the garden. My mother seemed unperturbed, told us to go to the shelter, but kept ironing the clothes. The alert proved a false alarm so we returned to school, looking for our box of apples. The teachers had taken half of them! As a ten-year-old, I was incensed that they had sent us home and then pinched our flaming apples!

Visits to his grandmother		As a boy John visited his grandmother, Margaret Gartshore, every second Sunday. He travelled by train, and took a few vegetables with him. After lunch his grandparents had a nap, while he read comics. Life was very simple, but his good-hearted grandmother sometimes embarrassed him when she took him with his sister to the movies. In those days the show always started with the National Anthem. Everyone stood for this - particularly during the patriotic war years. Being of Irish descent, with strong views about the Monarchy, Grandmother refused to stand and would not let her grandchildren stand. It was not until he was twelve years old that John wore shoes - except for going out and, even then, reluctantly. In the 1930s during the great depression, boys just did not wear shoes. In the 1940s, during the war, clothing was rationed, each person being given a limited supply of clothing coupons. This was another good reason not to wear shoes.

Enjoyment of the simple life ²ging = hand held Catapult		Looking back over those years John felt that, although life was simple, he never lacked food, shelter, love or encouragement. He enjoyed swimming and surfing both in the river at Claremont and at the nearby beach. During the war, parts of the beach were closed off as there were gun emplacements. Supposedly secret, John and his friends knew where they were and played on them on the weekends when there were no soldiers in sight. He also scoured around looking for spent bullets on the beach for the use in gings². Several times he was chased, but never punished.

Family life		Listening to radio serials was the highlight of the week. He recalled his family life at the time: There were the usual chores about the house: Chopping the wood for the copper; Wringing out sheets with my sister. There was no mangle. When the wet sheet came out of the copper, my sister and I each held an end and twisted it in opposite directions to squeeze out the water. We then hung it on the line, held up off the grass by a wooden prop. Aboriginals sold these, making them from saplings, cut down with a fork at the top. We had a dog and numerous cats. There were many empty paddocks around our house and my mother, like all the other ladies in the district, collected pig-melons that grew there. She cut them up, took out the seeds and then made melon-and-lemon, or melon-and-ginger jam. In our lounge room we had large portraits of King George V and of his Queen, Mary. We also had a copy of a famous oil-painting by Will Longstaff: Menin Gate at Midnight. I still have that picture. It is a picture of the newly erected War Memorial at Ypres in Belgium, where the Australian troops fought. In the picture the ghostly figures of Diggers march past. My copy is framed from deck timbers taken from the first H.M.A.S. Sydney. My brother joined the army when he was seventeen, saw the first half-dozen raids on Darwin before he was wounded and hospitalised in Perth. My father owned all volumes of the complete official history of the first world war, which I inherited. With this background, it is no wonder that, as an adult, I later developed an interest in militaryhistory. I have read and enjoyed my father's books, and I enjoy reading about and studying the subject, and talking to people who have taken part in various wars.

Pen friends Primary school Society Perth Boys' School		Returning to the story of his youth, John saw an advertisement in the paper, and became pen-friends with several students in Singapore and the Federated States of Malaya. He and his pen-pals exchanged letters and stamps. At Swanbourne school there was no organised sport. The older boys got their exercise on Friday afternoons by digging air-raid trenches. John remembers the school building set in a vast expanse of sand. In classes, the boys and girls were not segregated, but at play-time and at lunch-time we had the boy's yard and the girl's yard. Not that we wanted to mix with them, anyway. Usually boys played more boisterously than the girls. In one sense it was an egalitarian society: we were all equal in that we had no money and we had no clothes due to the rationing, but we did tend to move within groups depending on the intelligence level of our fellow students. The brightest students did not mix with the dullest because, as in society at large, you have little in common to talk about. If that's class consciousness, then it starts right at primary school. We had annual school fetes. We also had concerts, organised by the teachers. All our teachers were women except for Ernie Charlton, the headmaster, and elderly Mr Hetherington. Every week we put in sixpence towards a War Saving's Certificate - which we fondly hoped was going to help win the war for us. John's parents were very active in the Parents and Citizens' Association at school and, when he was twelve years old, the headmaster suggested to them that he be sent to Perth Boys' School, because he was too bright for the Claremont Central School that he then attended. John then won a scholarship to Perth Modern School.

Perth Modern School		For a while, he was miserable at the new school: he did not know the other pupils; he was introduced to new subjects - like physics; he took French, a year of Latin, and two and a half years of German. Although this broadened him, looking back, he often felt that he learnt more from primary school than from high school. And, of course, he eventually had to wear shoes. At Modern School he met a fellow student who became a lifelong friend; there was organised sport, and he took part in football. More than anything else he enjoyed the army cadets: it built discipline and mateship. Like most other boys in those days, John left school after completing the Junior Certificate following three years of high school. g

John's first job: R.P. North, Customs and Transport Agents.		He now looked for a job. His father, who worked in Customs, suggested that he take one with R.P.North and Co, Transport, Shipping and Forwarding Agents. This he did. For four months he worked in the Perth office and then filled a vacancy in Fremantle. John was now sixteen. In 1991 he recalled:

Learning the Customs' Agent's trade.		I went to Fremantle and was given a rudimentary tour of the customs house. From then on I had to find my own way. I wandered around asking people. Although my father had helped me get the job and he himself worked in Customs, I had far too much pride, even at sixteen, ever to trade on my father's name or standing. Most of the people working in Customs were of my father's age. Many were ex-soldiers. As a child my father had taken me down to the wharf a few times, perhaps on a Saturday morning, or when he was working overtime. I watched the ships come in, but had no idea of what went on. Now I was suddenly catapulted into the world of the rough, tough lumpers. For the first few months I didn't know where I stood, but gradually I found my way around, and made a few friends. It was a case of learning on the job. I was forever asking, "What the hell will I do with this?"

"Running the Rabbit"		My first job was "Running the Rabbit": going to the shipping companies, presenting the bills of lading, getting a release from the company, and then going to the Harbour Trust - as it was then called. Now it is the Port Authority. I waded through piles of dockets for each ship. A ship's manifest might have five or six hundred different lines of cargo. After finding the wharfage docket, which had been assessed by the Harbour Trust for the amount of wharfage dues to be paid, I had to relate it to the bill of lading, present it, have it checked and stamped before a cheque could be paid. Once the documents had been processed like this, my job was to go down to the wharf and present the bill of lading to the customs officer in charge of each particular ship. Sometimes this involved a hair-raising winter crossing of the harbour in the ferry. Once this was done, the goods could be picked up. Often I went with the truck driver to help find the goods in the shed. There were no container ships in those days. All cargo was loose: big cartons of sardines from Norway, peanuts from South Africa. There were cases of anything from wine and whisky from the United Kingdom, to tractor parts. Everything was piled into one of the sheds and you had to find the damn things so they could be loaded for trucking. Some firms employed a "spotter" whose sole job was to find cargo.

The move to Fletcher's Transport		Later, John left R.P.North and worked for a much smaller company, Fletcher's Transport. John recalled: Len Fletcher was a very good chap but a bit of a rough diamond. He's dead now, but I had a lot of respect for him. He taught me to stand on my own feet. My father died in May 1950 and Len almost became a father figure for me: he was someone I could talk to.

Len Fletcher, larrikin - and almost father figure		Len was a hard fellow, a larrikin, and knew most of the lumpers by name - and he knew all their nicknames. One of his favourite tricks was to go up behind a lumper - they all wore leather aprons - pull out his pocket-knife and split the little tape that ran across the back. Well, the language! That's where I learnt to swear. "Bloody Fletcher!" We had some humorous times, and I gradually became more accustomed to the routine.

Obtaining a customs Agent's licence		What a difference there was between those days and today. Then, when you applied for an agent's licence, the customs officers who dealt with you assessed you through personal observation. Everyone was told that you had applied for your licence and were asked what they thought of you. If everyone gave you the nod, then you got your licence. Today you have to go through five years of classes and pass examinations!

Wharf characters: Shitty Bill ³Ming the Merciless = An evil character from the boy's cartoon comic "Speed Gordon" of the 1940s and 1950s. ⁴top gun = the best		The wharf had its share of characters. One was Bill McGillivray, known to everyone as Shitty Bill. As shed foreman, all we youngsters were in fear and trembling of him. He ruled the shed like Ming the Merciless³. Even the lumpers were afraid of him. Eventually, I formed a good relationship with Shitty Bill and sometimes met him at 16th Battalion reunions. `You young buggers,' he then said, `used to drive me mad.' Work on the wharves was a way of life. It was a hard life. In the winter we'd get soaking wet; the lumpers sheltered in the shed, but we were expected to keep going. It was good training and we learnt how to deal with people. I learnt much, and was eventually regarded as one of the top guns⁴, and I had my own office. John recalled the work of a customs agent:

The work of a Customs Agent ⁵25s 6d = $2.55		The work started with your customer, who was importing the goods. He retrieved his documents from the bank and sent them to you. I checked them to see that everything was in order and that all requirements were met, including a bank statement that payment had been made. I then got the bill of lading, which was the ship's receipt for the cargo, and had the bank stamp and endorse it as fully paid. Next I had to check the invoice, which detailed all the items. Item values were often stated in foreign currency, such as Sterling. In those days the pound sterling was twenty-five shillings and six pence Australian⁵. All these had to be converted to Australian currency, on paper, and in my head, as there was no such thing as a calculating machine. It kept me polished-up with my maths. When this was done, I presented the bill of lading to the shipping company. After they approved it, the next step was the Harbour Trust, who paid the wharfie's fees. So, after dealing with the customer, the bank, the shipping company and the Harbour Trust, I then presented the documents to customs. If there was sales tax to be paid I had to calculate that. If the item was an unusual one, I might need to check it with the Tax Department for the rates, because there was no booklet or guideline. I quickly learnt to note everything down for future reference. My next dealings were with the wharf shed. Often, if there were things like frozen fish, I needed a clearance from the Fisheries Department, or the Health Department, who would come down and take a sample of the fish. So I had to be on deck there. If there were quarantineable items, I again needed a clearance. For instance, chinaware and pottery often came from England packed in wire crates and straw. For these, I had first to obtain a fumigation certificate, and then take it to the Quarantine Department for release. With all these different government departments with which I had to deal, no wonder my poor customer sometimes wondered whether he would ever receive his goods!

