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Robert Henry Douglas Meyer 237



Russell Douglas Whittam 239 24 Russell Douglas Whittam Unfortunately there are not many people left to tell the story of Russ. An The introverted fellow with a fine only child who never married, was extremely introverted, and who voice passed away before this book had begun. However, the stories that do remain paint a picture of a very interesting fellow, who was more misunderstood than anything else, and in Russ’ case this began from a very young age. Russell Douglas Whittam was born on 24 July 1927, the only child of Oswald Douglas Whittam and Sylvia Evelyn Parham. What makes this interesting is two- fold. Firstly, Russ actually had an elder half-sister somewhere. Sylvia had had a child out of wedlock at the age of just seventeen. It is assumed that Ronda Lilian Parham was adopted out shortly after her birth. Secondly, Sylvia was pregnant with Russell before she was married, with only seven months transpiring between the marriage and the birth. Neither of these things are particularly remarkable today, but they were particularly scandalous in the day. Socially awkward, and made people a little uncomfortable. Didn’t really try to join in games and social events, but still positioned himself close to the action. Was always mollycoddled by his parents and not allowed to do things. While other kids were dressed a little casually in order to play in the garden or at a park, Russell would be dressed in his best clothes. His mother would then forbid him from joining in, lest he got his clothes dirty. It is not clear whether Russ was born with some psychological issues, or received them at the hands of his mother. Perhaps Sylvia was forced to give up

240 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia her first child for adoption and Russ, an only child, was so incredibly precious to her that she couldn’t give him up to the world. Or maybe Russ was on the autism spectrum, which made him slightly disconnected from those around him. One clue comes from a time when relatives visited him while he was interstate at a conference. Russ was found to be very relaxed, drinking and socialising with everyone present. Quite a different Russell to the one in the close orbit of his mother. However, he also had a strong interest in a couple of women at church, but did not seem to know how to approach them. The women would quickly seek to leave whenever Russell attempted to speak to them, although he was also a gawky-looking fellow, and it may just have been a lack of physical attraction.

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Jeanette Douglas Whittam 243 25 Jeanette Douglas Whittam Kath In the final paragraphs of Ken’s chapter I believe the saying Ken had used was A life touched with tragedy but with a Wigwam for a Goose’s bridal (pronounced wig wom rhyming with Tom). It’s a room for laughter common English saying to dismiss an inquisitive child. My mother also used this saying, she was as much mischief as her father and loved rhyming slang. We’d hear things like “anyone seen my Monkey’s” which meant she was looking for her reading glasses, probably a little too risque, as glasses rhyme with monkeys asses! Bob her husband was “the ambulance officer” because his initials were RAH! When sitting comfortably not wanting to move to assist a query, Jeanette would offer up the excuse, “Oh I can’t help you presently, I’ve got a bone in me leg!” I also noted in your writings, that Ken hugged a large gum and said goodbye and passed away himself a few weeks later. I believe Ken knew he only had a short time left to live. Although he died of a heart aneurism he’d made reference to Jeanette as he lay on the “sleepout” floor, unable to move waiting for an ambulance, that he knew his time was coming and the doctor had said it wouldn’t be long! I have no idea what the doctor had diagnosed, only that his death was imminent. I recall the phone call my mother had made to us at our home in Port Pirie from Tusmore that Pop had passed away. One of the saddest days I remember. Ken was certainly a much loved man by one & all. My father Bob (Robert), an accountant, suffered terribly with his mental health and was often depressed. In his bright times he was incredibly brilliant as a choir master and conductor and oversaw a small children’s choir in the Lutheran church, Port Pirie and at a later time conducted a children’s choir consisting of

244 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia many different primary schools possibly 200 children, Jeanette accompanied Bob on the piano for all the many and varied choir rehearsals and appearances. At one stage throughout our lives, all four of us as children all had a role in the choirs and donned the infamous red & white choir gowns! I don’t talk much about Dad’s passing as it is distressing and overwhelming, and I don’t know that it would help anyone to read of his demise. Dad passed away after a stint in hospital with depression, disoriented from the medication he walked out of the hospital never to be seen again. To this day we will never know how he died. His death certificate cites “died of natural causes”. Bob was listed as a missing person for 3 months. Mum and I received daily phone calls from the missing persons unit checking on our welfare and any news. Dad was identified by his leg and shoe found off Glenelg shore by a fisherman. His memorial plaque at Clayton church says “died at sea” and that’s all I ever say to people when asked how did your dad die? He died at sea! Tim Timothy was born on 17th Feb 1968 at Pt Pirie Hospital, their 4th and last child. Dad always refered to Tim as an unexpected blessing. Bob and Jeanette viewed this pregnancy as one that helped the family regroup and refocus on what was important in life. This birth bought the family together and gave Bob a reason to shift his thinking from stern fathering to grace fuelled nurturing. Bob’s continued struggle with Bi Polar depression ( manic depression in those days) was curtailed during this time. His struggle thus far with both the sickness and the often experimental treatments saw his demeanour change and flip irregularly without any rhyme or reason. Jeanette was always the peace keeper, often suffering silently as she stood firm with her husband and often took the full force of Bob’s outbursts. She would often keep any potential trigger points from Bob. As a youngster Tim remembers how Philip and Mark would run his mum ragged. Once the older brothers were playing cowbots in the tree about their clothesline when suddenly a loud crack saw the large branch break and destry the back fence and the clothesline too. The boys thought this was a great ride and cintinued their boysterous game while Mum panicked and worried herself sick. By the time Bob had returned from a hard days work at the smelters as an accountant the boys were cleaned up with ears red from their mother’s disappointment and stress and the accident was blamed on the weight of the branch. Jeanette often covered for Bob in the community when asked how the family was going.

