John William Blythe

Story

Peter writes:

My first memory of Melbourne is of travelling down what I had always thought to be St. Kilda Road and seeing all the palm trees. (Iris is not so sure!) I think the St. Kilda Road area has changed a lot since then.

Soon after we settled in at 21 Childers Street Newborough East I remember going to Yallourn by bus for school. Barbara went to Yallourn High School but for me it was Grade 4 at Yallourn State School. As accommodation was tight Grade 4 was held at the Girl Guide hall near the swimming pool. There must have been over 40 in the class and although I cannot remember his name, the teacher was one who did not spare the rod! For the boys, even a murmur resulted in ‘out the front’ and at the earliest opportunity ‘the cuts’ being administered. For girls the punishment was ‘staying in after school’ another punishment often give to the boys. As we had a bus to catch home ‘staying in’ was not popular with anyone at all.

Yallourn State School was only for 1950 as all of us primary aged ‘migrants’ at Newborough East were bussed to Morwell East State School (still Grade 4 for me) where Mr. Jackson was the headmaster. The population of this school doubled for 1951 during which Newborough East State School was built opposite our house at 21 Childers Street to accommodate the growing number of children of migrant families, mostly employed by the SEC. (The site is now housing as the state school moved in the late 1990\’s to a site previously occupied by Newborough High School Ð which I think is now combined with Moe High School).

I had 2 years at East Newborough State School. The school motto was ‘Forward Bound’ and the motif was, of course a kangaroo in full stride. There were 4 houses named after the explorers Burke, Wills, King and Gray. In Grade 5 I had Mr. Brannigan for the first half year Ð he was great but I do not remember his replacement. In Grade 6 I was appointed co School Captain. Our teacher was Mr. Evans. Dad knew him through the Buffaloes Lodge.

It was early in 1954 that Queen Elizabeth toured Australia and visited Yallourn on Wednesday 3rd. March. That was an exciting event and I went to Yallourn with the Boys Brigade. Most other children went with their schools. On the Saturday following her visit we were scheduled to go on a holiday as a family, I think for one week.

It was on the Friday after the Queen\’s visit that Dad was coming home on his motor cycle and had a collision with a bus. He suffered several injuries, the most serious being a broken right leg. He was treated by surgeon Mr. Ganz but complications set in and eventually (12 months later) the leg was amputated above the knee. Of course our holiday was cancelled and it was about 5 years later that we eventually went on a holiday to Lakes Entrance and stayed at the Glenara Hotel, which still operates.

Mum was employed as a nurses aid at Yallourn Hospital. I think it was Barbara\’s responsibility to look after the household in the evenings when Mum had her shifts. Of course, us 3 boys were perfect angels! (Perhaps Barbara should give her version of this period!)

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