John becomes a specialist The practice of taking "samples" ⁶ Sri Lanka ⁷pinch = steal		Eventually John had his own staff and became one of a group of specialists. Someone might specialise in motor vehicle parts. One of John's specialist areas was textiles and fabrics, as his clients included such companies as the Manchester Trading Company, and the Oriental Lace Company. Every fabric item had a different rate of duty. For example, women's printed floral cotton dress material had a different tariff to plain dyed cotton. A specialist knew all the rates by heart and kept small samples for future reference, so that a customs officer who issued a query note on an item could be satisfied quickly. John recalled that customs officials often asked for samples: Tea, nuts and olive oil were often sampled by Customs. These had to be of a certain standard, and samples were taken periodically to go to the government analyst in Swanbourne. If I lodged a document, say, for a consignment of two-hundred tea-chests from up to ten or twelve different gardens in Ceylon⁶ or India, Customs officials would always select a couple of gardens and send a note: "Sample required." I would go to the wharf and get a cooper to open the case and take a sample. The customs officers usually took some for themselves and, maybe, if the analyst was running short of a private supply, he would send a note, "Send some Samples." Mind you, I often took some for myself. Apart from this the seamen and wharfies often broke into cargo and pinched⁷ a few things. g

Meeting Miriamme Chown. Marriage in February 1954 For details of his marriage and his family, see the entry for Miriamme.		In 1952 John met Miriamme Chown who at that time was working in the import-licensing section of Customs, at Fremantle. John was then working for Fletcher's Transport. John and Miriamme started talking at the counter. Following a cricket match between the Customs men and the Customs agents, they saw more of each other, became engaged and, after eleven months, married in February 1954.

Working for Rudders		John enjoyed his work immensely. In 1960 he joined Rudders Limited and worked six years for them. He became their transport manager and State Manager. He was now moving out of the shipping area and into road and rail transport. He recalled this period:

Country work: Understanding country people		One of the attractions of this job was that they provided me with a loan to buy a car. I went on several country trips, as they were opening a new service to country areas. One of my jobs was to drum-up business for them, and we were in friendly competition with the firm of James Kiernan Limited. I made many friends with country people, learnt to understand them, and admired the way in which they went without things that we in the city took for granted. Eventually, when this company was taken over by the nation-wide giant, TNT, John left and formed a small company of his own in partnership with Jim Haynes. Jim was the son of Dr Haynes, whom his father had known in his early days at Broome.

John goes into partnership with Jim Haynes

Carting to Kununurra

Making Fish Smokers

John recalled this move:

We started off with less than $4000, which, looking back, was suicidal. We started in a run-down premises in Bunning Street, West Perth. Two years later we had to vacate the premises because the land was needed for the Mitchell Freeway. We moved to Royal Street, East Perth on which some semi-detached dwellings had been condemned and bulldozed. There we erected a small pre-fabricated building with three offices: one for me, one for my partner Jim Haynes, and one for the two office staff.

While at Rudders, I had built up business with some good mates. They gave us their custom: They stuck by us, and we stuck by them. Wesfarmers, a very reputable company, was one of our biggest customers. We carted for the Ord-River District Cooperative which was managed by Wesfarmers. We carted cotton from Kununurra to Wyndham and then took fertiliser from Wyndham back to the farms in the Kununurra district. We also carted for the American firm, Dravo, which built the main dam at Kununurra.

At the time, Kununurra was in its infancy. They had not long finished building the diversionary dam - as distinct from the main dam, which is now Lake Argyle. Kununurra was a friendly little place, primitive by Perth standards, but everybody seemed happy and hard-working, and I enjoyed it.

As a side-line, we dabbled in a few other things. At one time we produced Fish Smokers. We saw one made by a plumber in Queensland. After making, and selling a few, I had a bright idea: I rang the mental hospital at Graylands. They had a well-equipped workshop and were only too happy to take over all stages of the production. They ordered the metal, cut it, bent it, shaped it; they made the wire baskets, manufactured the cardboard boxes, stencilled them. They even printed the instruction sheets. We sold many of these.

These were very lucrative years. We were also carting for mining companies throughout the North, and for places like the Hall's Creek Hotel which might ask us to bring up some loads of beer at Christmas time.

Those were good years but when Whitlam's Labour government came into office in 1972 their policies discouraged exploration: taxation deductions were no longer allowed for exploration expenditure. The mining companies folded their tents. Then, thebugs got into the Ord River cotton and that industry collapsed. The main dam was completed. All our biggest contracts disappeared. In the booming Pilbara district many small operators started and a price-cutting war ensued. Jim and I decided to get out of the business.

1926: The death of Miriamme's mother, Maudie.		When Maudie died in October 1926 her last words were: `Tell Frank my last wish was that he should be a good Catholic, and I give Miriamme to Phyllis.' Although Phyllis was engaged to Ted Chown, ill health prevented her from marrying until 1927, and then it was not until 1928 that she joined him in Goomalling. Frank was opposed to the idea that Phyllis should adopt Miriamme, but Phyllis considered it her responsibility, and was too strong for him. He would have preferred Phyllis to look after Miriamme until he was in a position to take her. He did not want a legal adoption. However, as time passed, Miriamme became attached to Phyllis and Ted as parents, and it would not have been easy for them to hand her back. By this time Frank had remarried, and his new wife, Rita, was not a person with a maternal instinct.
Her adoption by Phyllis and Ted Chown ²Kate Rumble (14004F) = Grandmother		For the first two years, Kate, Harry and Phyllis Rumble looked after Miriamme in Fitzgerald Street, North Perth. As Phyllis prepared to move to Goomalling, the family took steps to arrange the adoption. Kate Rumble² wrote in her diary for Wednesday 15 June, 1928: Phyl and I went to town in the morning to see Mr. Bath about him fixing up with the Registrar, to change Miriamme's surname there, from Spencer to Chown, now that Ted has adopted her. Mr. Bath, a solicitor-friend from the family's Bunbury days, had the adoption papers signed on 25 June 1928. Although Phyllis and Ted were now her legal parents, they brought Miriamme up to call them Aunty and Uncle, not Mum and Dad.
1928: Arrival at Goomalling		On Saturday 6 October, 1928 Kate took Miriamme up to Goomalling on the afternoon train to live with her new parents. Kate stayed in Goomalling until the twenty-seventh of the month and then returned to Perth. Her train arrived in Perth at 7 p.m., but she felt so tired and upset at the loss of both Miriamme and Phyllis that she went straight to bed. Her husband Harry, knowing how she would feel, had the house beautifully tidy for her arrival and had bought `a handsome clock for the dining-room, that strikes and chimes the Westminster Chimes at the quarters.'
Early memories of staying with Grandparents		Among Miriamme's earliest memories are those of her grandparents in North Perth. I have a hazy memory of Mrs Holiday who washed and ironed for Granny, often entertaining me at the same time; and of Mrs Cripps, who owned a lolly-shop, which was diagonally across Fitzgerald Street from Granny's house. Mrs Cripps had school-aged sons and one took me over to the shop occasionally. Apparently I was only about three years old then, about the time that Joseph was born. In 1932 Phyllis came to Perth for a major kidney operation, and Miriamme with her young brother Joseph stayed with their grandparents before going later to their Aunty Doll in Yarloop. I remember Granny and Grandpa being very good to me. Grandpa took me to Hyde Park to feed the ducks. Granny went to morning mass every day. At that young age, she seemed tall and thin. I have clear memories of her long hair tied up in a bun. I also remember being in Yarloop where Aunty Doll took us for walks to pick wildflowers. The house in which Miriamme grew up with her brother Joseph was at one end of Goomalling with bush on three sides; she remembers sometimes feeling isolated from other children.

Goomalling:

Friends

Fantasy life with Joseph

Aunty was very fussy about those whom we had as friends. Even after we started school there were only a few children with whom we were allowed to play outside school hours. We could not mix with anyone who used bad language, was `common', or whose parents she thought objectionable. She did not want us to hear things that we should not hear. In spite of this, Joe and I led a wonderful fantasy life in our early years and generally got on well together: We made cubbies in the bush and played at being grownups, as all children do.

We often played at being famous tennis players or film stars that we had seen on the pictures. Films were shown in the local Goomalling hall only once a month and we could go only if it was a children's film, or a harmless cowboy story. Nonetheless these gave us much material for our fantasy life. As we grew older we brought our school-friends home. Aunty preferred this to letting us go to other people's places. She knew where we were at all times, and was over protective in many ways.

Aunty sometimes gave us parties on our birthdays. I remember my ninth birthday in particular, because Grandpa Rumble sent me a lovely sleeping doll, which he had chosen himself, and Uncle brought home a live baby kangaroo. Its mother had been killed and some Aboriginals brought it into the Road Board office. It followed Joe and me everywhere, and we loved it. Before long, however, it became ill and died. Joe and I gave it a "funeral" after Uncle had buried it in the back-yard, as we did when one of our pet cats died. Joe acted as the Priest, while I followed with my dolls and teddy-bears in the dolls' pram.

Miriamme was

"highly-strung"

As school children, Miriamme and Joseph went to bed early almost every night. They were usually in bed by eight, even earlier in the winter. In summer it would be broad daylight and Miriamme would call out that she could not sleep. Phyllis said that Miriamme was highly-strung: excitable and anxious. She could never get to sleep the night before the school sports-day, the visit of the school inspector, or the annual school concert.

