[SirExton]

Being a 26 year old Englishman in June 1981. I became a Born Again West Australian, literally! I woke up out of a Coma in Royal Perth Hospital from Murry Valley Encephalitis, being only the fourth person to contract the disease in WA. I found out that two young children and an older man had, had it before me. All I could find out was that the two young children had permanent brain damage, I could not find out anything, of the older guy. I had to teach myself how to write and walk again, as the disease attacks the brain and central nervous system. It took me two and a half years to finally get back to work and another eight years to finally overcome other issues! I have no residule affect from the illness. Although some would say, I Still have brain damage!!! Ha! Ha! You can now call me an official Sand Groper! The name for people from Western Australia. I received my Australian Naturalisation Certificate in Perth, in 1984 to make it official. My memories of years ago! May God Bless you and yours with Health! Wealth! and Happiness! I know he has blessed me, since I became a Baptised Christian 23rd July 2000 from studying the Australian National Flag of all things! Take care and stay safe! Regards to all. Phil

 

[RTS]

My next door neighbours were like grandparents to me. They were retired and lived a wonderful life. They grew all of their own vegetables and kept chooks.
I looked forward to getting old and having a life like theirs.
They let me find the eggs and fed me peas or thinnings of baby carrots.
Their home was always welcoming to me and looking back I realise that the unconditional love and acceptance I received from these wonderful people helped me to grow into a loving person.

 

[cwtears]

I miss the Saturday morning, when the butchers closed at 12.00 o'clock and made up $10:00 meat trays, which would last a family all week.

 

[Robyn D Graham]

Obe of my many nostalgic memories of my childhood is the long drive into town from the farm and going to the pictures. We had enough money for an ice cream and our ticket. After the end of the film Mum and Dad had finished the shopping and we would go to the park for a picnic lunch that Mum had pre packed.

 

[Gladys]

For Mother’s Day my brother and sister use to buy something we could afford for mum (like a plastic dessert set)then after dinner we sat mum and dad in the lounge and we prepared a ”show” for them with dancing and singing.

 

[Wendyfraser]

There are so many things I miss from my childhood growing up in Australia, but going to the beach at Xmas for a few weeks was the highlight of the year. We would spend all day in our togs, swimming in the pool or running to the beach for a surf, carefree and unafraid of anything. Going to the local bakery for yummy bread and pastries and delicious gelato from the ice cream shop. It was a much different beach holiday than now, much more family oriented and special

 

[Fairanne12]

The Sunday roast with all the family every Sunday.

 

[Maddison Dwyer]

A memory sent in by member Dennis R.:

One of my memories was a bit of a painful one, after arriving in Australia in 1958 we rented for about 2 years and then bought a block of land at Bayswater in outer Melbourne, we then built a weatherboard home on it, being close to the Dandenong’s which also had a sector called Ferntree Gully, from there you could take a train ride with coaches pulled by a tank engine called Puffing Billy, so one weekend we decided we would take our 5 yr. old son for a trip, a walk down to the main station at Bayswater to catch a train which would drop us off at FTG to board Puffing Billy, after a few miles through beautiful scenery and waving to motorists at railway crossings we arrived at the end of the track and walked around recommended sights, one of these was a large aviary of native birds which was to lead to my downfall , on the wire of this cage was a big white cockatoo which was showing off by saying scratch cocky, still being new to Australian wildlife I decided I would give him or her a treat, then came the painful bit because the damned bird took a piece out my finger, lesson learned, leave well alone, Dennis r.

 

[skeeter]

I miss the love of my Mum. Every other Christmas she would pack up four kids, board the train at Longreach, travel to Scarness or Torquay, Maroochydore(Sunshine Coast now)(I was only a toddler so don't remember the length of time it took, probably 2 days and a night or longer then) just so we could see the ocean. Then we moved closer to the coast but was surrounded by bush. Heard the dingoes howling at night. Went to school by train, home by bus, then walked the last couple of miles.

 

[Dawnie]

I loved our family holidays to the caravan park in Queenscliff vic. Each day we would wait for the bread and milk van to go round the camp racing up to get what mum wanted. Then of course you had that at home as well with the sunicrust baker van then the ice man in his van and of course the milkie of a morning.Ballarat had the Rawleighs man with his truck bringing around clothes for all the family. All the kids of today have is buying from the shops. Good old days were a lot more fun.

 

[Luckyus]

Moving out of a migrant hostel that was surrounded by wool sheds and an abattoir, into our own home, that was when I realised we had dunroaming.

 

[Luckyus]

I grew up in a family of 15 children with the most incredible parents. Today people still say to me “it must have been terrible for you growing up like that” I always respond “it was wonderful-I was taught to share, wait my turn, appreciate what I got, respect, kindness, love and manners. My parents were resilient & loving in the face of all adversities & never gave up “ I am 73 years old, my parents both long passed and I wish the world was like that today. My children, grandchildren and baby great grandchildren will all have the memories passed on to them. Life is good but I do miss how uncomplicated it was !