Jeanette Douglas Whittam 245 Jeanette was amazingly positive and bibrant. Always able to lighten a situation and bring life to an otherwise gloomy outlook. As an only child she was often told by her mother kathleen Whittam to smarten up and wasnt allowed to cook at all. Jeanette loved music and, like her mother, was groomed as a pianist. Her natural talent meant she could pick up most any song and once the melody was worked out she would automatically lay a full octave bass line down to boot bringing a full sound that danced and came alive to rhe joy of every listener in the room. Right through Jeanette’s life kathleen would often have guests for lunch at their Tusmore house ‘Douglasdale’ for a roast. Kathleen would cook the roast, serve the lovely Lamb, veggies and gravy on a large dish. Ken would carve at the table and load the guests plates piece by piece beforw the large veggie dish was offered around followed by gravy and a glass of wine.Jeanette wasnt allowed to cook, but she was expected to set the table, help load the veggie dish and clear away the table afterwards. Dishes were also another non negotiable expectation, always with mother in charge and barking orders. Ken would continue to entertain the guests with his stories. After a pit of tea was enjoyed, the party would retire to the lounge where Kathleen would now become the entertainer. She would peel off hours of continuous music on the piano. Mostly well know composer pieces while the guests lister, enjoyed, reclined and reminisced. A game of canasta was often a focus, Jeanete became quite the one to watch at these games. Kathleen often chortling quips such as ‘ goodnight nurse’ or ‘so long she called as she waved her wooden leg’ while Jeanette would pick up the discard pile and construct copious amounts of 3-of-a-kind and pure canastas. If canasta wasnt the guests idea of fun, often the front verandah was the place to be to observe the many groups of people enjoying Tusmore Park across the road. Not doing a ‘Ken’ on you. M&D hadnt been trying for a 4th child. I m pretty sure Phil and Mark would have put paid to that idea. They were terrors. Kathy was their Angel so no need for a fourth. When Jeanette went shopping with the boys the whole town was on lookout for damage control. When Jeanette went into Prests - the local menswear store, the salesmen would actually buy the boys 1cent icecreams so they would sit down quietly on the steps and eat them. Amazingly Philip actually landed a job at Prests when he left school. Now that’s irony!

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John Douglas John Douglas Whittam 251 Whittam 26 A photolithographer by trade with a love of his family

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Voov Voov 255 27 10-3-32 Ruth Douglas born to Adelaide Claire (nee Pemberton) & Edward Douglas Quiet matriarch of a large and loving family Whittam at Rowan Hospital, Magill, South Australia. First residence: Corner York St & Douglas Ave, Beulah Park – probably then known as Kensington. The house belonged to Mr. & Mrs. Nettle and presumably it was tenanted to us. Brother John Douglas born 24-4-29 & was therefore my big brother. As I was only about 2 when we moved there is very little I remember about ‘Nettles’ house – just having eye drops! We then moved across the road to 7 Douglas Ave – fondly known as ‘Peroomba’ where we had Aunt Nell (Helen Douglas) & Aunt Bess (Elizabeth Douglas) living on one side of ‘our’ house & Grandma (Kate) & Grandpa (Joshua Douglas) on the other. The name Douglas originated from Anne Douglas who married my great- grandfather William. We hadn’t been at Peroomba very long when Grandpa died – all I recall about him was that he had a long white beard & twinkling eyes. Claire Douglas was born on 23-5-34. Mum had ‘help’ as it was called in those days to assist with the children, namely Dot & Coral (at different times). There was also Mrs. Sickett who used to do the washing. It must have been rather trying for mum with ‘in-laws’ on either side always popping their heads over the fence to enquire ‘what is the matter with Ruthie?’ or someone else.

256 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia Strawberries grew in abundance & currant grapes & Aunt Nell had oodles of nasturtiums & a huge turkey fig tree in the back yard. It was so big that it was used for a storeroom underneath, housing lots of old furniture – iron beds & the like. It was a favourite spot to play ‘horses’ & we spent many hours ‘riding’ the branches. The grounds of ‘Peroomba’ seemed huge – except for 2 or 3 houses in Duke St the block extended down to York St & as far as Glyde St on the other side. Originally the ‘Whittams’ owned the area between Glyde St, York St, East Parade & Duke St. Claire & I had a favourite spot around Aunt Nell’s side we called ‘The Melbourne Express’ which whiled away the hours – I guess John used to be the driver! Wattles, lillies, sweet smelling roses (there was a mauve one) pondseedling plums & juicy Johnathon apples the like of which I have never tasted since – especially the ones we ‘stole’ off the tree – grew in the rambling garden – not to mention pomegranates, bougainvillea & lemon scented verbena. ‘Our’ section of the house consisted of a long passage, lounge, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, cellar & ‘light court’. We 3 children shared the same bedroom – later John slept in the passage as he was considered too old (10 or 11 yrs) to share a room with his sisters. Strangely enough I remember more about the Aunts’ section & Grandma’s section than our own. The Aunts’ section had a large lounge, piano, chaise-longe, book shelf, huge mirror over the mantelpiece, picture painted by one of the aunts (double roses in ruby & pink colourings in a gold oblong frame), and a bowl of bulrushes. The dining room was dark & furnished with heavy drapes in dark green. We used to sit on the sofa & read ‘Tiger Tim’ & if we were good, Aunt Nell would read to us. On the side (chiffonier) there was a biscuit barrel & always a jar of butterscotch. This room also had a huge mirror above the mantelpiece with shelves either side containing ornaments. I believe one of Jeanette Hensel’s (nee Whittam) sons now has the mirror. Aunt Nell’s bedroom had long and high rectangular windows with wooden shutters, a chest of drawers, wash stand, iron brass bed with a white counterpane. The windows had heavy drapes, were regal stripes in greens. At night it was a really spooky room with eerie shadows & creaking floors. The large passageway had a door leading outside & a door into Aunt Bess’ room. She was ill for a long time & Claire used to love to dance & sing for her enjoyment. Ruth was nowhere to be found! In the Kitchen was a wood stove and big wooden table, half of which was usually covered with ‘wind fallen’ fruit which had to be eaten before anyone