The convent school:

Annual concert

Miriamme attended the Goomalling Catholic Convent School and most of her friends were Catholics, although `Aunty' allowed her to play with one or two non-catholic children. A highlight of the school year was the annual concert, with at least the last six weeks taken up in practice in the Road Board Hall. As Road Board Secretary, Ted Chown's office was attached to this hall so that, when the night of the concert arrived, he would joke that he had no need to go to the wretched thing, as he had already heard it so many times. Miriamme recalled:

Not only did Uncle hear the concert over and over again, but he heard all the commotion: kids being scolded for not doing the right thing, older boys of thirteen or fourteen - at an age beyond the control of the nuns - running round and round the hall with nuns in hot pursuit, becoming hysterical and swishing their canes. Sometimes the hall was very hot, and half the kids would be in tears. This all seems hilarious to me now, looking back on those days. However, there was a concert every year and the whole town always turned up to it - as they did to everything, because there was so little entertainment of any kind.

I usually sang a solo at the school concert and, although terrified beforehand, I always carried it off well when on stage. I also loved acting in plays, as my mother had done. We had an annual children's fancy-dress ball which was very popular.

There was also a local show every year in which we children exhibited our work, such as drawing, needlework and other crafts. I remember that one year I won a prize for drawing. Aunty often won prizes for her cut-flowers and her lamingtons.

Life was centred on the Church

Christmas Eve and

midnight Mass

Because Phyllis became so dedicated to Catholicism, much of the family life centred on the church. Miriamme, along with the others, went to mass every Sunday. Often they also went to Benediction on Sunday evening. There was a time when Miriamme felt that she was as "religious" as Phyllis. But she especially remembers Christmas Eve when she was a child.

I remember being made to go to bed early and then being woken up at eleven o'clock. We dragged ourselves out of bed, had our faces washed and were then made to dress ready for midnight Mass. We did not mind this because we knew that, while we were at Mass, Father Christmas would come. Of course, once we were out of the house, Uncle filled our pillowslips with their own presents for us and with toys that various people had sent up from Perth. On returning from Mass, we excitedly opened our presents. Then, before Aunty and Uncle went to bed, we all had breakfast: bread, butter and ham. We children could play with our toys for as long as we liked, so long as we did not disturb them. Eventually we dropped off to sleep to awake late in the morning to the sound of Aunty cooking Christmas dinner.

³114EF = 45EC

Christmas at Goomalling could be very hot. Once the temperature rose to 114EF³. Water was in short supply, and there was nowhere to swim. There was a town water supply, and the house also had a two-thousand gallon corrugated iron tank that stored rain-water from the roof. On a very hot day, Phyllis half-filled the bath with cold water, and everyone took turns to cool-off by getting in and out of it.

Depression years

For an account of this period, see the entry for Phyllis Rumble

During the depression years of the 1930s Miriamme remembers out-of-work tramps calling at the house and, as a child, she was aware that money was scarce. Ted had a constant job and made a little extra money on the side by keeping the books for the hospital. Miriamme recalled:

Although we lived frugally, I was allowed to begin piano lessons at the school when I was about ten. I practised there after school as, at first, we had no piano at home. I remember the day that Uncle came to hear me play and proudly told Aunty about it when we arrived home. Later, when I did well in my first music exam, Grandpa Rumble wrote, saying that he would buy me a second-hand piano. Then, Uncle found that he could buy the one in our Church hall, which was in quite good condition.

When I was eleven or twelve, Uncle bought me a second-hand bicycle. It was a boys' 24" bike , which I soon learnt to ride and was then allowed to visit a special girl-friend who lived about two miles out of town.

The move to the city

Miriamme loved growing up in the country where life was free; where she could roam in the paddocks around her home and find spider and other orchids.

We all enjoyed gathering mushrooms, too, when in season, except Uncle, who refused to eat them and often said that we would poison ourselves!

She and the other members of the family did not want to leave Goomalling, but, as they grew older, Ted saw that small country towns held little opportunity for youth. There were few jobs, and much loutish behaviour. When his children became teenagers, it was time to move to the city.

Boarding school:

Iona Presentation College

In 1940, before this move, Miriamme, at the age of thirteen, went to boarding school at Iona Presentation College in Mosman Park, a suburb of Perth. The convent school at Goomalling was a sister-school to Iona. Each year one person was chosen from the five associated country convents. Miriamme received the scholarship for 1940. This covered tuition and accommodation, and only the cost of uniforms and books were met by her family.

Miriamme felt very privileged to have this opportunity to continue her education, as most girls at Goomalling could not go beyond year seven or eight. While Miriamme made some life-long friends and did not resent going to boarding school, the settling-in period was not easy.

I was very homesick at boarding school. In the first year, I cried every night for the first few weeks each term. However, it was not all bad. I learnt to play tennis at Iona, and took part in other sports. In summer we had swimming lessons in the river nearby; and I did manage to achieve a good pass in my Junior certificate.At least, compared with my later experience at New Norcia, at Iona I was able to get out occasionally. Aunty Doll was very kind to me and had me to her place a number of weekends where I enjoyed being with John and Joan. My father and his second wife, Rita, took me out occasionally for Sunday lunch, but I never felt comfortable with them, as I hardly knew them. My Dad did come to Iona a few times to coach us in tennis. I think he wanted to know me better.

Miriamme spent two years at Iona. At the end of 1941 the nuns evacuated the school and the boarders were sent either to the Collie or Beverley convents. Everyone feared that the Japanese might bomb or invade Perth. In 1942 Phyllis and Ted moved to Cottesloe, a seaside suburb of Perth. Joseph received a scholarship to attend the boys' school at New Norcia and Ted decided that it would be well for Miriamme to attend the New Norcia Girls' School. If an invasion took place, he did not want his children scattered.

Boarding School at

New Norcia

School teaching standards were better at St Gertrude's College, but the New Norcia environment was isolated. As Miriamme recalled:

I found New Norcia more difficult in some respects: Instead of the usual three terms, there was only one holiday in the middle of the year; and there was nowhere to go at the weekends. The food was better, as some of it was produced by the Benedictine monks nearby.

I was able to see my brother, Joe, once a month when boys from St Ildephonsus' who had sisters at St Gertrude's were allowed to visit us. Mostly we girls and boys were kept well apart!

I was taught by only one qualified teacher in my whole school life. This nun had been a State school teacher before entering the order, and she was my favourite teacher at New Norcia. She tried to persuade me to complete my Leaving certificate, as I had already passed Leaving music but, at the end of my sub-Leaving year, I had had enough of boarding school and was allowed to leave. Later I regretted not putting up with one more year to gain my Leaving Certificate. There was no vocational guidance then, but I had thought of becoming a school teacher.

Leaving School: Business College and work

⁴Ailsa Rumble (16016F) = daughter of Humfrey

⁵Joan Fall (16020F) = daughter of Dorothy Rumble

Restrictions imposed by Phyllis and Ted

Engagement to Noel Myers

for 22 years.

Miriamme left school, returned to Perth and took a commercial course at Underwoods Business College. She was envious of her cousins Ailsa⁴ and Joan⁵ who, although the same age, had left school a year earlier, had completed commercial training, and were working. Both were allowed to use makeup, and both had boyfriends. Miriamme felt like a little girl. Before completing the commercial course, Miriamme entered the workforce. She recalled:

Aunty was terrified of me going out into the big, bad world, so she arranged work for me in Uncle Eric's warehouse. Later, I took a clerical job with the Area Finance section of the Department of Air. Aunty and Uncle were strict about many little things. It was not until I'd been working for over a year that they reluctantly allowed me to use makeup!

Soon after leaving school at the age of sixteen I met Noel Myers, who lived with his parents in the flat above ours in Forrest Street, Cottesloe. He was twenty-one and a Catholic but, being in the Army, was away most of the time. However, we wrote regularly and when he returned on leave we became engaged. I was then seventeen and a half.

I felt that Aunty had only agreed to my engagement as a "protection" from all the American and other allied servicemen with whom Perth was inundated at that time. The over-riding concern of all "respectable" parents in those days was to get their daughters safely married before they "got into trouble" - which meant "became pregnant". Aunty reminded me constantly that I came from a "good Catholic home",which meant that people expected high standards of me, and that I had better not bring disgrace upon the family. After two and a half years I broke off my engagement to Noel, realising it had been a mistake.

Holidays at Rottnest:

temporary freedom.

Bairds = a former department store in central Perth

Sandovers = a former hardware store in central Perth

Ice-skating

During the war and the immediate post-war years, few girls thought of a job as a career. A job was simply a fill-in occupation while waiting for marriage. Miriamme recalled:

Up to this time my social life had been mainly connected with the Church. I went to Church dances, the Church tennis club; I belonged to the Catholic Girls' Movement, and played the organ at Sunday Mass. At about the age of twenty-two I discovered temporary freedom in going to Rottnest Island with girl-friends, taking my annual holidays from Boxing Day. Rottnest was pretty wild at that time of the year with dances in the local hall and parties in people's bungalows. Had Aunty known this, she would have objected to me going there. As it was, I was never allowed to stay with other girls in a bungalow. I had to stay at the Hostel. However, I think that my Rottnest days were the most enjoyable of my single life. I had some wonderful times there, and often went over at Easter, as well.

By this time I had left my job at Area Finance as they began retrenching war-time staff. I worked briefly as an invoice typist at Bairds and later at Sandovers, while revising my shorthand at night-school. From late 1948 until mid-1951, I worked at the Nedlands Road Board, which I enjoyed very much. Alan Jenkins was the kindest boss that I ever had, and I enjoyed a good variety of work.

At about that time, Perth had an ice-rink in Canterbury Court, in the area now known as Northbridge. I had some lessons and bought my own skates and learnt to skate reasonably well. A girl-friend and I went there regularly.

A family trip to Melbourne

and to Sydney

Criticism at home

Around 1949, Phyllis, Miriamme with one of her girl-friends, and Edward, who was then about twelve years old, went to Melbourne and Sydney on the inter-state ship Manunda, to visit Joseph and Phyllis's brother, Les. Both were in the Sacred Heart Order. After some initial sea-sickness they enjoyed their trip.

Back home, Miriamme enjoyed the beach and tennis on summer weekends. She also liked sewing, and made many of her own clothes.

