Margaret Carter Hill
| Town/City | Brisbane |
|---|---|
| First name | Margaret |
| Last name | Carter Hill |
| Country of Origin | Wales |
| Date of Birth | 1903 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1924 |
| Submitted by | Rosemarie Henderson |
Story
Our grandmother Margaret Carter was born in Blaenavon, Wales in 1903. She worked at a vicarage while her father and brothers worked in the mines. When there was no work at the pit, her father made the decision to come to Australia. Margaret did not want to leave but she had half of the twenty pounds the family needed to come to Australia so her father insisted. Margaret and her brothers and sisters George, Colin, Lionel, Anne and Lillian and mother and father traveled by ship to Australia in 1924.
When the family arrived in Brisbane they went to live at Toowong. Margaret got a job as second cook at Government House where she worked until she married William Hill. The staff of Government House gave her a tea set as a wedding present. William and Margaret settled in Hamilton where their daughter, Betty was born. Margaret took Betty back to Wales for a visit just as World War II was breaking out and they were forced to stay longer than planned. They feared that they would not be able to get back to Australia. They returned via the Suez Canal where their ship was docked along side battleships. After leaving Colombo they heard that it had been attacked. Their return journey on the Jarvis Bay ended safely but the ship was sunk in battle shortly afterwards.
Once back in Australia, Margaret moved to Bardon where she brought up her daughter alone. Betty grew up and married Peter and they had three daughters Margaret, Rosemarie and Julie. As children we loved visiting our grandmother\’s house. We loved feeding her chooks and picking strawberries, figs and peaches in her garden. She grew beautiful roses, camellias and jonquils. She was a fantastic cook and made the most delicious roast dinners, meringues and jams. She sewed dresses for us and knitted us jumpers and bed socks. The hard times that she endured growing up in Wales and through the Depression and war years made her very resourceful. She wasted nothing, recycled everything, would walk rather than taking the bus and made things last as long as they could. She was proud of her Welsh heritage but loved her life in Australia especially the holidays at the Gold Coast. Our Grandmother was a very independent person who worked hard all her life. She passed away a few years ago leaving us with many memories of trips to the beach and Christmas feasts. We tell her great-grandchildren, Anthony, Katherine, Lisa, Peta, Michael and Andrew her stories so that they will remember her too.
Margaret Carter Hill\’s granddaughters, Margaret, Rosemarie and Julie