N X 14522

Fred joined the A.I.F. at Paddington with Slop Arnott in 1940.He trained with the 2/5th Field Regiment(  Gunners ) wheras Slop joined the Cavalry.Dad  did his training at Holdsworthy and Bathurst.They were sent to Syria to fight the French.

 .

He and Slop spent their leave in Tel Aviv drinking beer and talking.

Because a gunners life was pretty tough ,digging trenches and being bombed by an opposition airforce ,so at 42 years of age he transferred to the Australian Canteen Service ,when he returned to Australia.

He was sent to Rockhampton  Queensland to manage the depot there.

 discharge cert.

Dad's medals included the Africa star,a six pointed star,granted for operations in North Africa from June 1940 to May 1943,of yellow copper-zinc alloy.The 1939-1945 6 point star design is copper zinc alloy with a ribbon of dark blue representing naval forces and merchant marine a red stripe army and light blue for the air force.

Defence medal awarded for 6 months service  in Syria incorporating areas subject to enemy air attack.This medal is cupro nickle. King George v1 ribbon is orange, green outer stripes representing the islands of the UK,black for blackouts.

The AIF kit bag was first issued in 1914,made of canvas,and used a pillow at times.The Australian war memorial is unable to name the designer or details if it is still issued to our troops. the units color patch was dark brown, red and green ,which Dad said symbolised "through the Mud and Blood to the Greenfields of victory

In 1945 Mum took Lindsey and me to Rockhampton by train, a distance of 1,300 kilometres It was a three day trip,requiring we change trains in Brisbane,.as the Queensland rail guage is narrower than NSW for the trip to Rockhampton.

We stayed at Yeppoon beside the beach about 30 k's from Rockhampton,living in a house next door to the Far West home run by Matron Jacobson,the next town was Emu Park.

Dad had some friends from the American Canteen Service called Scoff and Hovey who would call occasionally.

I spent my time digging tunnels under the lawn in the backyard,when the ground caved in I think I was unpopular.Dad collected us after the holiday in a Army truck,and was driving back to Rockhampton when we were stopped by the Military Police.Mum was in the front cabin and Lin and I were in the back with the spare wheel.

This may have ended Dad's career in the Army.

When he was discharged from the Army he used his defered pay to buy an X Army disposal International  truck,probably over a ton, metal cabin and canvas top over a timber back,with dual back wheels.

This was to be his work horse for the next 7 years.

Because of his prewar experience in the motor trade and his connections with Charlie Price,a spare parts traveller,he established a auto spare parts supply in the north of the state of NSW.

Travelling north on the Pacific Highway he established customers in garages,and motor repair organisations up to Murwillumbah in the north of the state.Because auto spare parts were in short supply at this time he had eager customers along the way.His return journey was down the New England Highway commencing at Tenterfield.

On one trip he took me along a 14 year old. At Taree he was serving a customer,and asked me to park the truck,which was old and cantankerous.

The ring gear on the starter motor was worn and damaged,if the motor started with the first depression of the starter pedal,fine. But if the ring gear didn't engage, you had to put your toe under the starter pedal,lift the lever and start again.

This day I started the motor, engaged 1st gear,after a double shuffell,this was not a synchromesh gear box,let out the clutch,edging forward to a parking spot a few meters ahead.

The town at the time had veranda posts supporting street awnings,customary in old Australian towns.

Because of inexperience,as I edged the truck into the parking spot,because of the camber of the road,the front left mudguard hit an upright post,damaging it. 

What was I to say to my father ?

I found him down the street,and said " Are you feeling strong " ?

He took it well,and instead of bursting into anger,came back to the truck to examine the damage.

When in Sydney Dad stayed at 16 Milson Road Cremorne with his Aunt Scott. This was a solid old two story brick building on the shores of Sydney Harbor,divided into two flats.Upstairs were Bunty and Neil an elderly retired couple,Neil had a thick Scottish accent,its possible he spent time in the navy.

Downstairs lived aunt Scott and uncle Jack,Dad's mum's sister.

The only thing separating the property from the water was a concrete walkway which connected Mosman Bay with Neutral Bay. There was also a swimming pool constructed in the harbor.

The Scott's flat had a large living room French windows on to a large wide veranda overlooking the harbor. Three bedrooms a small old kitchen and a tiny dining room.

There was a sandstone basement incomplete with no electric lighting,where Dad stored his automobile spare parts.

When he was preparing for another trip to the country,I would travel by ferry on Sunday to help load the truck,this involved carrying rolls of brake lining ,cartons of grease nipples and brass fittings up the path,then up the stairs to where the truck was parked in Milson Road.