At the age of twenty-three Miriamme had a girl-friend who wanted her to share a flat. Although she increasingly wanted to leave behind the strict and puritanical home atmosphere, she did not take up this offer, as Phyllis strongly objected. Phyllis's attitude towards flatting was that "girls who live in flats are up to no good. They want to bring men in at night, and have drinking parties." For a young girl, Leaving Home before marriage was a `big thing'. Phyllis also saw it as ingratitude to one's parents.

Miriamme realised that she would never be able to leave home, and live in Perth.

The Idea of travelling interstate evolves

⁶John Fall (16021M) =

son of Dorothy Fall.

She takes a job in Melbourne for six months

In 1951 her cousin John⁶, two years her junior, left Perth for a year to work in Sydney. Standing with a group of relatives at the railway station to wave goodbye to him, Miriamme decided that she, too, would travel outside the State when the opportunity arose. In May 1951 she took a typing test for a position in the Public Service in Melbourne where they were very short staffed. The Public service paid all fares and provided a living-away-from-home allowance. Miriamme recalled:

When I and three other West Australian girls were offered Melbourne jobs, I went home and said, much to my joy, "I'm flying to Melbourne next week." Aunty got a dreadful shock. She went straight to the Parish Priest and discussed it with him. He did not approve, but at last I had made a decision of my own, and I was twenty-four years of age.

⁷Y.W.C.A. = Young Women's Christian Association

In Melbourne she receives a visit from the Lord Abbot of New Norcia

Within a week, Miriamme flew to Melbourne. The position was a temporary one for six months, and she enjoyed it immensely. There were many young people working in the big Commonwealth Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Miriamme was given an interesting job as typist for the Interpreter, who spoke seven languages and whose job it was to translate all incoming foreign correspondence.

Initially she lived at the Y.W.C.A.⁷ but found the rules restrictive. The Personnel section then found her a place in St.Kilda Road. Miriamme recalled an incident during this time:

When we lived at Goomalling, at one time a New Norcia monk, Father Gregory, was our parish priest. He knew Aunty and Uncle very well. Now he had become Lord Abbot of New Norcia. During my six months with the Commonwealth Public Service, he came to Melbourne on business. Aunty asked him to check up on me - or, at least, that's how it seemed to me.

Without notice, he arrived one day when I was out. To his horror, he saw a man walk through and go upstairs, and realised that I was living in a place where there were both men and women. Now, He was Spanish, and good Spanish women are always protected and chaperoned. So he left a note asking me to visit him at the Bishop's Palace. When I did so, he gave me quite a lecture for living in what was in reality a highly respectable hostel, approved by the Department for staff who came from other states.

A more welcome visitor was my cousin, John Fall, in July, while on a brief trip from Sydney. He took me to supper in the city one evening and we chatted about our new life-styles away from home.

While in Melbourne, Miriamme received a visit from her father, Frank Spencer, who was working in Canberra. He took her to dinner, but she still felt that she did not know him very well.

He offered to find me a job in Canberra, and seemed keen for me to go, but I had heard too much about the freezing weather and snobbish social attitudes there. While in Melbourne I visited Joe a couple of times. He was in the Sacred Heart Monastery at Croydon and I felt sad at the different paths our lives were taking.

Miriamme's six months were soon over but, by taking a part-time job on Saturdays, she saved enough so that she and a girl-friend could have a short holiday in Sydney before returning to Perth. While in Sydney, she visited her Uncle Les and lunched with him at his monastery at Kensington.

Returning to Perth, Miriamme takes a job with Customs

She meets John Young.

They marry in 1954.

Phyllis and Ted by this time had moved to 156 Nicholson Road, Shenton Park. After Miriamme had been home for a month she realised that nothing had changed and wished that, like some of the other girls from Western Australia, she had stayed in Melbourne. She obtained a job with the Customs Department in Fremantle and there, towards the end of 1952, she met John Young who worked as a Customs Agent. They became engaged and, after eleven months, were married on 13 February 1954.

John received religious instruction before marriage

John was not a Catholic, so the Church required him to take instruction before his marriage. In a mixed marriage John had to agree that all children of the marriage would be brought up as Catholics, and Miriamme had to promise to do all in her power to bring him into the Church.

Early married life

⁸1 Guinea =

21 Shillings = $2.10

⁹,1 = $2

Birth of Son, John

After a short honeymoon they lived at 17 John Street, Cottesloe. Accommodation was almost impossible to find, and they had two rooms and part of an enclosed verandah that had been made a kitchen. The old house was divided into five little flats. John paid five guineas⁸ a week for this out of his weekly wage of ,14⁹. The verandah leaked when it rained and it was very cold in winter. For a few weeks Miriamme undertook relief work for the Cottesloe Council, but she suffered badly from morning sickness. Their first child, John, was born on 11 December 1954. Three weeks before John was born they rented a house in Nicholson Road, Shenton Park - almost next door to Phyllis and Ted. Phyllis arranged this as she knew the owner and, although Phyllis was being "helpful", Miriamme felt that she was anxious to get them "under her wing" again. Because the flat was not suitable for a baby, they had little choice but to accept the move.

Soon after marriage they applied for a State Housing Commission home but it took six years before their name reached the top of the waiting list and they obtained a house in Mt.Claremont. Living in Shenton Park, so close to Phyllis, had its disadvantages. Miriamme recalled:

Interference from Phyllis

Contact with her father and his second wife, Rita.

Aunty tended to interfere. Many times, especially when I had young children, she went to great lengths to help me, but demanded so much in return - including the right to direct my social and family life. She was certainly the strongest influence on my life.

We were still quite poor in Shenton Park days. We had no car so, every Saturday morning, we trudged to the Subiaco shopping centre pushing John Junior in a heavy old pram, coming home loaded with our week's food supply. We also gathered kindling wood in King's Park, as we had no hot water system.

At about this time I tried to have more contact with my father by inviting him and Rita to visit us. He seemed anxious to get to know us. Occasionally I visited them, but always felt a certain reticence on Rita's part.

Birth of Peter

She forms a dance band

Birth of Louise

Miriamme's second child, Peter, was born on 25 July 1957. When he was three years old, they moved to Mt.Claremont.

Early in 1961 she formed a dance band:

After some coaching from Perth musician Harry Bluck, I formed my own Dance Band. We played for various functions and at our local hotel, the Swanbourne. It was great fun but short-lived, as in early 1962 I was expecting Louise. I had to retire from the Band.

Louise was born on 8 October 1962. When the boys became of school age, Miriamme sent them to St. Thomas's Catholic school in Claremont, though this was inconvenient compared with the local State school.

Early life

Clerk at Woodsons

Air-Force

Returning to Woodsons

after World War II

Country Sales work.

Jim attended primary school in South Perth, completing his secondary education at Perth Boys' School in James Street, Perth. After taking a temporary job, at the age of sixteen he became a clerk with Woodsons, a firm of wholesale grocers. When he turned eighteen in 1944, he joined the Air Force, and, after completing a rookie's course at Busselton, commenced training for air-crew. He was in Melbourne in 1945 when the war ended, and well remembers the day:

Melbourne went mad. Everyone rushed into the city, flocking into the streets. I don't remember any traffic; the streets were absolutely packed with joyous people, paranoid because the war had ended. It was like New Year's eve in the daytime. Later in the afternoon we got into a friend's car, and had a pub crawl to about half a dozen hotels.

Jim returned to Woodsons as a stock clerk. In those days there were no supermarkets, only country and suburban corner stores. Many country towns had a "co-op," which was a co-operative store owned by the townsfolk and neighbourhood farmers. Woodsons offered Jim the chance to work in the sales area. He decided to accept this rather than train as an accountant like his father.

His first sales work was in the country.

With an old Plymouth, as a company car, I covered the `Great Southern.' This was the Eastern wheatbelt area, from Perth down to Narrogin, through Wickepin, and Kondinin, and out to Hyden. That's a mighty long way out - and from there back up through Bruce Rock, Merredin, Southern Cross, then along the line to Kellerberin, Northam, Meckering. I also covered everything in between. There was Beverley and Brookton, Pingelly. . .

I had a four week circuit. I would go out on a Monday morning at about five o'clock to beat the other travellers. This would get me to the first port of call by half past eight, where I would take orders. I would write up my orders every night between half past five and half past seven. Then, by half past eight, I would have them on the train that was going back to Perth. The office would receive them next morning, so they could pack and dispatch the orders as soon as possible. I spent my nights at the local hotels, usually returning to Perth on Friday.

Jim's wages were ,8 a week, plus a company car, which he could use privately. The company said this was worth ,1/10/- a week. He thought he was well-off, as the basic wage (the wage below which no adult worker could be paid) was then ,4/10/-.

In those days there was no direct manufacturer-to-retailer selling. A manufacturer, such as Rosella, would sell their soups or baked beans to wholesalers who, in turn, sold to the retail store. Soon after the second World War the position of the wholesale grocer became vulnerable:

Manufacturers began to expand, and sold their own range of products directly to the retailers. No longer did they go through the wholesalers, to whom they had to give a discount of 122% To counter this, Woodsons set up their own factories, and entered the dry-food industry. They packaged flour, mixed fruits, split peas, pearl barley. . . and sold them to the retail stores.

Transferring to

Metropolitan Sales

Woodsons transferred Jim from country to metropolitan sales. Then he became responsible for purchasing for the new manufacturing division and also for the wholesale area. He preferred the sales work, but the new position gave him good experience. It led him to becoming sales manager of the company's promotional products. His job was to increase the sales of the company's propriety lines, which were marketed under the "Anchor" brand name. He said:

We started a quarterly payment of five percent commission on every propriety-line sale that the representatives made. On top of their weekly wage, this was very lucrative. The company also gave me a small commission. It was so successful that sometimes a good salesmen finished up with more in his pocket than I got!

STATE MANAGER

Parsons Foods

Cottees

Interstate and

Overseas

Business trips

Retirement

Jim worked in this area for more than ten years. Then the Perth branch closed and moved to Fremantle. General Foods of America had just bought out Parsons Foods in Australia, and were looking for a new State Manager in Western Australia. Lesley urged Jim to apply for the position. He had all the experience, and the contacts. In 1962, he got the job. Later the firm bought out Cottees Australia and integrated the two companies. Jim became State Manager of the combined group. He said:

I became busier when in the management position. There was more pressure, and many business trips to Sydney, but, to offset this, there were a few good aspects. In 1978, the company provided a marvellous overseas study-tour/holiday to the United States, all expenses paid, for both Lesley and me. It was more holiday than study.

