Val has shared how her Scottish family of six – the Alexanders – found their way from Edinburgh to Castlemaine.
Val, who now lives in Maryborough, said her family made the trip from Liverpool in England to Australia in April 1949, on the renovated warship The Georgic.
“I was ten, my siblings 11, nine and four,” she said.
“As the days of our four-week journey drew to a close, excitement was mounting that we were actually arriving in Australia at last. We had visions of wild animals and jungles, gained from our frequent viewing of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies. These ideas were quickly replaced by the reality of docking in Port Melbourne.
“It seemed half of Scotland was there to meet us. Friends and relations, all Scottish, jabbered, laughed and hugged us. We boarded a suburban train for Preston, where a great celebration was being prepared for the new generation of Scots immigrants. We then proceeded to eat, drink, sing and make merry, until the wee small hours of the following morning,” Val recalls.
“On the last leg of our journey, our landlady, we six Alexanders and the driver, who was enveloped in a haze of Scotch whisky, all squeezed into a Morris Minor, to travel to nearby Coburg!
“We piled out of the car and in to the landlady’s house and ran through all the rooms looking, touching and calling out to each other, ‘Hurray, a piano!’ ‘Look at all the cats!’, ‘It has more than one room!’ It had six rooms, also grass growing in the front yard and a back yard. From a two-roomed tenement building, two storeys up, in Edinburgh, this seemed heaven on earth. Our landlady was flattered at our admiration of her humble abode, for by Australian standards it was quite modest. Finally, beds were allotted, piano farewelled, each cat petted, and six new citizens of Australia settled down to sleep in their new home at 721 Sydney Road, Coburg.”
Val said they were two doors away from the Fire Station, which was on the corner of Gaffney Street, with a hairdressing salon in between.
“We were immediately befriended by the children from the Fire Station and the children from the hair salon.
“We loved Coburg and Mum, and Dad got jobs immediately, Mum at a clothing factory and Dad at ‘Ultrays’, which made hospital X-ray equipment. We lived just a few doors from St Paul’s Catholic School and were the only non-Australian children there and were made very welcome,” she said.
“One of my first friends was Maureen Ryan, age nine. We were in Grade Five (we stayed friends all our lives). Maureen said later, that at an assembly before we arrived the head nun had announced, ‘These children are arriving from war torn Europe and have never seen a banana.’ On our first day we were inundated with bananas. Very soon afterwards, the Greek and Italian children began to arrive; despite being unable to speak English, they were welcomed and integrated.
“We children had the run of Melbourne unsupervised. One day, having 10 shillings, an 11th birthday present, I caught a tram by myself from Gaffney Street Coburg, to the city centre at Flinders Street Station and visited the slot machine alley close by. To dress up for the day, I heavily rouged my cheeks with Mum’s lipstick. I got there and back without incident, and my family never knew about my birthday treat to myself.
“Poor little Ivor, aged four, who had not attended school in Scotland, was thrown in at the deep end. He wore a kilt to school, and the kids queried, ‘Are you a boy? Are you a girl?’
“He sometimes ran off home as the ‘Bubs’ teacher was a crabby old thing.
“When Catholics get together, we always have negative stories of the nuns and rarely talk about the kind, gifted ones, but Sister Mary Berchmans, our Grade Seven and Eight teacher, was a saint. I managed to track her down and visited her in 2005.
“Most Catholic girls went through a stage of wanting to become a nun and my best friend Maureen and I did too. Maureen went into a convent aged 12, but only lasted a week and got her Dad to come and collect her. Her sister-in-law Julie aged 13, went in and stayed for a year. I escaped their fate by saying to my Dad that I wanted to become a nun, and he said, ‘We’ll have none of that.’ I thought, ‘They won’t let me,’ so I dropped the subject.
“It took me a long time to figure out that Dad was joking as in ‘none/nun of that,’ so he inadvertently saved me, for if I’d said it to one of my teacher nuns, they would have probably snapped me up.”
“We attended St Paul’s Church, which rubs shoulders with Pentridge Gaol. The old Irish priest was a tyrant. His claim to fame was his yelling out at the top of his voice from the altar to any late comers, ‘Come up the front you!’
Val recently heard the ‘famous’ Phil Cleary speak at the Highland Society in Maryborough where he spoke of his youth and the “crabby old Father Norris” and was delighted to discover that Val also remembered the old tyrant.
“Growing up in Coburg, we loved the Brunswick Baths, Luna Park, ice skating at ‘The Glacarium’ in the city and swimming in the Coburg lake.
