Nancy's Memoirs 7
30/9/89:
From a very early age we were sent to Sunday School. It was about a mile to walk. My first
teacher was Joy Lane who married Charlie Litschner. Later on Albert Tones was my
teacher, then Albert Woodward & Mrs Thelma Schultz, wife of the Minister, Colin Schultz.
Other teachers were May Carseldine (later Mrs Les Woodward), Mrs Grace Woodward,
Hazel Deans (married HartXXX), Joan Lane (married Bill Burgess).
Shirley & I joined joined "Rays", an organization of the church for girls. It was held in the
church hall Sat. afternoons and we enjoyed going for hikes, indoor tunnel ball games and
making crepe paper trimmed "baskets" for sweets for sale at Flower Show & Fetes.
When we were teenagers we joined "Comrades" which met Thursday nights. The boys
group were called "Order of Knights" held in the church vestry at the same time. We
combined for refreshments & socialising in the hall after the meetings. Sometimes we
performed plays or sang for money raising concerts for the church.
When I was about 16 yrs old I joined the church adult choir along with Janice Garden, my
friend. Janice married Bib Bagley & went to live at Montville. Mrs Edith N. Clarke was our
organist & Mrs Sylvia Jackson Choir Mistress. Other singers were:
Mrs Nancy Carseldine (Bank Manager's wife),
Mrs Norms Brett (wife of sawmill owner),
Mrs Beryl Dunning (wife of owner of Victory Theatre, Bob),
Wal Dunning (Co-owner of Victory Theatre)
and Rev. Ken Delbridge.
We practised Tues. evenings and sang in church every Sunday night. Ruth Hobart was also
a member.
In 1954 I joined the Methodist Church at Albert St. Brisbane while attending the Bris. Girls
Grammar School. We were instructed for this by Miss Elvie Rees, Deaconess of the Church
who called at the school for this purpose after lessons.
My sister & I both received our secondary education, 2 yrs each as boarders at B.G.G.S.
Gregory Terrace, Brisbane. The years I was there were 1953-54. We were allowed a
weekend out every 4 or 5 weeks, or 2 per term, not of our choosing, but when they said so.
We travelled to and from Kilcoy on the Rail Motor, a 3 hour trip each way. We had a
concession ticket for this, gained by passing the scholarship examination. There were about
11 of us using this means of transport:
Joan Webster (Kilcoy),
Margaret Cross & Pat Rohde (Jimna),
Margaret Kruger (Cowah Station via Kilcoy & Jimna),
Bette Stringer (Woodford),
Helene King, Caboolture (daughter of bank manager, Commercial Bank),
Henry Bryers of Hazeldean who travelled with us to Caboolture & then to Nambour High
School,
Fay Richards who attended Moreton Bay High at Wynnum, and who lived at Sandy Ck.
Kilcoy.
When travelling we were required to wear full uniform. Navy skirt with 2 pleats each side
front and back. White over blouse on a band with revere collar, royal blue tie and silver
badge. White panama hat with royal blue band and embroidered badge in white. Navy
velour hat with blue band for winter. Black shoes and black stockings, navy gloves. Hair
was not allowed to be longer than collar length unless plaited.
For tea each night we wore white dresses and also for church on Sundays. 1953 gym tunics
were navy box pleated square necked pinafores with white square necked blouse. Black
sand shoes, white socks (which went grey in the wash). Sand shoes had to be kept in a bag
in lockers. In 1954 the uniform was changed for gym to a Royal Blue 'Lystav' or 'Silk linen'
dress. 6 gore skirt, square neck, extended shoulder for sleeve pocket on chest - much
cooler. Navy bloomers had to be worn.
Petticoats were forbidden with the day uniform but a black half slip was allowed. These were
not catered for in the laundering & I always washed my own black stockings on Saturday
mornings, as when they were done in the school wash they turned green and purplish.
We had to put our laundry out in bags. Hankies had to be stitched together by the corners
to make for easier pegging out & sorting & always smelt sour. The school laundry was down
hill from the school, near the railway lines, and was an old timber building - unpainted & in
poor condition. We had to boil the copper Sat. mornings for hot water to wash your hair
there and dippers & basins were scarce & had to be "barred" from the previous person to
get one. Pathetic conditions!
At meal times we sat 12 or so to each table (5 tables). Each group moved to the next table
each week & you moved one space along. The white table cloths lasted 1 week & you got
one serviette per week which you kept in your own serviette ring to identify it. The girl sitting
on the left of the mistress of each table (who sat at the head) had to wait on the mistress.
This was very nerve wracking! Those sitting close to her had to make conversation with her,
and we hated this as we couldn't think what to say. We never heard news bulletins. We
were allowed to play the record player for dancing Saturday evenings or classical music on
Sunday afternoons. We usually gave that a wide miss Sunday afternoons. Thea Wilson
sometimes played the piano for dancing with each other Sat. evenings in the assembly hall.