Voov 257 dared to pick a piece off the tree! There was a wooden bread box with yummy bread inside & as for the ‘crust’ (pastry) & Nellie’s stew (meat finely cubed with thick brown gravy, garnished with chopped parsley & served with mashed potato) was unsurpassed. In the bathroom was a chip heater, but Aunt Bess usually had a cold shower or used a wash basin. The toilet was down the garden path. Grandma’s side of the house consisted of a bed sitting room downstairs & another bedroom-cum-kitchen upstairs. The stairs were both narrow & steep & as she went up she’d always say, ‘Upsy daisy, don’t be lazy.’ She had a wash bowl & jug underneath the stairway & always used Cashmere Bouquet soap. Cooking was done on a kerosene stove & Grandma’s stew was the opposite to Aunt Nell’s as it had every kind of vegetable imaginable in it. Her mystery puddings were a great favourite & one never knew what we would find next – hence the name. My favourite spot was in this room – in the corner was a huge chair by a window which looked down into the front garden. Next to the chair was a small table on which sat the Family Bible – a huge book in which was contained so much family history. A gramophone stood nearby & we often played ‘Land of Hope & Glory’ – one of John’s favourites. The room was lined with large photographs of all her children & most of the frames were carved by Uncle Os. Photos were of Doug (William Duncan), Ruth, Dorothy, Oswald, Kenneth, Edward (my dad) & Gordon. Grandma used to play a little harmonica organ after lunch on Sundays & her favourites were ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus’ & ‘Jesus Bids us Shine.’ Sometimes we would sit on her white woolly rug in front of the wood fire & play with a tin of shells which were rather like white counters. Uncle Walt’s car was up on blocks in a shed that was really ‘out of bounds.’ We never knew where Uncle Walt was, but I believe he was off at a gold rush somewhere. Talking to Jack Koster through the fence at the back was strictly forbidden & we were severely reprimanded if caught doing so. In later years Jack became a good friend, and still is! Bath night was on Saturdays when Mum & Dad would light up the chip heater. Occasionally mother would also singe our hair with a candle ‘to make it thicker’. Maybe she was right – we all have thick hair (even if it is grey). I remember going to the local shop on the corner of East Parade & York St to buy milk in a billy can – on a rare occasion I was allowed to choose a 1 penny ice-cream or choose a lolly by stepping up on a step to survey the half-penny or penny tray – a treat indeed. One day I tripped over on the way home & spilt the

258 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia milk – I was very upset but can still remember the rainbow colours the milk made on the footpath. During our life here at Peroomba there was a polio epidemic & we were not allowed to go anywhere, especially amongst crowds & I believe the schools were closed during early summer. We also wore small bags around our necks which contained a camphor block which was supposed to act as a deterrent. There was also a severe heatwave (1939) & we used to sit on the cellar steps wearing only knickers. There were bush fires in the hills & fire sirens were frequent. The cellar itself was a dark & gloomy place, full of mystery, stone jars of jam with brown paper covers & lots of spider webs. Sundays were spent attending Clayton Congregational Church. There was church service & Young Worshippers League in the morning, Sunday School in the afternoon & church at night (maybe not when we were very young – not sure). The Misses Phillips lived near the church on Portrush Rd & were renowned for their needlework. Both Claire & I wore pale green Celanese frocks smocked by them. They had lace around the hemline & the taller we grew the wider the lace that was replaced at the hem. A photo taken of mum with we 3 children shows the above-mentioned dresses. Music was an important part of our lives & we all learnt to play piano. Before her marriage, mum taught pianoforte & dad was always quite good on the flute. Claire later learnt the violin. We were often taken to town where mum had singing lessons. Trips to the beach were really special. We would catch the tram to town carrying a rug, buckets, spades, towels & a picnic basket & of course our woollen bathers. From town we would catch another tram to Henley Beach. Mum would hire a special type of chair with a canopy over the top & sit there whilst we played in the water & on the sand. We had to watch the tide or it would come in & wet the rug & take away our buckets & spades. If we were good we were allowed to buy a toffee apple. Mum was amazing to sit there all day (I think she did have a swim) & then take 3 tired & sandy children home again. ‘Clayton days’ were wonderful days & a very important part of my life. So much was taken for granted – the beautiful pipe organ, the choir, the stained- glass windows & the timber work. Many important Adelaide identities attended the church in those days – the Arnotts, Woods, Butterys, Pattersons, Pittmans – just to name a few. Each family had a family pew & ours was at the back on the Southern side of the church. As previously mentioned we attended very regularly & I learnt to count the 33 pipes of the organ over & over but never quite succeeded to count the ‘stars’ on the arch across the top. Mum was a member of the choir