There were no shelves in the truck, we talked about fitting them as it would make storage and access easier,but it never happened.So cartons were placed on top of one another,you required a good memory to know where parts were located.

I was 15 at the time,my sister never came,sometimes we worked till 7pm without completing the job.

Then aunt Scott would give us dinner,always two courses,main meal meat and two veg.followed by sweets,often with ice cream.

It was Dad's job to wash up,and mine to dry.

This was a very slow process, for some reason Dad would meticulous scrub each piece,spoon, fork, knife,plate and bowl,while I would stand waiting ,flicking the tea towel,and chatting to aunt Scott.

Aunt Scott would sometimes talk about her childhood,living on a farm at Twist creek, Yackandanda
Victoria where they grew tobacco and employed Chinese labor. Dad would then walk me down to the ferry warf for my trip home to Double Bay.

These were not joyful times for my father,he was going through a divorce,had very little social life,few friends,and his job took him away to the country for months at a time,staying in third rate hotels, the only thing that kept him going was he was starting to make money,a commodity that had eluded him for years.He also made friends with some of his customers who were probably returned service men and they would share a bond over a beer at the local hotel or RSL after work.
On Anzac day the 2/5th Field regiment held its reunion in the basement of the Town Hall.There beer would be drunk stories rekindled,including how the unit repaired Dad piles by turning him upside down to do the job.


Photo of Dad escorting Lindsey down the isle at St Marks Church Darling Point, at her marriage to
Warren Wright

Probably his proudest moment..He is wearing a new suit purchased for the occasion.

When Aunt Scott died in 1959,Dad had to find somewhere to live.and he choose where he spent his weekends as a youth,HARBORD
Hey presto 31 Hill street,possibley the oldest timber house in the suburb,very decrepid,very cheap.





Photo of Dad's Peaugot 202 car. The original owner was the Gillette company. The car was sold to me by John Cunningham a sales representative. I had the car for several years when working in shearing sheds. It had a fourth gear or overdrive which allowed the car to maintain a high speed on long trips to and from the country. Because of its suspension it also allowed one to take sharp corners at speed. The car developed rust and was in need of maintenance when I sold it to Don McLarty a grazier. He had the car extensively repaired including its universal, differential and the rust problem. So when Dad bought the car's its condition was vastly improved, except for the exhaust system which sounded raucous.

Once while driving home to Harbord, Dad noticed a Police officer following him, he was heading downhill to the Spit Bridge so very little acceleration, once he got on to lever road and then up the hill on the other side he had to accelerate, with the result the exhaust sound began to crackle

The Police officer pulled him over, and pointed to the exhaust, Dad played deaf, the officer asked what he had been doing and Dad responded with showing his pick and shovel in the back of the car.

Not satisfied that Dad understood the problem he got down on the roadway and pointed up at the exhaust, indicating it needed repairing. Not only did Dad not get a ticket (infringement notice ) but he had a chuckle on his way home.

                                Stuart Wright and Fred Williams . Middle grandchild.

Round 1965 I bought a house in Foam st Harbord and Fred sold his Hill street house and bought at auction 3/5 Morrell street Woollahra another timber ruin. The family helped him demolish these two houses and have Peter Hall design an attractive 3 bedroom courtyard house. He attempted to build it himself but realised the task was too great and had it built by a builder after some difficulties.

The final result was a glassed walled interior looking into grassed courtyard,white painted brickwork,polished timber floors,open fireplace and tiled roof.With a double garage on to the street and brick wall along the front boundary.A design all the family liked.Some time later Fred bought a private company Camera reproductions,to use as an investment vehicles.One of their investments was The Beef Machine.

 

 Round 1984 after my divorce I thought it a good idea to take all the family,Josh,Guy,sister Lin and father Fred to see New Zealand utilising a camper van to travel the North and South island,during the school summer holidays as a way of forging closer relations. 

We hired the van in Auckland and set off north for Russell and the bay of Islands,finally reaching Cape Reanger,turning south we called at most big cities. Including Invercargill in the south of the South Island.

Photos of van trip

At age 85,1987,he and his close neighbour in Spicer street, Mrs Mardi Tarlinton took a flight to London and visited all his previous old haunts,they visited Europe and used the trains as their hotel,boarding late evening and travelling sleeper class overnight,next day disembarking in a different city,and repeating the exercise for several weeks.

The following year Fred came to Hawkesbury Agricultural College on open day,where I was retraining taking a Horticulture certificate,which he enjoyed.

In 1988 at age of 86 dad died at his home in morrell st.