We went with those from another group of retail stores in a specially chartered flight. We visited different types of Supermarket. We saw scanning, which is here now, but already in use over there. We saw the innovations that were being developed, and that

would be in Australia in a few year's time. We saw the different ways in which they sold and marketed their products. We saw the automatic, twenty-four-hour-a-day wholesale warehousing, as it was then. Even at that time there was twenty-four hour shopping to cater for everybody. Lesley and I had a great time.

Before that, we had been away to Melbourne for a holiday. The company paid Lesley's expenses. We had many of those company trips - to the Gold Coast, Tasmania. . .

Jim enjoyed his work. He was told never to work "hard", but to work "smart", to build a good team, and to delegate. The company provided excellent incentives to achieve goals that they set. When Jim exceeded the goal - as was usually the case - he received substantial benefits commensurate with the achievement.

Early in life Jim thought he would retire at the age of sixty. Later he revised this to sixty two. The company asked him to develop a new branch in New Zealand. He and Lesley thought carefully about it, but then declined. Finally he retired at the end of 1989. Discussing his retirement, Jim said:

I miss the sense of achievement, the excitement of the sales, the achievement of goals, and the day-to-day challenge. But retirement gives freedom, though it may lack challenge, and there is always the opportunity to become involved in interesting charitable work.

BIRTH

¹ 14004F

² 15012M

A LETTER FROM

HER UNCLE LES

{ Lesley made the quotations, appearing below, in 1990.}

esley, the eldest daughter of Euean Humfrey Rumble and Muriel Love, was born on 13 August 1923 at Subiaco, Western Australia. She married Jim Carroll and they had three children, Graeme, Stephen and Janine.

The following birth notice appeared in the daily paper:

RUMBLE (nee Muriel Love) - On August 13th, 1923, at 32 Federal Street, Subiaco, to Mr. and Mrs.E.H. Rumble - a daughter (Lesley June). Both Well.

Lesley's grandmother, Kate¹ wrote in her diary for that day:

Humf & Muriel's 1st. baby arrived at 5.20 p.m., a little girl they've called `Lesley June'.

Next day, Humf came to lunch and Kate gave him a bunch of red roses to take to Muriel. The following Sunday, 19 August, Kate wrote in her diary:

Maudie and I went to see Humf and Muriel's 1st. baby in afternoon and took it (her) a brass money box with two shillings and six pence in it, and some bananas for Muriel. Came home tired, so went to bed instead of church.

Lesley's uncle Leslie² had become a Roman Catholic priest. He wrote to her a week after she was born:

Sacred Heart Monastery

Kensington, N.S.W.

August 24th, 1923

My dear Little One,

I was ever so glad to hear that on Aug. 13th last you came to gladden the hearts of your mummy & daddy - and in the same month I myself chose just 31 years ago today - for today is my birthday - day - and above all, that you had persuaded your dear ones to give you the same name as my own - even though you are a little girl while I was born a little boy. And your mumsie's brother, too, had that same name - so we two uncles claim you between us - though you must tell your mumsie how sorry I am that her dear brother is not here to know of her act of love for him. You must tell her this for me because you see, you are `here' with mummy - while I am right over `there' in those nasty Eastern States & so not able to say it to her myself.

But now we must have a little talk all to ourselves - eh? little Lesley June? An' we'll say things we can't say to grown ups - it'll be all to ourselves. You know, little one, your Uncle Leslie is a strange dear sort of man - you mustn't say I said that - not to ANYONE: and he wants to love God ever so much - and that's why he's in a place where the note paper has a little picture and printing on the top. But he's very human, too - an' loves just like anybody else - an' loves little children more'n almost anything - an' will have a specially soft spot in his heart for little Lesley June.

Do you know, Lesley dear, who told me you had come? Your Daddy's mummy - you know he has a mummy too - and she is my mummy - always - and so of course has to write to me all about her other little chicks. All mummies are like that. Well, when she wrote she asked to have a special Mass said for you - all for yourself dear little one - and one of our good Fathers here said it, and I assisted. You do not know what Mass is yet - though you may know some day. Mass is the Great Act by which the Catholic Church offers to God the Little One of Mary, whom we call our Blessed Lady. And as we offer Jesus, who is God's own Son too, with all His merits and holiness, we ask God in exchange to bless those for whom we offer such great gifts to him. So this morning on my own birthday I asked with all my heart that God who has been so good to me, may be very good to you too: and from this day until the end of my life I will not miss one single morning without asking God to be good to you and keep you and bring you very close to himself.

And you, dear Lesley, as soon as you are old enough, must ask your dear mumsie to join your chubby little hands, and teach your baby lips to say "Dod bless Uncle Leslie." Oh, don't forget, my dear little one - for baby prayers are so loved by God, Whose gift every child is, and I want the graces your little lips will beg for me.

That strange uncle of yours, little Lesley, works for no wages - and never has even a penny for pocket money - for he can't buy you the most beautiful present fairy-land ever heard of, as he would just love to do. But he is going to carry you in his heart always. Soon he will be over to see you - and that dear mummy and daddy of yours. It'll be just after your first birthday. After that, Uncle Leslie will go away for ever so long - well, just forever to some island in the Big, Big Ocean called the Pacific - to spend his life with little black children, teaching them how to pray just like little white children, and to love God and serve Him here in this life, so that, when their short little stay here is over and they go back to Him, they may not be strangers to Him - wouldn't that be dreadful? - but recognise Him and feel very happy to meet and be with Someone they know and love.

I see your little mouth wide open and your eyes, and your little brow surprised. You did not know you were so wonderful. All this in store for you! Yes - ask your mummy isn't it so. Why, baby dear, if it were not I would not be where I am and what I am, giving up most things men love, if it were not all true, and if God did not want me to make as many people think of these things as possible. You see our life is very very long - it never stops. We must live on - we cannot get out of it. Here for 60 years - oh dear, how short, for here I'm half way and it's all gone like a week, and then with God for 60? no. 600? no, nor 6,000 or 6,000,000 but just always.

Oh dear little Lesley June, if I want you to be happy, as happy can be for 60 years - how much more for always - you and your Mumsie and Daddy. Tell Daddy to write to me for you some day. And now baby niece goodbye with ever so much love and many kisses from

your ever loving uncle

Leslie Rumble M.S.C.

X X X X X

In early childhood, Lesley often visited her grandmother, Kate, who by that time was a devout Roman Catholic. Lesley recalled her Christening:

Christening Rheumatic Fever as a child 1939: The Second World War Dancing at the Embassy Working at Boans The E S & A Bank (This later became the ANZ Bank) Taking a job in the Eastern States Visiting Uncle Les Return to Perth: Joining Woodsons Meeting Jim Carroll 1951 : Marriage		I'm the only one that was christened Church of England because, at the time, I often spent time with Granny. Mum told me she was always terrified that one day Granny would whip me along to the Roman Catholic church and have me baptised a Roman Catholic. So she went out to the nearest Church of England and got me Christened. The Wittons and the Love's - Mum's Mother and Father's families - were Methodist. My sisters, Ailsa and Alison, were both Christened in the Wesley church. My mother was a fairly strong Christian Scientist, though not so much when it came to a serious illness, as when I developed rheumatic fever at the time she was carrying Alison. For that I was under the care of a doctor the whole time. But she wouldn't have a doctor for minor complaints. Eventually I broke away from that church, but had a certain amount of early training in it because we were all sent to the Christian Science Sunday school as young girls. Lesley was unlucky as a girl, as she had three attacks of Rheumatic fever. The first was when she was six years old, then at eleven when her youngest sister Alison was born, and again when she was twenty one. Lesley said: Rheumatic fever is an inflammation and swelling of all the joints, and is quite incapacitating. Some say it is a forerunner to arthritis. I don't know whether it ever passes away. They used to tell me that it left me with a weak heart, a heart "murmur." That's why, all through school age, I couldn't take part in many school sports. My mother always had slight rheumatics. Towards the end of her life she developed arthritis, whereas my sisters developed it in their early adult life. I think that, as a child, I took my illness in my stride. In my school days not much was organised for us compared with today. We did have a sports day at school, and I may have entered a race, but the school only concentrated on those who could win. I never played any hard sport. Later, I tried tennis once, for a while, but got too puffed, so had to give that up. I would watch the odd football match with friends. By the time I was sixteen the war had broken out, and I was only just starting a commercial education. It was in 1939 that Lesley turned sixteen. The quiet city of Perth changed as the effects of the second world war were felt. Young civilians were replaced by soldiers and sailors, including many Americans, who were either based in Perth and Fremantle, or who took their recreational leave there. There was a general blackout. She said: You weren't game to go out at night with so many soldiers and sailors wandering around, including the Americans. All the street lights were out. Everything was against you, if you were on your own. Much of our entertainment was with the family, but we did have some entertainment outside the home. I often went dancing at the old Embassy, on the corner of William Street and the Esplanade, or Bazaar Terrace, as it was then known. This was `The' ballroom in the war years, and quite elegant. There were many chandeliers, and a big balcony that went round the side where you could look down on the dance floor. There were loges where groups could sit. The bands were good. Some nights they had modern dancing and others were old time ballroom dancing. Throughout the war all the men were servicemen. Those who were not in the services were older men, and probably married. I had a few girl friends, and we went along to the Embassy regularly on a Friday night. The men were always being posted away. It was a case of `now you meet them, and now you don't'. If you met a particular one you liked, then you kept in touch by writing, but otherwise, they just went on their way. It was like a passing parade. g After completing her commercial training Lesley worked first for Boans, a large Department store located between Murray and Wellington streets, near the railway station. Then she had six months with an estate agent before joining the English, Scottish and Australian bank. She stayed with them until the end of the war. I was working as a teller's clerk - everything was done by hand in those days - I did ledger work. They'd never heard of a computer. It's all changed so much over the years. We had to do everything by hand - and stay there until it balanced. The banks worked Saturday mornings and many a Saturday I spent working till four or five in the afternoon. I enjoyed the work because they had a good crowd working for them. When I did branch work, it was all by hand. Head office had a few ledger machines, but they were very small. At one time the bank transferred Lesley to a branch where her father kept his own account. She had access to all the details of his banking transactions, and she said that her father `did not like it at all, not one little bit.' After a bout of rheumatic fever in 1944, Lesley decided to take a job in the Eastern States. Mum was absolutely horrified that I should be going away from home at not much over twenty-one, to live on my own for two years. You'd have thought I wanted to go to America or England. She wasn't too sure about it, but she let me go. Dad organised a book-keeping job for me with a paint company in Melbourne. Later Mum came over and had a holiday with me, and we went up to Sydney and visited Uncle Les. I went over by train, sharing a compartment. This was early 1946. It was very different from today. We sat up overnight from Adelaide to Melbourne. At first, I stayed with some friends that mum knew. Then, Ailsa came over in 1947. She chose that as a twenty-first birthday present. She took leave just before Christmas and stayed with me until after Christmas. Then we both came home on a cargo boat that took about twenty-five passengers. That was quite enjoyable. g On her return to Perth Lesley eventually joined the firm of Woodsons which later changed its name to "Anchor Products." There she met Jim Carroll. When I first worked at Woodsons it was my job to do all the wages, and have them ready for pay day on Friday. I didn't see much of Jim, as he was away travelling during the week, but he would come in for a Friday staff meeting. At first I did not think much of him. I thought he had a price on himself, was self-opinionated, and seemed to have many girlfriends. Then I went to a party. The fellow who was to take me home was under the weather, and I wouldn't go with him, so Jim was asked if he would take me home. And that's how it started. There had been a few romances in the office, so we kept our relationship as quiet as possible. The day our engagement appeared in the paper, quite a few got the shock of their lives. They couldn't believe it! We were engaged on 17th. March, 1950 and married on 3 March 1951. I continued to work for a while, even after I became pregnant. I worked for about another three months. Accommodation was very, very difficult when we first married. Initially we lived with Jim's parents. We had made an application for a house, but at that time, there were restraints on what you could build, and you were restricted to 1200 square feet because of the continuing shortages after the war.