Voov 259 for many years as well as quite an accomplished pianist. She also taught in the Sunday School & ‘ran’ the Women’s Payer Union (previously known as Mother’s Union). She had a funny kind of hexagonal case she kept all her papers etc in for this meeting. Dad’s forte was producing Scripture Dramas which were performed for the Sunday School Anniversaries – the afternoon of the first week & the evening of the second. The church in those days seated 500 in the congregation & there were 2, sometimes 3, stands of children & it was packed every time. It was a real family affair & one of the rare times when dad used to become short-tempered – no doubt because of the tension. We children all took part & mum played the required music, helped ‘concoct’ the costumes & help backstage. Before I was old enough to be a member of the cast, dad was playing a part & was hauled roughly off the stage during the performance. I was beside myself because I thought it was for real & they had taken my daddy away! I owe so much to my parents for the many experiences learnt here. Dad was also the Superintendent of the Boy’s Sunday School (boys & girls were taught in different halls). Then of course there was the Sunday School Picnic held on the holiday Monday between the 2 services. Somehow Mum always managed to make Claire & I new white dresses for the anniversary & a picnic dress each. We travelled in a bus to the chosen venue & always received a drink & a sticky bun on arrival – the highlight of the day. There were races etc. & if there was any water nearby Claire always managed to fall in it & had to wear Dad’s sleeveless pullover once as she was drenched. We used to hunt for spider orchids on our trips to National Park & come home with bunches of them & shivery grass – maybe that’s one of the reasons they are so rare today. At the age of 8 we moved from Peroomba to 5 Egmont Tce, Erindale – a large house of 7 rooms and cellar. John had a room of his own, Claire & I shared a room & there was a sleepout next to Mum & Dad’s bedroom. There was also another small room which we called the ‘library’ as well as a lounge, dining room & large kitchen & pantry. The toilet was in the large bathroom & there was a 2nd toilet off the laundry. The passage was very wide & a great place to play. The garden was over-run with weeds & rambling roses & a big pine hedge across the front. Dad worked untiringly to straighten up the garden & before long it was ablaze with red & blue salvia & zinnias & forever after there were always flowers. Later with the help of Mr. McKenzie up the street the hedge was removed. Dad’s pride & joy were his hydrangeas which grew in the front garden & they were much admired by passers-by as most of the heads of flowers were the size of a dinner plate. The Meyer lemon tree that he planted is still there & he struck up

260 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia many a conversation with the words ‘would you care for a Meyer lemon?’ Both Mum & Dad remained in the house until their deaths – mum in 1979 & dad in 1987. It was a sad day the house was sold but after changing hands 2 or 3 times it now looks very grand & takes its place amongst the houses that have been built opposite where once there was a high pine hedge & a 14-roomed home. First school days were at Norwood Primary School but I was only there a couple of years as it was too rough & there were too many bullies there. Claire & I then attended High Clere private school which was held in the hall of the Norwood Baptist Church on The Parade. John often used to come by at lunch time from Norwood School & talk to us over the fence. I really don’t remember how John got to school but Claire & I shared a trike which we rode from Egmont Tce, down Burnside Rd (now Glynburn Rd) to the corner of East Parade (Western Side) & leave it with a Miss Stone who lived in a grand house on the corner. We then caught a tram the rest of the way. We took it in turns to ride or donkey with the trike & there were many arguments! When I reached grade 4, we were both sent to Rose Park Primary School & John went to Burnside Primary School. Evidently Rose Park was a demonstration school & considered one of the best. Also, our cousin Jeanette went there. We also caught the tram to school but that was closer so we didn’t need to share a trike. Why John was sent to Burnside & why we were not I don’t know as it was much closer. School was difficult. Although High Clere was a lot of fun, I really think I missed out on a lot of the basics & to this day I find arithmetic in any shape or form a nightmare. During the years at Rose Park, the Second World War was raging & we used to do air raid practice on a regular basis – this was great! Claire & I had to find each other & then rundown Alexandra Ave to Rev Maschmedt’s house & get under the dining room table where we were to remain until the all-clear siren sounded. We then went back to the classroom & resumed work. All the children worked hard for the S.P.F. (Schools’ Patriotic Fund). We all had badges & if we raised enough, we were given a bar to attach to the badge. They were pretty scary days. Although the war never came near us, we were all affected by it. There were blackouts every night when the street lights were put out & we had to have dark drapes at all the windows so that our house lights couldn’t be seen from outside. If a speck of light was showing there would be a knock on the door & an air-raid warden would instruct that the light be turned off. Dad was an air-raid warden & I remember Mum had a ‘siren suit’ which was similar to an all-in-one track suit. Four soldiers were billeted with us – Lloyd, Harry, Bill & Laurie and they all slept in the sleepout & ate in the dining room. Mum had to cook all their meals,

