[Jonathan Leane]

The 'Nostalgia Competition' - Share your memories of Yesterday's Australia and you could win $100​

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.

 

[Singomate]

I miss the big Christmas parties with all the family Grandparents to Grandchildren, the cricket game in the backyard, finding the sixpence in Xmas pudding, singing around the piano. Making a mess with all wrapping off presents. It doesn't get anymore Australian than that

 

[RhodaStarr]

My nostalgic memories are of the period after WW2 when all the dads came home to their families. At Christmas, we would pack up my Grandfather's truck with seats and gear in the back and approx 30 members of the family would head to Bulli Caravan Park in motor convoy. We had the use of 2 huge army tents and lots of food and drinks, made by the mums, grandmas, and aunts. We swam in the surf (I paddled with my Dad), my uncle caught a baby shark and we had lots of games and sing-a-longs. This continued till I was 5yrs old. But the memories and the photos are still in my mind

 

[Mindygirl12022]

For me, the most precious memory is our Christmas Holidays at a fibro house right on the beach at Tugun. We slept in the room facing the beach where Dad would put the pine Christmas tree. At night the smell of the pine tree mixed with the sounds of the salty air of the surf as it pounded on the sand is priceless.

 

[Chris50Smith]

I was a child in the 1950's. I miss all the kids in the street just running in and out of each other's houses. No doors were closed. You just went in. If the kids of the house weren't there, you still might get a cake or bickies from their Mum.

 

[Jane Wilson]

Swinging on the Hills Hoist, running under the hose, riding bikes with cousins and Neighbour’s kids until the street lights came on. Camping holiday’s with the same friends every year and riding on the back of the milko truck and the icon summer carnival. What happened to the corner milk bar? The smell of shoe polish on a Sunday night. Mum rolling her eyes at dad laughing over old British comedy’s. And telling us we’ll get square eyes sitting too close to the T.V. and asking to stay up till 9pm “ go ask your father” classic mum. Miss them so bloody much. Thanks for the memories of the 1960s

 

[Mikeyboy2012]

My mother used to work at least two jobs to support my brother and me. (Others had already left home). Dad had the car but was off driving a taxi and was rarely at home. So we would walk the km or so up the hill to the shops with our black shopping cart (I can't seem to attach a photo of a similar style here). I may not have loved the shopping so much back then when I was young, but I cherish this and many other memories with my late mum, now that she's gone.

 

[Cwally]

I used to enjoy hearing the clip clop of the horses coming down our street every morning with the milkman delivering our milk from the horse drawn trailer. It actually helped to get me out of bed in the mornings (well sometimes ) to run to the window to watch him go by, but if we didn’t get to the milk quick enough, the birds would peck and makes holes in the foil tops.

 

[Otti]

We lived at the end of the street Arthur St in Fairfield. There were 2 uncles with their families and our family living within that block in seperate homes. My uncles would block off both sides of the street with their fruit trucks and they would all play bocce. The whole street would join in bring out their chairs and drinks and either play or watch. It was a Sunday afternoon ritual. Those were the days. You’d probably be fined for doing that today (for having fun that is).

 

[Otti]

I used to enjoy hearing the clip clop of the horses coming down our street every morning with the milkman delivering our milk from the horse drawn trailer. It actually helped to get me out of bed in the mornings (well sometimes ) to run to the window to watch him go by, but if we didn’t get to the milk quick enough, the birds would peck and makes holes in the foil tops.

Remember that as if it was yesterday. Those little peck holes in the top of the milk bottle.

 

[Sonia Nesa]

My sister and I used to go on our bikes looking for empty cool drink bottles scrounging around our neighbourhood all afternoon. To our delight we then would 'cash them in' in exchange for lollies which were displayed loosely in opened boxes for us to pick and chose and place into a white lollies bag. Of course we would always add in a few extras!!

 

[SilverPinkDragon01]

Great memories of my Grandmothers kitchen, the wood stove door opening and the smell of fresh baked bread.
If we were good we had a slice smothered with dripping, those were the days.

 

[Kerrydee]

What I miss is the camaraderie between the kids in a neighbourhood. The ability to play cricket on the streets safely. To wander around to visit friends safely.

 

[EllieN]

Growing up in the 1950’s with no TV or electronic devices. You always made your own fun. Lived in Glenholm St. Mitchelton, a Brisbane suburb. While it was suburbia, we only had to walk 1km or so, cross Kedron Brook (we called a Mitchy Creek), and we were in the bush. We had the best of all worlds. No sewerage, bitumen roads, curbing or channeling. The “Dunny” man came every week, and I would follow him up the street, carrying a can on my shoulder, just as he did. I always wanted to be a Dunny Man. Cracker (Guy Faulkes) night blowing up letter boxes of people you disliked, unknown to mum, or so we thought.
Rode you push bike into Brisbane City on Saturday afternoons, unknown to mum, again, so we thought.
What a childhood.
You would dare not let your kids do that today. All like it was in another life.

Kev

 

[Frithy]

when I was a child growing up in the 40s- there were so few cars, the neighbourhood children could play cricket or countries or fly etc in the street and yes- I remember being told to go and play but be back by teatime! - Heather’s

 

[Mistydolphin1]

The safety of being able to go nearly anywhere and not to be always looking over your shoulder for danger.

 

[HappyPam]

Quite a lot of Seniors grew up in war time Britain!

 

[Cynthis Harrison]

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 !

 

[Canman]

In the 60’s our yearly excursion was to the motor bike races at Bathurst, we got there early and planted ourselves right beside the fence, then some photographer decided to put up a tent right next we were standing, he was struggling putting it up when gusts of wind kept blowing it over so he decided to put the centre pole up first after tying some of his ropes to the fence and pegging the other ropes he went inside to put up his centre pole by this time the wind was a howler and the tent wrapped around him and one of my mates peered inside and said ‘you alright in there boss’ needless to say he gave up and moved on.

 

[Femia]

I remember the milkman leaving our milk bottles at our front gate with our money in the empty bottles, and no one would steal the money overnight.The good old days !!!