“My Aunt lived in Bell Street Preston and attended The Sacred Heart Church there, where my future husband Brendan was an altar boy. As we sometimes went to Mass there, Brendan and I probably scraped hulls, but we were not to meet for another 30 years.”
‘We’re going to live in the country,’ Val’s mother announced in 1951.
My Castlemaine with Val Dwyer – Part One
An open letter of thanks
David Jeffries, Harcourt
It is now nearly four months since the fire noisily raged down the hill behind my house in Harcourt and took most of the trinkets of my past life away. There has been much personal introspection and naval gazing, a few tears, many clumsy attempts at stoicism and happily finding out who are true friends. I have tried to see it as a cathartic experience of transitioning from one phase of my life to another, a few times I wonder into silence as I gaze inward wondering what now, when will it end? But there is no time machine, there is no way to take the embers and dust blowing in the wind to glue our past lives and community back together to exactly what it was.
I have watched as some hit out and look for someone to blame, I have seen people show positive facets of their selves which were once hidden to all but closest family and friends, many others finding bravery even through their own sadness.
I have seen how a good community works, so many generous volunteers taking a step forward to offer a smile and their energy to help others. I have been humbled by their words and deeds, it has been a true litmus test of the wonderful humanity that surrounds us, fully visible at times like this.
I have seen how you didn’t need to lose anything material to be affected, some who lost everything seem on the face of it able to face this catastrophe, while others who had a home to return to wander around shell shocked, sadly some with miss guided guilt.
I now understand how just being a local or having friends, neighbours or family affected causes ripples in our emotions just as much, if not more than someone like me, for we are all built differently, there are no rules to this. There have been a few who have thrown out judgemental words, spewing out ivory tower wisdom, who should maybe walk in others shoes before they clumsily and all too quickly connect opinions in their heads to their vocal cords.
I have seen how government has stepped forward with generosity that you would not find anywhere else on this planet. I’ve never had great affection for authority but the assistance, both financial and otherwise people like me have been given has been not only extremely helpful but also therapeutic. The not for profit organisations like the Harcourt Progress Group and Anglicare, that have been silently hovering around me like butterflies, ready to gently step in using soft words to assist when asked, their hearts always ready when I needed to talk, I cannot fault them.
The CFA from all over the State who after days of fire fighting dropped by in the preceding weeks to visit me in my small camper on my blackened land by the crumpled roof and smouldering ashes of my life. Some brought me food and water, others gave me kind words and shared the odd dark joke or cold amber liquid – what can I say, great people, amazing volunteers.
The recovery centres and the people who volunteered in them, cooking and serving food, handing out all kinds of donated clothes and goods with a smile, making sure we had the small bits of life to help us make a start in our own re-boot.
To those who donated, turning up with boot loads of things to help others. To the organisations who sat at tables offering assistance and advice.
The VMR (the miniature railway in Harcourt), I have no doubt if they hadn’t stopped the fire just uphill from their station the centre of Harcourt would not be as it is now, so many others would have lost their homes too. A big thank you to them and others too who helped save their neighbours homes.
There have been businesses who have given material comfort, Snooze, Pillow Talk, Coliban Water, Woolworths, the Reece Plumbing Charity, Kosmac & Clemens, a young man at The Good Guys who helped me, other places who gave me things without being asked, too many to name.
I have heard some cynically say it is a tax right off without seeing the generous and gentle spirit in which they dealt with me and others, your harsh words are not welcomed by me as all did not want publicity, just wanted to help their community.
As I stumble on the genuine decency of those helping in the first stages of rebuilding, Blaze Aid who step in to help fix fences, Disaster Relief Australia who came to my land to clean up fallen trees, Forge Solutions who demolished the embers of my home with kind words and questions, there are more organisations, again too many to list, I also thank you, you have made this so much easier than it could have been.
From inside my personal maelstrom I feel compelled to publicly thank everyone for helping, individuals, businesses, not for profits and governments of all levels, also my beautiful friends and neighbours, you know who you are. I have chosen to do this publicly and believe and hope I speak for some affected, foolishly hoping my words give comfort, and possibly help put comprehension to others feelings.
I have come to the conclusion this sadly does not completely end, I will adjust to it as I move on at my own pace to get my life back in some semblance of order, this is going to be a long winding road for me and others. What was once for me 1 step forward and 2 steps back is now 2 steps onwards and 1 back, the hill will become less steep as I plod up it, your help has given me the energy to carry on.
Writing this has been part of my journey, I am sure there are many others who want to show their appreciation too, we will get through this but hopefully we will become not only more thoughtful, but an even more compassionate place in this world of conflict and disasters. Sadly we will not be the last to live through times like this.