Voov 261 although the Army paid for the provisions. To do the shopping, Mum would wheel the wicker clothes basket to the butchers & grocers which were on Burnside Rd near the Baptist Church. During their stay they helped Dad dig an air-raid shelter in the front garden & this was stocked with tinned food & first-aid supplies. There was of course the lighter side, like the chocolates from the soldiers which was a treat indeed. We were great friends with the Woolford family (their name was Wolf until the war, but as that was a German name, they changed it by deed-poll). There was Aunty Alice, Uncle Cliff, Don, Graham & Rodney & we children used to put on ‘wonderful’ concerts to raise money for the SPF. I’m sure Dad was the organizer & he used to recite the monologue ‘The Egg’ much to Auntie’s delight. Of course, the women were always knitting socks or Balaklava caps for the services & Mum went to Red Cross meetings across the road in the big house. On occasions the Red Cross would have 2nd-hand clothing sales as everything was rationed & only available with coupons. I was fortunate enough to score a beautiful green velvet dress & thought I was ‘Christmas.’ Although South Australia was not attacked during the war, it still left its emotional mark on us all. I had many nightmares when I felt I was being chased by the enemy through the forest & all alone & separated from the family & I know Claire always felt insecure. I started secondary education in 1945 at Norwood Girls Technical School on Osmond Tce. I studied a General Course, which included Domestic Arts, Dressmaking, Art, Millinery, English, Arithmetic & probably Social Studies as I was not the slightest bit interested in Commercial subjects e.g. book-keeping, typing, shorthand etc. Arithmetic was my weakest subject & millinery one of my best. Mum was a great support in the latter subject & wore several of my ‘models’! Whilst at school I had a part-time job for a short time. Margaret Lewis was doing Chiropody & worked for Miss Andrews at the Ziska Chiropodist in Grenfell St. They needed someone to fetch & carry & I did the job during the holidays. At the end of 3rd year Tech I was fortunate enough to win a Progress Certificate, which gave the family an allowance, which enabled me to return to school for another year. There were only four of us – Mignon Moyles, Rosemary Watt, June Hamilton and your-truly. I was elected Head Prefect. Mignon left school during the year. After we left school, we three lost touch for some years but have caught up again & now Rosemary Pearson (nee Watt), June James (nee Hamilton) & I meet several times a year over a cuppa & compare notes. After I left school, I went to work at Sewells the Florist – one of Adelaide’s leading florists in Rundle St (King William St end) where I learnt to serve in the

262 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia show & wire flowers & leaves for shoulder sprays, which I later learnt how to assemble. My ‘boss’ was Laurel Crammond (married Lindsay Sykes) who was a good teacher & friend. Mary & Spencer Sewell were the owners of the business. Wiring was quite an art & one first learnt on rose leaves & then graduated to the delicate blooms of Luculia (a very soft pink flower). No wire was allowed to show & there was no such thing as parafilm to hide the wire. During autumn, blackberry leaves, which were beautifully coloured would be used as backing for shoulder sprays. Before being wired all thorns had to be removed from the back of the leaves to prevent damage to clothing. This was a long & very tedious task. We were never allowed to sit down except maybe in the depths of winter when business was very slow. In spare moments ‘old’ sprays had to be dismantled & the wire (which was black) straightened. Around 1951 I tired of work at Sewells. Although the work was something I really enjoyed, it was very much a ‘closed shop’ – no-one was encouraged to progress & florist supplies were almost impossible to come by so doing floral work outside working hours was made extremely difficult. After a successful interview, my workplace became OPSM (Optical Prescriptions & Spectacle Makers) in Verco Buildings, 175 North Tce, Adelaide, where I became a receptionist. The manager was Norman Harland, my ‘boss’ Lorne Skinner & the opticians Jack Kearny, Brian Marshall & Noel Archibald. Mr. Hall was in charge of a smaller shop around the corner in Stephens Place & his receptionist was Laurie Sherrah (who later married Noel Archibald). Lorne Skinner was a war widow who had only been married for 6 months before her husband was listed as missing. She was a lovely person by very bitter & never re-married. As OPSM was opposite the War Memorial she could never handle the silence or the Last Post on Armistice Day & would hurriedly leave her desk. The spectacles were all made in the basement and we had a small ‘silent waiter’ which was sent between the basement & ground floor carrying repairs & completed orders. To answer the phone was quite a mouthful – ‘Good morning, LA1114, Optical Prescriptions Spectacle Makers’. They were happy days & I remained there until our first baby was expects (Julie, born 25-7-56). Whilst still at Sewells I met Duncan Seager at the C.Y.F. (Congregational Youth Fellowship) youth camp held in the Angaston Showgrounds in Easter 1950. He was the ‘camp snoop’ & delighted in spying on everyone and then reporting their doings in the camp magazine. We were on a hike & I was at the back of the pack with friends Judy Huffadine (Later Mrs Ron Nolan) & Bob Matthew (married Mina Reid) when Duncan joined us. He had us laughing all the way & thus a romance began between a shy 18-year-old & a bright 23-year-old. The age difference worried me considerably for quite some time as 23 sounded so ‘old’.