Gary and his bright yellow kiyack

It was early Monday morning when the phone rang " good'ay Gary How are you ?" The answer came " I'm  on Shark Island having a break from paddling my kyiack "
I had not seen Gary for over a year, so its a good opportunity to get together for coffee " He said I'll be there in an hour.
It turned out Gary had parked his car at Neutral Bay on a 4 hour meter,offloaded his Kyiack and paddled through the mist to this island in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
We met 25 years ago on the Hume and Hovel track walking 377 k's from Woomargama to Yass.
He originally had thought  I was a schoolteacher,which is a bit of a joke,not being scholastic.
On the walk we had struck up a very relaxed,fun friendship,sleeping under the stars and fantasizing what was out there.
He told me he had trained as a glazier,but was saddened by the glass cutting his fingers,so had tried different jobs over the years,including being a census collector with a big bag over his shoulder.He had also done a stint of fine dining which intrigued me.
Over the years we had met up for swimming at the Glenbrook dam in the Blue mountains and cycled round the headwaters of the Nepean river.
Fortunately he did not take me on his numerous trips across Bass Strait, but his stories have excited me
with his discoveries and adventure.
For a period he left his kyiack in my yard so he could practice his canoe roll, the ability to right oneself if your kyiack turns upside down in big seas.
On the hour there was Gary at the front door,removing his wet socks and rubber boots.
On went the kettle,and within minutes we had dispensed with the weather,and were on to family matters,showing me photos of his mum Sheila and dad  Des enjoying a family get together with their grandchildren.
I told him I had become a story teller,as my physical ability had deminished.
This was always a high spirited exchange,he had been disappointed with his present boss disregarding his complaint and ignored attending to it.Causing Gary to hand in his notice, WoW !
But his big news was,planning to ship his kyiack to Iceland,and flying to Scandinavia,catching a ship to Iceland via the Faeroe Islands. Gary had found out the Iceies have high paying incomes. I'm not sure if he planned to find a bride while there.
His present female friends insist he take them on cycling tours or Kyiack adventures.
By this time we had downed our coffee and prison food,biscuit and cheese and preparing to paddle back to his car before the 4 hours time elapsed.
Its not often you have an adventurer in your kitchen telling tales of excitement,which puts a smile on an 85 year olds face.
But he left his calling card,a large pool of salt water on my tile floor,this was not incontinance Gary's only 49, next year is the big 50 time to celebrate.!
(C) T.M. Williams

My Doctor is having a Baby

My doctor is a tall blond round 55 years of age,with an attractive husky voice and a calm relaxed manner.
She has three children and a husband which is at any stage of life  good for emotional support.
Its 6 weeks to birth date so her patients are getting excited.
I like her because she is thorough,plus has this nice calm atmosphere,she organised my recent 'flu and pnemumovax vacintions,one in each arm.
Because I'm over 75 Dr Lynette organised my recent health assessment, height,weight,blood pressure 145/75, heart rate 70, rhythem regular BMI  28.1 .Eye test without glasses ?
Urinalysis     Albumin        Glucose         Leucocytes
                   blood            Keytones        Bilurubin
CVS         No abnormalities detected.
physical activities most days 30 minutes exercise
Nutritional healthy diet,fruit,vegetables,limited meat score 8/29 No record of love of all cheeses.
Never smoked. Constant drinker wine with dinner
Father died at 86,served in AIF as a gunlayer ?
Lives alone,some support from elder son and partner.
Is this why I feel in good health ?
Daily living questions, all yes
Functional activity ,all yes which is incorrect .The question " have you had a fall in the last three months " the answer is No.
No action suggested.
To the question Respitory, Abdomin and Skin , No abnormalities answer.good skin intrgrity.
Hearing . Whisper detection test heard.
Ear canals normal
Questions about life,patient responses all posative.Assesment score 1 Does not indicate possable depression.
physchological Status
Cognative Normal score 30/30
Emotional problems in last four weeks. Slight
No difficulty in sleeping,but interupted by need to pee  during night.
Depression      NO. score 1/15
I showed Shane my physiologist report,explaining constant problems with my daughter-in-law,who has barred me from seeing my granddaughters over the last 3 years,which has caused major problems.
This was not recorded.
Dr lynette asked me about my heart attack 16 years ago,where the doctor was unable to insert a stint, because the problem was at a junction.So they removed a length of vein/artery from my leg to bypass the problem.I thought after this I did not have long to live,but have been proved wrong,possibly by the use of four drugs Lipitor,Felourdor,Atacan,and Cartier.taken every day.. I said I thought I had become more anxious because of the following activities over the last five years.
1 Flooding in Cliff street,because of insufficient stormwater capacity to cope with heavy rain.5 houses flooded, Council denied liability.
2. State Transit bus backed into my front wall damaging it. QBE insurance recalcitrant behavior refused to pay for a rebuild.
3. Woollahra council refused to install No Parking signs outside 5 houses in Cliff street, No 7a, 8,9 ,9a and 10. There is a constant need to call the Parking rangers to book cars parked in drive ins.
None of this was documented in my assessment,which causes me to think that the problems caused by some Authorities,do not matter.
T.M.Williams