Please if you need help seek it, if you need someone to talk to ask, it is there for the us all, you are not alone. I say this out of experience, the first words are always the hardest to say, accepting help is sometimes giving, sharing your burden with other welcoming broad shoulders is good for us all.
Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.
Champions decided at Castlemaine
The Castlemaine Golf Club Championships were decided last Saturday May 2.
A large field of 77 battled it out to get their name on the trophies. Weather was good and all golfers were keen to get their third round started.
Jermyn led all the way, but a final round 80 made him vulnerable. The outcome came down to the very last hole.
The club’s low markers filled the top three positions. Jermyn 73, 74, 80 — 226, from Prendergast 74, 80, 74 — 227, Jason Thompson 75, 82, 74 — 231.
At the end of the day the Men’s trophy was awarded to Klai Jermyn with a score of 226. It was not until the last hole that Klai secured the win by one stroke from Rob Prendergast. This is Klai’s first championship victory. Congrats Klai!
The Men’s B Grade Championship winner was Peter Verlaan 255, runner-up Brad Sturgess 259.
Men’s C Grade champ was Grant Thomas 290, runner-up Kors Van Eyr 309.
The women’s trophy was won by Megan Carroll for the third time following three consistent rounds 91, 90, 92 — 273, with Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick runner-up with 95, 95, 99 — 289.
Megan looks forward to next year’s comp and the chance to become the first woman to win four consecutive championships.
The Women’s B Grade Championship winner was Sally McOrist 309
The Val Bassett Trophy for best three nett rounds went to Dee Sansom. The Bill Dennis Trophy for the same went to Peter Verlaan.
May’s Monthly Medal was awarded to Kristopher Walter (16) 66.
A Grade winner was Jason Thompson (scr) 74, runner-up Rob Pendergast (scr) 74.
B Grade winner was Kristopher Walter (16) 66, runner-up was Jim Dimopoulos (18) 70.
C Grade winner was Jan Barratt (20) 73, runner-up was Dee Sansom (34) 73
The Women’s May Monthly Medal was played on Tuesday May 5.
The medal awarded to Julie Cross (33) 77 and runner-up was Dee Sansom (34) 80.
Last Thursday April 30 a competitive field of 31 golfers took to the fairways contesting a Stableford comp.
Ross Stevens (14) produced an outstanding round of 40 Stableford points to claim top honours in Grade A. Tom Summers (handicap 9) also delivered a solid performance, finishing runner-up with 37.
The Grade B winner was Bob Franze (41) posting an excellent 39 points to take the win. Close behind was Peter Farrell (18) who also recorded 39 points.
Stephen Cooper claimed Nearest the Pin on the 7th hole and Andrew Wilson took honours on the 12th.
Feel the thread, feel the connection
SWIMMA survey demonstrates overwhelming need for year-round aquatic facility
Forest Creek revitalisation continues
“Here’s to one million more midwives”
Express to Castlemaine!
Thoughtful young men
Ros Scott, Castlemaine
This is a shout out to the three young men who stopped to render assistance to a woman who had fallen over in Forest Street in front of the Castlemaine Primary School Thursday week ago.
I stopped the car when I saw the woman fall and went straight over to her. It was a spectacular fall!
The first young man stopped soon after I arrived, and shortly after another two young men came up together.
Fortunately, she was not severely injured, but shaken. When the time came to put her in my car to take her home, the young men helped her up and over to the car. I would not have been able to manage without their help.
It’s important to recognise and applaud their acts of kindness. It’s etched in my memory. Thank you again for what you did.
Advocating for a more sustainable approach
Hans Paas, Castlemaine
Cr Rosie Annear gave an awesome critique of changes to Aged Care services that was full of constructive criticism and much candour, ‘Aged care reform upheaval continues’ (Mail April 24) in which the failures of Labor’s managerial approach to services is exposed.
These sneaky withdrawals from important community programs by both the Albanese and Allan governments need to be called out and clearly our council has the courage to do so. Many of us could be forgiven for thinking the Liberal party is still in power in our Federal and Victorian Governments.
While almost every sector of our community is being expected to withstand cuts to essential health and quality of life services instead of implementing tax reforms that make the fossil fuel, mining, corporate and the obscenely wealthy sectors of the Australian community pay their fair share we see Australians carrying the load as the cost of living continues to hit hard.
Does everyone realise that providing food for the hungry has become a top priority? How come this is happening in this wealthy country?
Thank goodness we have a local council that is prepared to tell us exactly what is going on and how they are working hard to protect vital services and advocate to the other levels of government for a more sustainable approach.