Voov 263 Easter camps were so much fun & many a romance began there. The boys slept in the grandstand & the girls in the pavilion, all on palliasses (’mattresses’ filled with straw). Mornings were usually taken up with study groups (once we thawed out!), the afternoons with a hike or sports & the evenings with general fun & laughter culminating in a grand concert on the last night. There was sometimes a quiet time which was quite inspiring when all the camp was still. Duncan and I had a very happy courtship. When we first met, he lived at 30 Yulinda Tce, Lower Mitcham & used to ride his bike to our place at Erindale. If we went to the pictures in town the last tram left at 11:30pm & I always had to be home before midnight (before the Sabbath). After a kiss goodnight usually in a big old lounge chair on the side verandah or on the garden seat, Duncan would have the long ride home on his bike. All the street lights were turned off at 1am so it was advisable for him to be home before then. We were engaged on Dec 8th 1952. By then he & his parent had moved to Prospect to live at 49 Clifton St, which was still a long ride. On occasions he would stay the night on a small iron bed in the ‘study’. For some reason this was not encouraged. Girls from teenage years began to collect bits & pieces for their ‘box’ or trousseau to be used once they were married. I had Mum’s box & enjoyed covering the inside with wallpaper & padding the top as a seat & then putting a ‘skirt’ on it – it did look grand! It was a very happy time & once one became engaged, Birthday & Christmas presents were often useful articles. A week or two before the wedding, a trousseau evening was often held when female friends would come around for the evening to be shown the contents of ‘the box’ & any special nightwear, underwear & new dresses etc. made for the honeymoon. We were married at Clayton Congregational Church on August 28th 1954. Note: Just before our marriage there was a severe earthquake in Adelaide. There was a lot of damage done, but would have been far worse if it had been during the day. I remember waking to the sound of china rattling in the trousseau chest Duncan had bought me. Dad got us to go outside – it was quite frightening. This was 1954. Duncan & I married at Clayton Church on August 28th 1954 at 6pm. It was a beautiful ‘spring’ day. In addition to making the bouquets & shoulder sprays, I decorated the church with flowers – it was a very busy day. The officiating Minsters were Rev. J. F. (Jim) Dickenson & Rev. Don Bailey (a family friend of many years). The attendants were: Best man – Harry Shaw Groomsman – John Whittam (my brother)

264 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia Matron of Honour – Judy Nolan (nee Huffadine) Bridesmaid – Claire Whittam (my sister) The children from Sunday School formed a guard of honour (I was a Sunday School teacher) & the church was well nigh full. I had never realised the aisle was so long as I walked to the front on dear Dad’s arm! Isabelle (John’s wife) sang ‘O Perfect Love’ beautifully. My wedding gown was made by Mrs. Broad & the material was brocade with a silver thread. Although the head-piece was fashioned by Mrs Broad, the veil was the one worn by my mother. The tulle needed to be replaced, but the lace was as beautiful as ever. I carried white daffodils which were rare & grown by Mr. Clarence Lewis. The maids’ frocks (also made my Mrs. Broad) were made with aqua brocade with a gold thread & they carried pale yellow daffodils. Junior Navy was the ‘in’ colour for the menfolk who all looked very handsome. Both my mother & Duncan’s mother wore grey suits which were very much in vogue at the time. Mum’s hat & gloves were dusky pink & I think Duncan’s Mum’s were more a cyclamen colour. Both looked very smart. The reception was held at the Norwood Town Hall. We had wanted to have it at the Knightsbridge Baptist Church Hall, which had been renovated, but it was unavailable. It was the done thing for guests to take their gifts to the reception where they were opened & displayed by the bridesmaids – a good idea really as it gave folk an opportunity to view the gifts. The first night of our honeymoon was spent at the Grosvenor Hotel on North Tce. The next night we joined the Melbourne Express & arrived in Melbourne the following morning. From here we travelled by bus to Warburton Chalet. This was a very popular place for newlyweds & we enjoyed the company of quite a few. Jill & Bryan Clift, who were married at Clayton following our wedding were among them. They owned a car (quite unusual back then) & kindly took us to a few places including Healesville. We also went for walks, had a couple of snow fights & there was always a dance or fancy-dress competition etc. at night. We certainly had a wonderful time. Our first home was at 2 Angas St, Kent Town. It was an older style house with a lane at the side which went through to Dequetteville Tce. The house was very close to the street at the front, but had a very deep back garden which was full of interesting plants & several wild cats. There were a couple of rooms which were locked & filled with the owner’s possessions as we were only renting. The first night we spent in the house we thought someone was dragging our unpacked boxes around & we were really scared. It turned out to be possums in the roof!! While at Kent Town we kept our association with Clayton. Duncan was working

Voov 265 at Peter Cameron Ltd at the time (at Brompton) & had to work late quite often & I used to get quite nervous on my own. This home was very close to the city & there were convenient shops in Kensington Rd where we did our grocery shopping. I left work when I was 3 months pregnant with Julie, as pregnant women were not usually accepted in the workplace. After I left work, Dad used to pop out at lunchtime to see me. I don’t think I appreciated these visits as much as I should have. A couple of weeks before Julie was born, we moved in at Erindale with Mum & Dad. Julie was born just after midnight on July 25th 1956 at the Queen Victoria Hospital on Fullarton Rd. Duncan delivered me & the suitcase at the hospital about 7pm & went back to Erindale. The sister in charge chastised me for coming in so early & I was put in a small room with a ‘port-hole’ window. To say the very least it was a very lonely experience, but eventually Dr. Leaney arrived to deliver our beautiful little daughter, who we named Julie Ruth. At first sight her hair was quite reddish & always had auburn highlights. I think I was in hospital for -10 days before going home. We stayed at Kent Town until Julie was 8 weeks old, when we moved to 25 Elgin Ave, Warradale. It was what was known as a ‘Trust home’, having being built by the Housing Trust. These homes were built to supply affordable housing & this was a relatively new suburb which had previously been covered with vines, almond & oak trees. We bought our own house for £3,450 ($6,900) & what a thrill this was. It was just a house on a block of land – no concrete paths, no trees. We had very little furniture, the minimum in floor coverings, no curtains or blinds. We bought kits of Venetian blinds & put them together & spent one Easter rubbing back the floor boards by hand with sand paper blocks & then painting it with Estapol. We ran out at one stage, but no shops were open over Easter, so it just had to wait. Before long we planted potatoes in the front which was said to sweeten the soil, and 2 orange trees & a lemon were planted out the back in beds cut out of the Salvation Jane. It was all hard work, but was ours. In October 1956 Duncan joined the Northern Territory Taxation Department which was in Balfours’ Building in Rundle St. The office had move to Adelaide during the war. As Duncan had spent 6 months in the Airforce (he always made the quip that when he joined up the Japs got scared & pulled out) he was able to join the Public Service. In 1958 the Government decided it was time to move the office back to Darwin. After much soul-searching, Duncan decided to move to Darwin with the office. By this time I was 6 months pregnant, so this was a big decision to make – to leave our home & rent it out & our family, & depend on people I didn’t know very well in a strange place. Darwin was like the end of the world & the plane flight took

