John William Blythe

Story

Story 2

During our time at Newborough I also remember we used to get 2 shillings to go to Yallourn and go to the matinee at Yallourn theatre. This amount paid bus fare, pictures entry and threepence for sweets! I had a paper delivery which paid me 12/6 per week. Of course, at Christmas there were tips, especially if you delivered to the door! I also had an after school job at the Newborough newsagency for 2 years but lost that job some time before we moved to Yallourn.

Dad\’s accident probably changed completely the way in which we as a family would spend our next 10 plus years. Dad was treated fairly well by the SEC and a position in the Eastern Camp canteen meant he had ongoing employment until he retired at 65. Late in 1955 we moved to 11 Fairfield Avenue, Yallourn, probably to help Dad get to work. I had 2 years at Moe High School before we moved to Yallourn and it was during this time that I became interested in tennis although I was not very good. In retrospect had I had my eyes tested while at school and worn glasses that may have helped me to see more clearly the tennis balls!

I then had 2 years at Yallourn High School, leaving after Year 10 for a career in the National Bank. A highlight of this time was in 1956 when we went to the Olympic Games by train and on the day we were there Betty Cuthbert won the 220 metres event. (Iris also recalls that day as her school attended as well!)

Yallourn (very much a company town) was during the 1950\’s still the hub of activity in the Latrobe Valley area and undoubtedly a better place to live than Newborough East which was still very much a developing company town. At that time most people still doubted Yallourn would be closed and become part of the open cut. In 1958 a new Methodist Church was built but probably would not have been built had a decision about the future of Yallourn been made earlier. It was not until well into the 1960\’s that the intentions of the SEC became clear.

< Back to the Stories