Buying an block of land Embezzled by the Agent Family Health Problems Retirement		Jim and Lesley purchased a block of land in East Victoria Park and waited for a long time, through an agent, to have their house built. They had bad luck as the agent embezzled their funds, and they lost their deposit of ,150, which represented about fifteen week's wages. It threw them back eighteen months, but taught them to be careful. Their first child, Graeme, was born while they were living with Jim's parents. He was almost two and a half when they finally moved into their own house in June, 1954. Graeme was born in 1952, Stephen in 1954, and Janine in 1959. As the children grew, they became interested in sport. Both boys excelled in Australian Rules football, and also played much cricket. Lesley and Jim found they were operating a taxi service for their sons, taking them to and from their sporting venues. In 1971, when Stephen was finishing, and Janine was about to start high school, they moved from Victoria Park to 21 Monash Avenue, Como. When Lesley was in her forties she ran into a health problem that caused much difficulty for herself and for the entire family. A body-chemistry imbalance developed that caused a series of breakdowns. As a result, her daughter Janine, throughout her teenage years, had to depend more on her father than on her mother. It was a long time before the medical profession came to realise that it was a hormonal problem. Fortunately, it passed away and Lesley was once again able to enjoy life. She thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to go with Jim on a study-tour/holiday to the United States, and to trips to the Gold Coast and Tasmania. By the end of 1990 Lesley and Jim were retired. They had eight grandchildren.

Born 1926

Ailsa was a tom-boy as a child and did things with her Dad.

ilsa, second daughter of Euean Humfrey Rumble and Muriel Love, was born in Western Australia on 10 August 1926. She was three years younger than her sister Lesley, and eight years older than her sister Alison.

In 1991, Lesley, recalling Ailsa's early life, wrote:

As a child, Ailsa was a real tom-boy. She followed her father everywhere, preferring to do things with him rather than engage in more girlish amusements. She was a great source of enjoyment to her father, as he had no sons.

She was a very active girl, interested in sports.

After school she became a legal secretary.

¹ 16006M

Ailsa went to Perth Girls School for her secondary education. She then took a secretarial course and qualified as a legal secretary. She was a very active person as a teenager and took part in several sports including cycling, swimming, tennis and horse-back riding. Her cousin Bob¹, the oldest son of her uncle Horace, recalled in 1991 that sometimes Ailsa went sailing on the Mercedes at Rottnest. Bob was four years older than Ailsa and remembered her as a very good-looking, sun-tanned, active girl, who liked to be involved in everything.

During WWII she became a hostess in American Service clubs.

² See the entry for Dorothy Joan Fall (16020F) who married one of these American Sailors.

She went to work at Christmas Island, then in Singapore.

Then she went to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

In the latter part of the Second World War years she became a hostess at one of the clubs formed in Perth to entertain American servicemen on leave².

After completing her secretarial training Ailsa first worked in Perth for a Law firm. Then she worked for the Emu Brewery, and then for the W.A. Transport Board. Next she accepted a position with the British Phosphate Commission who were mining at Christmas Island off the North-West coast of Australia. In 1952 she left Perth for Christmas Island.

Following a period at Christmas Island, she worked for the British Colonial Service in Singapore. She then moved to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea in 1954 at the age of twenty-eight. There, she worked in the Crown Law Department as secretary to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of P.N.G.

BASEDEN

DESCENDANCY

CHART

John, born in 1934, spent some of his boyhood in Geraldton, where he became interested in boats

ohn Thomas, the son of Jack Baseden and Eleanor Jane Love, was born at York, Western Australia, on 11 August 1934.

The Baseden descendancy chart is shown below:

15109AM‑‑ Jack BASEDEN (b.1896)

15109AF sp‑Eleanor Jane LOVE (b.1896)

│

├──16084AF‑‑ Olga Bernice BASEDEN (b.1924)

│

├──16085AM‑‑ Stanley C BASEDEN (b.1926)

│

└──16017AM-- John Thomas BASEDEN (b.1934)

16017AF sp‑Alison Lynette RUMBLE (b.1934)

│

├──17054AF‑‑ Sharon Alison BASEDEN (b.1959)

├──17055AF‑‑ Michelle Lee BASEDEN (b.1963)

└──17162AM‑‑ Darrel John A BASEDEN (adopted) (b.1967)

╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗

║ For the descendants of John and Alison ║

║ see the Humfrey Rumble chart on page 44 ║

╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝

His father, as a butcher, moved around from York to Kalgoorlie, to Youanmi, and then to Geraldton. By this time, John was about eleven or twelve years of age. He became very interested in boats and had control of a small dinghy. John had a happy and an enjoyable boyhood in Geraldton. In particular, he made some very good Italian friends, and he enjoyed the spaghetti to which he was introduced. When his parents moved to Bundaberg in Queensland, John went with them. It was later, when they returned to Western Australia and settled in Maylands, that he met Alison Rumble.

He became engaged to Alison Rumble at the age of 19. They married when they were 21.

They met through mutual friends Vivienne Smith and Basil Tredgold. John had known Basil, his best friend, since his Geraldton days. At the age of nineteen John and Alison became engaged. They did not want to wait long for marriage, but he respected Alison's mother's wish that they not marry until they were both twenty-one.

Following the birth of two daughters, he and Alison adopted a boy.

He and Alison were married on 9 September 1955. They had two children, Sharon and Michelle. Alison was advised against having a third child, and John seemed happy with just the two girls. However, Alison thought it would be nice for him to have a son, and she suggested adopting a child. Alison recalled that it took two years to wear him down before he finally agreed. In 1967 they adopted Darrel.

Working in the building trade, John became a ceiling fixer.

Eventually he supervised large jobs.

John worked in the building trade where he installed ceilings. He worked all his life in this trade, often taking on large jobs. Sometimes he worked away from home up in the north of the State for a few weeks at a time. When the State Government made major extensions to the Royal Perth hospital, the company for which John worked obtained the ceiling work contract. By this time John was supervising rather than doing the work himself. He was very conscientious and reliable.

John and Alison built three homes: The first was at Yokine. The next two were at Wembley Downs

He and Alison built their first home at Yokine, moving eventually from there to another home in Wembley Downs. Alison was very happy with their second home but John bought another block of land in Wembley Downs and built a third house. This was a large house with five bedrooms and with ocean views.

He and his family often went boating

He had a small power boat at first, when they lived at Yokine

John was interested in boating from his early days at Geraldton. When they first married and were living at Yokine he bought a hull and completed a small power boat himself. This was much used for family pleasure. They made trips from Rockingham to Garden Island, the family often returning soaking wet from the spray.

He then bought an 18 foot launch. He liked the beach, the river, and water skiing.

After the family had moved to Wembley Downs John bought an eighteen foot launch. Alison's friend Vivienne and her husband Ron often joined them with their own boat for outings on the Swan River. John enjoyed water skiing. He always loved the beach and the water.

His third boat was a large trimaran on which the entire family could live. They had many holidays at Rottnest Island.

Although this boat had a small cabin, there was insufficient space for the family to live on board. John thought of buying a houseboat, but eventually acquired a trimaran. This was thirty-six feet long and twenty feet wide. With a galley, refrigerator and bunks, it was like a small caravan. On this boat the family had many enjoyable holidays, often at Rottnest Island, twelve miles off the coast. Once they went north of Lancelin. Most weekends were spent sailing. In 1991 John still owned this trimaran.

In the 1970s, John formed another relationship.

He and Alison separated in 1977 and were divorced in 1979.

In the mid-1970s John, through helping someone with marriage problems, became involved in another relationship. He started absenting himself from home, and this caused problems for the family. He and Alison separated in 1977, and were divorced in 1979. The children stayed with Alison although Darrel, when he was fourteen, lived with his father for a time.

In 1986 when Alison moved to a small house, John helped prepare it for her.