266 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia 10 hours. Anyway, we decided to go as there were many financial benefits. We left Adelaide on July 28th 1958 – Julie was only 2 years old. We arrived in Darwin in the evening & the heat from the tarmac was unbelievable. Jack Miller met us & we were taken to the Darwin Hotel for the first night. Julie was very restless all night & we discovered the next morning that she had been bitten by mosquitoes & was covered in bites – a great introduction. Jack took us to our new home at 25 Hudson Fysh Ave, Bagot Subdivision. It was a lovely house & fully furnished – cane furniture in the lounge which just had a grey cement floor. Instead of windows there were louvres to allow the air to flow through. The bedrooms were upstairs on a mezzanine level which overlooked the lounge are. Of all the designs I think ours was the nicest. The ‘Tax’ people were very kind to us, especially Ian & Sheila Morrison, and Vi & Mac McLennan. I wouldn’t have survived without them. The sand flies were almost unbearable & they named the area ‘sand fly ridge’. There were no shops for miles, we didn’t have a phone & only an old 1926 Chevrolet car which I couldn’t drive. Joyce Collins did her best to teach me to drive in the Essex which they owned, but even having to crank the cars was a ‘thing’. Bill Palmer used to drive Duncan to work. During the day I often used to stand at the bathroom window which looked down Bagot Rd to nothing & wonder what on earth I was doing there. As there were no shops nearby, the Tax chaps set up their own shop which was wonderful. We made out our order every week & they would pack it all ready for the staff to take home. Of course, there was no such thing as fresh milk & each day I made up powdered milk, or we used tinned Carnation milk – something Duncan never got used to. Rodney Duncan Seager was born at the Darwin Hospital on October 24th, 1958. Ian & Sheila Morrison & family came to dinner that night & I had one of those days when nothing seemed to go right. About 9pm, Sheila sensed that I was not 100% & they went home. They had offered to mind Julie when I went to hospital. They had not been home long when they heard our 1926 Chev chugging up their driveway & Rodney was born just before midnight. Unfortunately, because of the humidity he had problems with his skin & I had to fly south to Adelaide with him to seek treatment from skin specialist Dr Trevor Turner. During this time, I stayed with the 2 children with Mum & Dad at Erindale. Duncan remained in Darwin, but flew down later & we went back together. We loved the lifestyle in Darwin & Made dome wonderful friends. We attended the Darwin United Church & I was a Sunday School teacher for a while. David Annear lived at the same hostel as Jack Miller & on Sundays, David used

Voov 267 to spend the day with us after church. David’s parent, Rev. Jock & Ailsa came to stay with us & we certainly enjoyed their company. Julie used to go to kindergarten when she was old enough & was collected & returned from our door by a Commonwealth car. Mum & Dad (Whittam) came to visit during our stay. Mum, of course, hated the heat & unfortunately the sand flies really took a liking to her & she ended up with very painful ulcers on her legs as a result. Dad on the other hand found the visit both interesting & enjoyable. Other folk who called to see us were Peter Bray, Beth Scholefield, Mr. & Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Sewell & Betty Shakespeare was also a help to us at times. We used to enjoy picnics with the Tax friend. Our favourite spots were always ‘down the track’ to Howard Springs or Berrie Springs, & sometime to Casuarina Beach. These places were all pristine. On the way we passed several old airstrips which had been used during the wat. Life was good and very laid back & we flew south every other year. It was also in Darwin that I found life could be unkind. I was pregnant with our third child. Our laundry was underneath the house & whilst washing, Julie & Rodney were ‘driving me crazy’. As I needed a couple of things from the small local shop which had recently opened, I thought I would give them a note & a basket & they could walk the 5-minute walk together. I watched them walk up the street hand in hand – Julie in the fairy dress Mum had made her for Christmas. Admittedly Julie was 4½ & Rodney 2½, but Beryl Willliams’ daughters of the same age (Jane & Erica) used to walk around the block with their dolls prams on a regular basis as it was a very quiet area with hardly any traffic. I looked for them several times, but after about 10 mins decided to go to meet them. To my dismay, I found that they had never even reached the shop. As I didn’t have a phone, I guess I went to the BP service station next door and contacted Duncan to come home. The children were eventually found walking towards home on Bagot Rd. From this point things escalated to a big court-case as they had been abducted & Julie sexually assaulted by a very prominent Darwin businessman. Eventually he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Mark Howard Seager was born at the Darwin Hospital on November 7th, 1961. We are now blessed with 3 beautiful, healthy children. When Mark was about 8 weeks old, I left Darwin with the children to return to Adelaide. Duncan was left to clean up the house & to join me later. After spending a short time at Erindale, we moved back to 25 Elgin Ave, Warradale. Julie started school at Oaklands Primary School in 1962. This was a difficult

268 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia time for her as she didn’t really know anyone & Darwin & Adelaide are so different. I also found it hard to leave my little girl at school & had many tears on the way home. Children then walked to school on their own & this too was hard to do after the recent experience in Darwin. We had the choice of Oaklands or Brighton Primary School – we chose Oaklands as we were attending Warradale Congregational Church & knew one of the families whose girls attended Oaklands, as Julie didn’t know anyone down here.

