MEMORIES cont Part 6

Auntie lived, first of all, in Kaye Street next to the Post Office and then whilst I was still young we moved further down the street to a house near the Catholic Presbytery. My earliest memories are associated with the old farm and that second house in Kaye Street. Auntie was very friendly with Mrs Ryan whose family ran Ryan's hotel. I remember Auntie and I visiting Mrs. Ryan on many occasions. We would sit in the Lounge Room and have tea served to us on a silver tray. I would be allowed to walk down the back hall, knock on a servery door which opened into the bar, and put an order in for a glass of lemonade. I used to feel so big being allowed to do that. I would have been about four or five years old.

Dad still lived on the farm with Uncle Charlie and I enjoyed visiting there even though aspects of it made me frightened. In the main house, the three bedrooms and the living room, had walls that were lined with Hessian and wall paper. Whenever it was windy the walls would move in and out with the gusts of wind. On a winters night in the living room, with the light from the fire and only one kerosene lamp, the moving walls looked eerie. On the mantle piece in that room were two figurines that had been my mothers. They were of a cat and dog scowling at one another. I used to love to look at those figures but was not allowed in that room during the day. Uncle Charlie would nearly always find me if I went there and he would chase me out. I don’t know if it was because of that, but Uncle Charlie always frightened me.

Dad on Thunder

In the back yard, alongside the path to the back gate, was a hedge. At one stage Dad’s dog had pups under the hedge, and would let no one near the pups except me. Whenever I hear crows I remember all the crows flying over each morning while I sat on the kitchen step putting on my gum boots so that I could join Dad in the milking shed. Down in the milking shed I had my pet cow that I insisted on ‘milking’ myself.

I remember one day, down at the pig sty watching the old sow rubbing her back against the trough. I didn't realise that as she was doing it she squashed to death one of her piglets that was lying on the other side of the trough. I think the farm was about 60 to 70 acres, but I was free to roam the paddocks without any worry. I knew the boundary fences and all the trees and dams within those fences. he horse Dad rode was a beautiful horse called ‘Thunder’. I liked Thunder but could not stand the draught horses. I was eight when the farm was sold and the only thing I remember about that day was sitting on the top rail of the fence whilst the auctioneer was selling off the cattle. When he came to my ‘cow’ he asked my permission if it could be sold.

My earliest memories of the Traralgon house would have been when Auntie was very sick and had to stay in bed for sometime. I had not yet started school so I was not allowed outside because Auntie wanted to make sure I was safe. So different to wandering the paddocks on the farm. The highlight of my day was opening the front door to Dr. T. A. McLean when he came to visit Auntie.

It would have been roughly about this time that Uncle Charlie died. I can still remember the day very clearly. It was very hot and Auntie had me sitting in one of the laundry troughs when I heard this noise on the back verandah. I looked out and saw Uncle Charlie. He was staggering across the back verandah and calling out for Auntie. I remember screaming and Auntie came out. I could not appreciate what was going on. I only knew that I was taken very suddenly out of the water, dressed and Auntie and I walked down to the Presbytery, which was only two doors down the street. Auntie wanted to use the phone. The next thing Auntie Cissie (Moira Hourigan’s mother) arrived in her car from Glengarry. Uncle Charlie was put into the back, Auntie Cissie and Auntie into the front and I was to sit in the back with Uncle Charlie. I remember objecting to that and they eventually put me in the front. The only other thing I remember was watching Uncle Charlie as we drove to the hospital. He was still groaning at times and lying across the back seat. I don’t know how long he lived after that, but I have memories of being in a car outside the Toongabbie cemetery. Someone was with me, I was not allowed inside the cemetery where there was a lot of people. I have always thought of that as Uncle Charlie’s funeral.

I don’t remember how long Dad lived on the farm after Uncle Charlie died. Some times Auntie and I would go out to the farm for a few days, and sometimes Dad would ride his bike in to Traralgon for the Sunday. Milking would have had to be done before he left, and he would have to be back in time to do the evening milking. He would always go to Mass in Traralgon on those Sundays. I enjoyed that because I was then allowed to join Dad in the choir loft of the church. He had a lovely voice and was always being called upon to sing at various functions.

Dad lived, by himself, on the farm for a couple of years after Uncle Charlie died. Eventually he sold it and moved into Traralgon with Auntie and me.