Hi: Cynthis, like you I came from a large family and when people made any remarks, I used to say my parents kept going till they got one they liked. ;-)

 

[Timtom]

Our von fire nights. . Our s

 

[Jenny61ulan]

Just loved when it was wash day, as a young girl! Mum would fill the copper with water, light a fire under it and when the water was boiling add ‘Bluo’ & the white bed sheets, and they would boil away for hours and come out beyond white!
All other clothes would be hand washed in a wash tub and then put through a hand wringer to get all the excess water out of them, before they were hung out to dry!

 

[hazydazy]

Hi guys... As the SDC veterans are no doubt well aware, we tend to run a competition once a month or so with a $100 Coles or Woolies voucher. Previous competitions have included things like submitting your funniest joke, the photo you're most proud of taking, and even your best tips for keeping tidy and organised around the house.

This one is a little different. We want to hear about your most poignant memories from the Australia you grew up in.

Some of the ways you could frame your answer might be by answering a question like:

"What has Australia lost to time that you want to bring back?"
"What do you miss most about the Australia you grew up in?"
"How do you think your childhood was different to your kids/grandkids?"

Alternatively you could simply tell us what your most cherished childhood memory is!

The winner (we know this is a bit of a subjective thing, but we can only pick one person sadly) will receive a gift voucher for $100 to the supermarket of their choice (Coles, Woolies, Aldi, etc.). We plan to run the competition from today until the end of July.

View attachment 3852

 

[hazydazy]

Good morning team. Bringing back memories from 1960s when I was a kid was when mum use to chop the head off the chook and us kids would have to run around and catch it headless. She would cook it up for christmas lunch. I do recall one year we had duck. My twin sisters pets daisy and dora, well times were tough having to feed 11 of us so mum decided they were going to be christmas lunch, well my sisters refused to eat them and the horrified look on there faces while we chomped into a delicious lunch, we grew our vegetables, had fruit trees, eggs from the chooks, even a lamb which kept the grass down and eventually gave it to the agriculture farm at the university. Now I just love telling people as they can relate to it as well and its a good laugh looking back. Also cyclone althea in 1971 was a category 3 cyclone, which blew all our chooks and turkey away we never knew where they ended up after that we didn't get any more, sad day.

 

[Maria Cremona]

How can I post to the Nostalgia Competition?

 

[SeniorSnoopy]

I remember sailing from the UK to Perth in 1965. The fun we had staying in Nissan Huts at Graylands Immigration Hostel. Staying out playing with my friends until the street lights came on and still not wanting to come inside for dinner. Respecting our elders. Lunch at the Coles cafeteria with my nanna (chips and gravy followed by jelly and icecream). Sitting outside with my nanna star gazing … back when you could actually see the Milky Way before all the light pollution. Day trips with the family on the weekend. Home visits from the Watkins Man, Avon Lady, Crystal Cool Drinks Man. Swinging on the Hills Hoise and breaking it then being grounded for a week. Having actual conversations with people. So many more things but not enough space to put it. But finally, NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES to spoil our perfect childhood.

 

[Morrihen]

SANDMOUNT
The kurrajong tree was huge in the playground and the pods prickled our tiny fingers. As the bell rang we gathered to attention. Heads high with right hand over the heart and a promise of obedience as the flag was raised to the anthem.
We cracked icy puddles on frosty mornings, homework complete. Never too much. Parrot fashion, never forgotten.
Cubbies under peppercorns, graded boundaries and mud pies.
A buttery blanket of daisies in springtime. More than enough for the longest chain.
Swings and slides, sandpits and monkey bars. No buttons to push or hand held remotes, just bountiful imaginations.
Mums and dads cheering home the next olympian as the egg and spoon and the three legged races were fought out ferociously. No nikes or reeboks but bare feet dodging the bindis.
My Mother was a homemaker. Ladies a plate please meant cream and icing. Sticky fingers and happy chatter.
Cowboys and Indians, dress ups and kiss chasey. John and Betty and Scotty and Fluff. Folk dancing on the quadrangle and a proposal from my boyfriend.
Cold hands on a frosty morning and gum boots on a rainy day.
Rehearsals for the concert, a packed house and a surprise from Santa afterwards.
I remember when a teachers word was law, when sunshine wasn’t a health hazard, when milk arrived in tiny bottles, when biscuits were baked at home, and when screen time was shared as a family.
Those blissful carefree days when the school yard rang with the laughter of Sandmount kids.

 

[Hellsbells]

My partner in crime Harvey,two years older than me and usually the instigator of our creative fun activities. We would spend hours making a kite with wood and newspaper and then 15 minutes trying to make it fly before it broke . I was always the runner, running through long grass in the cow paddock trying to avoid the pats and divets. The sense of achievement when it took flight if only a minute was great. We would usually pick mushrooms on way home .