Home on the Range, the Condong Range

Over seven years I demolished,renovated and rebuilt  our five flats in Belmont Road.
I had this concept of a courtyard house providing private outdoor activity for a little frivolity,and wished to demonstrate this with a north facing property,which gets winter sun into its yard.The concept was highly acceptable to Mosman Council when they approved our strata plan.
Friend Douglas had shown me how to lay bricks,so with trowel,plumb, and level , I set about building a 6 foot high wall round the ground floor flat.
Aspect is important so north-south axis can deliver maximum sunshine.At one stage I had tried to register the name COURTHOUSE but it was rejected as we already have courthouses.
When the units were sold it delivered us independence,and the money was invested in three mortgages which provide income to buy the groceries.
Shortly after buying the property the well known real estate agent L. J. Hooker announced that Mosman was the next suburb to take off.And it did.!
We could now satisfy our dream of moving to the North coast of New South Wales and follow an alternative lifestyle.
We had looked at many rural properties,and liked the area between Lismore and Bangalow.The road followed an elevated ridge through towns like Bexhill,Clunes and Eltham,rolling green countryside on red volcanic soil.This had much appeal,warm climate,slow tempo living, worlds best surfing beaches at Byron Bay.
A friend looked at a rundown property at Possum Creek just outside Bangalow,but advised us we would not make a living from it.Paul Hogan later purchased land at Possum Creek and built a mansion for his new bride!
We negotiated for several 100 acre properties which had been dairy farms,over the years,and now had the potential as avacadoe,,macadamia and banana farms
I had been reading Earth Garden magazine ,and had become fascinated with their concepts "self sufficient man"building mud brick houses, solar power etc so we diverted to Melbourne for a week to inspect various houses at Eltham,home of alternate building in Victoria.
After inspecting   Monsalvat an artists colony,built with recycled materials   we believed anything was possible..All this was reinforced by several TV programs,BBC produced a series on life in China called The Heart of the Dragon showing the way their community came together to build additional rooms on houses and the use of ever present bamboo as a scaffolding in their building.
BBC also produced an alternative life style show about a suburban family turning over their back garden to vegetable production with much humor..
Our friend Dr Roger Burgess alerted us to to a 59 acre property on the top of the Condong Range for sale,this property had very successful history of prime banana production,because of its north facing aspect.This area just north of Murwillumbah is between the Condong sugar mill and Clothiers Creek road which heads down to Bogangah  by the sea.
On the property was a tractor shed,with its own snake.












CCCCCC












Original banana packing shed built
of galvanised steel sides and roof
sawn timber flooring

Over several months I spent time doubling the shed in size, installing a water tank on top of a tree stump
with an outdoor shower.







Below

Photo of interior improvements.
Gas stove on concrete blocks
supplied by bottled gas
kookaburra recycled cook top.
and stainles steel sink.






















The plastic covered shutters were
removed and replaced with sliding
windows.







Outside the extension was covered by
shingles.

The family were living in Wahroong,so it required me to make the 14 hour journey every second month in my EH Holden station waggon to do the building work,and dig out the patch of bananas ,the banana inspector said were infected with Bunchey top..
While in transition I stayed with Syd and Mavis on the corner of Clothiers Creek road.,which was very helpful.When the family moved in we were able to do the necessary work more easily,
There was no electricity connection to the grid so we purchased a portable generator to supply power for lighting and our fridge.
A dam was built  below the constantly flowing spring,this provided a swimming hole for our children Josh and Guy and their friends.

Photo of dam.










A trapeez was built over the dam
for some fun.






An overflow valve was manufactured at a local workshop with a stabalising plate buried in the dam wall.
Grass was planted on the dam wall to stabalise the soil,as it was a high rainfall area














The Acquarius festaval was taking place at Nimben,the heart of Hippydom.We could have been described as quasi hippies with our own celebrations on the top of the hill with our friends.

Party photos










We formed a friendship with Ted and Honey ,a local banana grower,who leased 10 acres of north facing land to grow his crops.This also provided a caretaker while we were away in Sydney.
The children were enrolled at the Condong school,and cycled to the bus stop,for their journey to school.
My day began with either picking bananas or avacadoes packing the fruit and taking it to the rail depo at Murwillumbah. My wife Marigold prefferred to play tennis and joined the local tennis club as she stated she would not help me on the farm.