In 1985 Alison decided to sell the large house in which she was living, and looked for a smaller place. When, in 1986, she found what she wanted, John helped by inspecting the new house and by fixing up the bathroom and toilet for her.

SUMMARY

{Alison made the quotations, given below, in 1990.}

lison, the third child of Euean Humfrey Rumble and Muriel Love, was born at Subiaco, Western Australia, on 29 July 1934. On 9 September 1955 she married John Baseden. They had two children, Sharon and Michelle, and adopted a boy, Darrel in 1968. They were divorced in 1979.Alison was the youngest of three girls. Often she felt like an only child because of the age difference between herself and her sisters.

She said:

Alison was much closer to her parents than to her sisters because they were older than she.

I think in some ways I would have had more to do with my Mum and Dad than with Lesley and Ailsa. Because they were at school, or working, I don't recall much about them. By the time I was four, Ailsa was twelve. Lesley was fifteen. I remember that when I was four I took a little case - one of the biscuit cases you could buy at the Royal Show in those days - and I walked from home in Federal Street Subiaco to meet Ailsa coming back from school.

Her mother Muriel was horrified, but Alison remembers feeling very proud of herself. She was also very proud of her older sisters, felt part of a very happy family, and was very close to her parents.

Ailsa said she was spoilt

Ailsa said I was the spoilt one, being the last in the family. I did not feel that, but Mum was very good to us all, devoting her life to her family. I've got very fond memories of her. I think I was a bit of a surprise - the last baby - but Mum said she never wanted any boys, and Dad didn't mind. I can remember going around with Dad, sitting up on his shoulders. He'd take me fishing with him.

Like her mother she grew up a quiet girl, very shy with people she did not know well.

Alison was shy. She spent much time with her Dad in his garage, or at the local dump.

Being shy, I was around the family a lot. I was often out with Dad in his workshop in the garage. It was a paradise for children, with rows of half-broken-down toys. The garage had no doors, and Dad left the car permanently outside. He loved finding broken objects - such as bicycles - on the city dump. He would bring them home and say he'd fix them up one day. Sometimes he did fix them up, but very rarely. He was always down at the dump. I would go down with him, and maybe take a friend with me. He was constantly showing us interesting things.

Her father would take her to find wildflowers. He was very enthusiastic and all the children loved him.

When on holidays at Yanchep, or Busselton, or some other area, her father would take her into the bush to find wildflowers. He would show her spider and other orchids. He noticed little things that other men passed by. He was enthusiastic about everything he did, was generous to everybody, so all children loved him. Alison liked to be with her Dad because he was so easy going.

Alison learnt the piano for six years

I learnt to play the piano at the convent for six years, and took music as one of my subjects in the Junior exam. Mum bought me lots of sheet music from the musical comedy shows, and my sister Lesley had a very nice singing voice.

Her mother, Muriel, took charge of discipline. She taught Alison to be well behaved and gentle.

Alison's mother, Muriel, always took responsibility for discipline in the home. More by example than by command, she taught Alison to be well behaved. Muriel was a very gentle person, so Alison became gentle. Alison would not think of disobeying her mother, and felt that Muriel had a big influence on her own development.

Like her sisters, Alison went to primary school in Bagot Road, Subiaco. She developed several lifelong friends from those early days, including Vivienne Smith, Shirley Wright and Pamela Coney - who went to the convent and lived around the corner. Another friend was Daphne Hugo whose father, Ron, was a friend of her much older cousin, Jim Rumble. It was Ron who helped spark Jim's lifelong interest in Amateur Radio.

She remembered the second world war and the Americans in Perth

At school in 1944, when she was ten, Alison remembered air-raid practice, and the trenches that the school built during World War II. She remembered also the blackouts at night. She recalled that, when she was eight, both her sisters had American boy-friends. When these young servicemen visited her home they often brought chocolate and butter for her mother. This was much appreciated by the family, as a rationing system was in force. Both chocolate and butter were in short supply.

At the age of ten she had a fascination for babies

At this same period she developed a fascination for babies, often wanting to mind those of mothers in her street. This fascination continued into later life.

Muriel sent Alison to St. Mary's College for three years of secondary schooling. She did not like it as she left all her friends behind.

¹NOTE: In Australia the word College is often used to refer to a private secondary (i.e. high-) school, usually taking both boarding and day scholars.

Alison's mother wanted one of the girls to finish her schooling at a private college¹. Alison recalled this:

Mum decided that, out of her three daughters, she badly wanted one to go to college¹. She didn't get anywhere with Lesley or Ailsa. They flatly refused and said, No, they weren't going. So I went. She sent me to St.Mary's in West Perth when I was twelve. I had my high school years there. I didn't really like it at first because nobody went there from the Bagot Road school. I had to start all over again to make new friends, and I was shy.

Eventually Alison formed new, but not life-long, friends at the new school. She had a very likeable maths and physics teacher who took the class on outings, and also to her home.

At age 15 she was allowed to take dancing lessons at Winnie Wright's dance studio.

At the age of fifteen Alison was in her last school year and sat for the "Junior" examination at the end of the year. During this year her friend Shirley asked Muriel if Alison could learn dancing with her at Winnie Wright's dance studio in Perth. Muriel knew that Alison was shy and did not have many outlets so, much to Alison's surprise, she agreed. She always encouraged Alison to meet new people.

Dancing made her more outgoing

The dancing classes were good for Alison. They made her socially more outgoing. She enjoyed them and eventually became a good dancer. Her friend Pam became a dancing teacher.

The Junior examination terrified her. She passed

7 out of 9 subjects.

Alison sat for her Junior examination at the end of the third year of high school. While she had done well at school, the examinations terrified her. She was very happy when she passed seven out of her nine subjects.

She went to City Commercial College, then started working for a stock-broking firm.

Following school, she took a course at City Commercial College. Then, at age sixteen, before completing her certificate, the College offered her a job with a stock and share-broking company in St.George's Terrace, Perth. She took the job and finished her course at night school. She started work on a wage of ,3/3/- per week. Over two years she spent with the company she became secretary to one of the stockbrokers.

She was a good worker, but might have preferred to work with small children, had that been possible in her day.

² 1990

Alison was a good, steady and conscientious worker. She enjoyed secretarial work, and was very happy with it. However, at that time there were few opportunities for girls and, had there been the range of employment prospects that are available today², she may well have made a different choice. With her interest in small children she felt that day-care, or a similar activity, might have attracted her more.

She joined a basketball club and played for four years.

In the year that she started her commercial training Alison joined the City Commercial Basketball Club, taking part in matches held on the Esplanade in central Perth, near the Swan river. Today the game is called netball. Alison enjoyed the sport and continued playing for four years until the club broke up through the marriage and movement of the members.

After going to a basketball ball at Anzac House, Alison started going out with John Baseden.

Although Alison enjoyed dancing, she was still very shy, and found it difficult to make friends with boys. She often felt at dances that she was a wallflower. It was through her friend Vivienne, who was very popular with the boys, that she met John Baseden, a boy of her own age. She recalled:

I went to a basketball ball at Anzac House in St. George's Terrace when I was a little over seventeen. Vivienne brought along two of her friends, John and Basil. I did not dance with John that evening, but later I started going out with him.

When she had been out at night, Alison always had a chat with her mother before going to bed.

Whenever I went out, Mum was always awake when I returned home. We usually sat on the bed and had a chat before I went to sleep. She would ask whether I had had an enjoyable time. She was always hoping I would meet a nice boy like John because she knew how shy I was and how hard I found it to associate with boys.

Alison & John became engaged after 18 months. Then, at Muriel's insistence, they waited 2 years before marrying.

Alison and John went out together for about eighteen months before they became engaged. She did not want a long engagement, but her mother insisted that they wait until they were both twenty-one.

Alison said:

So we were engaged for two years. Both John and I wanted a shorter engagement, but Mum was set in her ways. Once she had made up her mind, nothing would change it. Perhaps she thought I was the baby of the house and hoped I would be with her for much longer. Lesley did not marry until she was twenty-seven, and Ailsa was thirty-two. Maybe she did not want to lose me. Perhaps she also wanted us to be more secure financially before our marriage.

At 18, Alison worked two years for the RAC, then with a chartered accountant.

When she was eighteen Alison worked for the Royal Automobile Club for two years. Eventually she took another job with a chartered accountant, as she wished to avoid Saturday morning work.

They bought a block of land at Yokine, on what proved to be swampy ground.

It was summer time when she and John bought a block of land on swampy ground in Yokine, a northern suburb of Perth. John tested the ground by digging a hole six feet deep. It was dry but when the next winter rains came, the back of the block was well under water.

There was no road. They made a track and built a garage in which to live.

They were surrounded by bush. The nearest road, Grand Promenade, was two blocks away. So they made their own access track. John built a garage in which they might live while constructing the house, and he laid the house foundations.

Alison and John were married on 9 September, 1955. Alison recalled:

After their wedding they went back to their garage.

There they found a notice that they could not live there until there was proper sanitation.

We went back the first night to stay in our garage before we set off on our honeymoon. I had put up curtains, so it looked as though we were already living in it. When we arrived we found a note awaiting us stating that, as the property did not have adequate toilet facilities, we could not live there. So, after our honeymoon, we went back to John's parents for a few weeks. For a toilet, John put up a lean-to, and the night-man came every week to remove the pan. As soon as we had completed the foundations of the house John built the back portion with the laundry and toilet.

With the help of friends they built their house.

At the RAC Alison saved for a refrigerator, table and chairs.

She learnt upholstery and dressmaking, and put these skills to good use.

They saved for items they needed rather than borrow credit.

When you are young it is not difficult to live under hard circumstances

Slowly, with the help of friends, they built their house. It was fortunate that John worked in the building trade. Alison continued working and earned about half John's wage. She was constantly on the telephone at work, arranging supplies and services for the house. Her girl-friend Shirley had married Ernie Wilkes, who was a fitter and turner working for West Australian Newspapers. He was also a very good carpenter and was building his own house. So John and Ernie helped each other. While Alison worked for the RAC she carefully saved money rather than let it fritter away. She was able to buy a refrigerator and a table and chairs for her new home. Alison learnt upholstery for three years and upholstered their chairs and bed-head. She learnt dress-making and enjoyed making her children's clothes. Neither she nor John liked using credit. Items they needed were not bought until they had saved for them.