Carrs Park Bush Reserve

             Arrangements to meet U3A harvest members at Carrs Park were disrupted by my rail journey being carried over from Kogarah to Hurstville without a guards announcement to change trains at Wolli Creek.

Having never been to Carrs Park before it was my intention to explore this beachfront suburb and take photos of the area.

The driver of the 958 bus could not direct me to the bush reserve so it was search and investigate.

Even school children I asked did not know the Bush Reserve.

Dropped off the bus at the oval I could see what appeared to be bush at the end of the road. Entering the carpark I gazed at a thin male person performing Thai Chee.

Opposite was a sign showing the track, up the hill through the tall Eucalyptus trees to the lookout.

No nymphs,fairies,goblins or nomes were spotted,but surely at night they would come out to play undisturbed.

The sandstone rock outcrop indicated a high point, with views over the bay                                                   Heading back down towards where the beach front was a pleasant grassed area with picnic facilities, a fine place for lunch, with views of boats on Kogarah bay.

Following the waterfront path I encountered an attractive sandstone house from a past era,built by William Carrs a cabinet maker in 1860.

His estate was left to Trustees of the Sydney Sailors Home.

Further on was a heated swimming pool,a Mens shed with woodworking activity, in a very calm and peaceful atmosphere,suitable for filming the TV series" Packed to the Rafters "

The enormous oval provided space for any outdoor athletic activity,cricket,football,running,or cycling,even a canal for canoeing,all this in brilliant Autumn sunshine and friendly local community.

Photos to follow

Bush reserve

Carr's House

Swimming pool

Picnic area

Mens shed

Oval

       

Freedom in Australia but not the color of your house

The Folly and the Simpsons

Below path from front gate in Olphert Avenue to garden shed

Lawn area of 17 Olphert Avenue above

                     

Below gran Simpson

Gran

In front of garden shed

T

                   Title,purchase and sale details 17 Olphert Avenue Vaucluse 1919 - 1950

Rough water swim Bondi to Watsons Bay - Sunday 21 May 2017

http://www.southheadroughwater.com/

Fairsky from Sydney to Southampton

Our Hurstville U3A writing group have been asked to write a story about a brothel,so I am including a page of historical facts from Wikipedia,followed by a second page of experience as follows............

Its 1959,after attaining my woolclasing certificate at East Sydney Tech,I booked a passage on the migrant ship Fairsky for its return journey to the United Kingdom,where I hoped to gain added skills in wool handling at Bradford.

Along with several hundred young Ozzi's we set off in February with band playing for Brisbane,also calling at Colombo,Aden,Cairo,Naples and South Hampton to Merry Old England .

My steward Ettore Serichino from Trieste settled me in to a four berth cabin,just above the waterline,with Rocco returning to Italy for a holiday and if the truth be known in search of a bride.

Ettore was very friendly and helpful,so along the way we became friends,and went ashore with Rocco when we got to Aden.

After passing Mt Etna belching smoke,and a touch of sea sickness in the Mediterranean, Ettore suggested when we get to Naples we go ashore and he would show me round. I had heard the expression "See Naples and Die " and being rather naive welcomed the invitation.

Naples duly arrived,my first experience of Europe,I was not going to miss this,Ettore and I set forth,into an overpowering atmosphere,but safe in a locals hands. First stop a hotel or should i say,a place where you could have drinks,after 50 years reflections can distort the picture,I remember the broad outline of the nights activities,but some of the fine detail may have been erased.

Next stop was a cafe for Pizza naturally,that's what you eat in Italy !

It was the largest Pizza I have ever seen,two feet across at least,without exaggeration,it took us quite a while to get through it,but stimulated by a few red wines we eventually managed to do the job.

Back out on the street Ettore ran into some Matelo mates,dressed in traditional uniform,who gave us directions for the next nights activity.We jumped into a Fiat taxi and sped round the corner,and marched into a house with a large baronial staircase.This was action at a fast pace,

Ettore and I were in bed with two Italian women,we had dispensed with our clothes and could be involved in love making. But the alcohol had taken control and I was not able to satisfy my partner, unlike Ettore who was showing signs of pleasure with smiles and laughter as we retraced our exit down the stairs ,I remember being accused of being a POOFTER !

Fast foward to 2015 where attitudes have changed,there is a proficiency of bordellos with names like ,The Penthouse,The Ultimate Gentleman's Club,Wild Orchard,Private Desire,Stilleto at Camperdown,Tiffany's at Surry Hills and Black Garter at Rockdale.

(C) Copyright Tim Williams