Looking back at these early years, Alison felt that, when you are young, there is a sense of achievement to be had by living under difficult circumstances with nothing behind you, and by working hard to establish yourself. There might be hardship, but the challenge was pleasurable.

Because she felt nervous, John bought Alison a

ferocious dog.

Sometimes John worked away from home. Alison felt very nervous by herself in such a lonely place, so they obtained a Kelpie Cross from the dog refuge.

This made Alison feel safe. As she said, "He barked, and would have ripped the heck out of anything that moved."

They completed, and moved into their house. Sharon was born in 1959, and Michelle in 1963.

In 1966 they moved to Wembley Downs.

Alison gave up work when she had saved enough money for their immediate needs. She hoped to start a family and fortunately her daughter Sharon was born on 3 June 1959 about nine months after she gave up work. By that time they had moved out of the garage and into the house. A second daughter, Michelle, was born in 1963. In 1966, when Sharon was seven, they built a new house in Wembley Downs, and later moved to a third and bigger home in the same street.

Alison and John adopted a baby boy.

Alison always wanted children. She thought it would be nice for John to have a son. They arranged to adopt a baby boy through the Child Welfare Department. An officer from the Department inspected the home and interviewed Alison. Three month's later they contacted John and asked him to come for an interview. Alison recalled his return home:

He pulled a card out of his pocket and said, `How would you like to go and see a baby tonight?' So we went to view little Darrel John. He was only a couple of weeks old. I think he was nearly three weeks old, perhaps, by the time I got him . . . He was a beautiful, placid little baby, an absolute delight. He never cried. He slept all night, and he didn't cry when he woke up for his dinner. He just stayed there twiddling his thumbs, or whatever. And he was just like that the whole time he was really little. The two girls were very proud of their baby brother.

When Darrel was three or four, Alison and John started telling him that he was adopted.

Alison suffered progressively from arthritis, and had to take to a wheel-chair. This put a strain on the family.

In adult life Alison suffered progressively from arthritis. In this she was like her two sisters. This forced her eventually to take to a wheel chair. She followed the Christian Science teaching of her mother, and this was a great strength to her. She maintained a happy approach to life, but her disability put strains on her family. Her children wanted her to do all the things that other mothers did. Often this was not possible. Alison made up for this in other ways, particularly through boating activities and holidays. Her eldest daughter Sharon had acaring nature, but the two younger children were high-spirited. Darrel became rebellious, like many children of his age.

John formed another relationship and left home in 1977. Alison and John were divorced in 1979.

In the mid-1970s John became involved in another relationship. In 1977 he left home, and he and Alison were divorced in 1979. Without a father around the house it became more difficult for the children, and for Alison. Darrel was very attached to his father, and usually did everything his father told him. Now, without his father around the house, he became more rebellious.

Reflecting on the marriage break-up, Alison said:

Alison reflected on this.

We did have a lot of good years, and that's what I really had to work at. The good years we did have were better than the years that some people never have. It doesn't mean that because you're married, you've had a happy life. Some people just stick together, but that doesn't always give the answer. We should remember the good times, because they are the only important things in life. My family became most important, and I devoted all my time to them. It's not easy, and it's a very big challenge. My family and my sister Lesley were a great help to me, as were my old life-long friends. I've listened to all sorts of people. My Church friends have been of help in a special way as together we are learning to know God better, and to put him more into our lives.

Her daughter Sharon lived with her for three years before going to study in America.

She was a wonderful help.

Sharon helped her mother for three years until, at age twenty-one, she went to America to study. Alison said:

Sharon was eighteen when her Dad left home, and she was a wonderful help to me. We were like friends. She took the whole family out in her Morris Mini-minor car, with the wheel-chair on the back. We always put our trust in God, and all our needs were taken care of.

Michelle took over when Sharon left.

They also took in a male boarder for two years who proved a great success

When Sharon went overseas, Michelle, who was seventeen, took over the role of helping her mother. Darrel stayed with his Dad. Alison could half-prepare the meals. She had help for house-cleaning and ironing. Alison decided to take in a girl-boarder to help, and advertised at the Churchlands Teachers' Training College. The girl-boarder finally turned out to be Gary, a nice, caring, eighteen-year-old lad who was in desperate need of accommodation. He said he `loved washing-up,' and was a great success. He often studied at night and this gave Michelle the freedom to go out.

In 1981 Sharon married an American class-mate. Alison, John & Michelle went to the wedding.

Alison and Michelle made a second visit to USA

Sharon became engaged to John Rooker, an American class-mate. Alison and Michelle went over to the wedding on 9 May 1981 in San Diego, California, USA. John was also present. Alison and Michelle made a second visit to the United States after Sharon had her first child, Natalie. Michelle and Alison looked after Natalie while Sharon and her husband took part in a training course.

Michelle returned home after five months. Alison became ill, returned to Australia and was hospitalised for a period.

Lesley gave her marvellous help.

Michelle stayed five months in America before returning to Australia, while Alison stayed eleven months. Unfortunately during this period Alison became very ill and, returning to Australia, was hospitalised for seven months and then spent some time in a nursing home. During this period her older sister Lesley gave her constant help and encouragement. Alison said that what Lesley did to get her back on her feet was simply marvellous.

On her recovery she returned to the family home. Darrel lived with her for two years.

Alison returned to her old family home and Darrel, almost nineteen, came to live with her for about two years. As Darrel had not been with her for five years, this was a great joy. He helped her get up in the morning before going to work, and he was a good cook. Alison also had a live-in helper, so Darrelhad the freedom to go out at night. He often livened up the place by bringing his mates home.

Sharon paid her a five month visit in October 1985.

Alison moved to a smaller house in Eden Hill.

Sharon and her two children visited Alison for five months - from October 1985 to February 1986 - while her husband served overseas in the Navy. While Sharon was with her, Alison planned to move into a smaller house. The family home was sold and Alison was overjoyed when a suitable place was found in Eden Hill, an outer northern suburb of Perth.

By 1991 Alison enjoyed group activities with the Red Cross and with the Bassendean Day Care centre

³ This was written in early

1991

She took³ part in some group activities. Through the Red Cross she enjoyed fabric painting. Twice a week "Meals-on-Wheels" came to her home. Once a week she attended the Bassendean Community Day Care centre. She found much sharing there so that, in addition to receiving, she could also give. She did craft work for the annual fete run by the centre. The proceeds from this helped pay for a monthly bus outing to places of interest.

Her religious faith is very important to her.

Alison's religious faith was very important to her, and she went to Church every Sunday. Concerning her attitude to life, she said:

She commented on her attitude to life.

I've always gone to church. My Mum saw that we went to Sunday School. It was the Christian Science Church, and I've stayed with that church. I don't know where I would have been if I hadn't had the feeling that God was helping me with whatever . . . I can feel a great closeness there, and it's something that grows, too, as you go along . . .

You get that comfort from the feeling that Love is there with you, even if you think you are all on your own, you're not really all on your own. That's what's had to bring me through . . .

I've learnt a lot. I've learnt how to cope with it. It's easy to go along, when everything is going fine. You don't need to think too much about anything. It's when things go wrong that you find the testing time . . .

There are things I can't do, but the things I can do, I do with great joy . . . I wipe off the things I can't do. I try to make up for this in other ways. I put myself in the Father's care each day and let Him show me the way. You've got to work with what you can do at the moment. I can be happy . . . and I always welcome anybody that comes to my house. That is important to me.

Alison died on 25 July 1991

Note: Not long after Alison approved the above text, she was admitted to hospital and became very ill. She died on 25 July 1991.

A BRIEF STATEMENT ABOUT

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

The Foundation of

Christian Science

The nature of reality

All drugs and material forms of healing are rejected

Some may have a surgeon set a broken bone as it is a

mechanical adjustment

Christian Science was central to Alison's life. Her daughter Sharon became a Christian Science nurse. Several aspects of this faith are summarised below:

Christian Science grew out of an experience in 1866 by Mary Baker Eddy. The First Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in Massachusetts in 1895 with the founding aim: `To organise a church designed to commemorate the work and words of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing.' Christian Scientists believe that all physical appearances are deceiving. Reality is to be found in better awareness and understanding of God. In particular, all pain, sorrow, sin, and disease, it is believed, are errors of the human mind, arising from wrong thinking. These errors can be overcome and healed by prayer and regeneration.

Devout Christian Scientists reject all drugs and all forms of material healing, both for themselves and their family, no matter how severe the illness or physical damage suffered in an accident. Christian Scientists, like everybody else, are free agents. As members of the Church it is understood that they will rely on God instead of drugs for healing. They voluntarily choose this way because they believe it more effective than any other. But members will not be censured by the Church if, in extreme circumstances, they resort to material means. For example, some Christian Scientists have a broken bone set by a surgeon. Others prefer to rely wholly on God's power. The setting of a bone, of course, does not involve drug therapy; it is a mechanical adjustment. Thus, it can be seen as different from regular medical treatment. Christian Scientists, however, point to many records where broken bones have been healed entirely through prayer.

Christian Science

Practitioners give their

full time to healing

Prayer is the desire to let God's Will be done.

Christian Science Practitioners give their full time to the public practice of Christian Science healing. The work is both a ministry and a profession. While it is done out of love for God and man, the practitioner must also earn a living, so fees are charged. Healing is achieved through prayer; through turning completely to God for the answer to one's problems, whether it seems a disease of the body or a discord within the family. It calls for an understanding of God and His laws; it calls for systematic study of the bible and of the Christian Science textbook; it calls for opening one's heart and mind to the love and the law of God. In the old Christian phrase, it means being born again.

Prayer is the desire to let God's Will be done. It does not mean pleading with God. We do not always have to put it into words. It is often the heart's silent desire to find our true self-hood as the child of God that brings healing into our lives.

There are no ordained ministers in the Church, and no sacraments or baptism or Holy Communion in the conventional sense.