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Wig Wig 271 28 Always laughing, even after having twins. Twice.

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Elizabeth Douglas Whittam 275 29 Elizabeth Douglas Whittam The quiet gentle soul from Ashbourne

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Transport King Transport King 279 30 MacDonald Douglas Whittam builds a trucking dynasty

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William Joshua Gordon Peter Douglas Thrice in Love 283 1822-1887 1858-1934 1904-1970 1938- 31 Thrice in Love Green thumbs seem to be a recurring theme in the Whittam family. The Peter Douglas Whittam finally ability to grow things, and grow them well is an inherent genetic trait discovers his purpose in life that has carried down the generations. Whether it be a small patch of flowering plants in the corner of a suburban garden, or the vast sprawling paddocks of a farm, drawing life from the soil and helping it flourish comes naturally to many in the family tree. Although an ironmonger by trade, William Whittam enjoyed the idea of farming so much that he considered leaving the office to take it up permanently. Will Whittam of Oberon made it both his hobby and vocation after giving up the pottery business. Doug and Don both took up farming, and the home gardens of Os, Ken & Ted were beauties to behold. So it is no real surprise that Peter Whittam would also find his way into gardening, and learn the art of nurturing plants and helping them bring joy not just to himself, but to all that saw them. This was to be Peter’s third great love of his life, and the real tragedy with this one is that it took Peter quite so long to find it. Peter learned to play golf at Ashbourne on Dorothy & Harry’s course. Still plays today at Mt Barker. When young in Ashbourne, the community was so close-knit that everybody was known as ‘uncle’ or ‘aunty’. The truth was that many people actually were related, and when he met Jill, they thought it was all a bit ‘close’, so they decided to break away from the community and live at Jill’s home town of Balaklava so that there were not so many people living ‘in their pocket’. Growing up in Ashbourne was a wonderful experience, with so much open

284 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia space and the opportunity to explore. Nearby Bull Creek was always a good destination to find yabbies, or to swing on the willow branches hanging over the water before dropping into the cool water for a swim on a hot summer’s day. When he was about four, Peter’s sister Betty was at school and Peter thought he would find her. He sneaked out of the house and set off across the paddocks. As he passed John and Bess Meyer’s house, which is now the Greenman Inn, he passed a white box sitting out in the field. Curious, he lifted the lid to see what was inside, and was assailed by a swarm of angry bees. Smarting from a myriad of stings, he screamed, which attracted the attention of both the school principal and Bess Meyer, who daubed him all over with a ‘blue bag’, used for brightening washing, but also very alkaline to neutralise the acidic stings. Athough he did not reach the school that day, he went home covered in blue patches, and a very painful education to leave bee hives well alone! When he finally did make it to school, he found it to be very tiny compared to most others. Although it was wartime, the community tolerated the teacher, Charlie Faehrmann, a German, as he was good with the pupils and managed to teach twelve schoolchildren spread over seven grades. The children came from all over the district, with one, Sally Palm, riding her horse from Bull Creek each morning, leaving it in the school yard and then riding it home again at the end of the day. Following the Whittam tradition, after primary school, Peter was sent to board at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, joining his older brother Mac. Unfortunately Mac left soon afterwards, only staying for a couple of years. Peter was eternally grateful that his parents could afford to send him to the prestigious school, and attained his Leaving certificate (year 11). Although academically capable he had no desire to proceed to university, and did not pursue his Leaving Honours, or year 12. After school, Peter went to work for the National Bank, followed by a year at AMP. However, he did not know what he wanted to do with his life. He then returned to his roots and tried farming for a while, working with his Uncle Doug growing potatoes on a share basis. Whilst here, he found Doug & Clarice to be incredibly kind, and they treated him like the son they never had. Doug also had an automated dairy, but there was one cow that needed to be milked by hand. Peter would ride his motorbike down to Doug & Clarice’s on a cold winter’s morning, and eagerly head to milk the cow in order to warm up his icy hands.

Thrice in Love 285 Doug could see that Peter was restless and unable to find his passion on the farm. Having spent some time in England during World War  I, Doug knew how the change of perspective could shape a man, and he urged Peter to head overseas to see if he could find himself. Doug and Clarice would have joined him, but Clarice wasn’t physically able to manage the rigours of such a long trip. So, in 1960, Peter took off alone to Europe for a couple of years. As he headed off, his Aunt Dorothy presented him with a small gold-embossed Bible as a token of good wishes. First stop was Rome, just in time for the Olympic Games. Part of the travel arrangements sorted by his agent was for him to be put up with an Italian family. They spoke not a word of English, and Peter knew no Italian, so sign language had to suffice until their English-speaking son returned home from working in New York. Olympic venue tickets were considerably easier to obtain in 1960, so Peter was able to see athletics and swimming during the six weeks he was there. After Italy, he made his way through Europe by train, finally joining a “30 days for £30” tour of Spain. This basically involved eight people crammed in a Kombi van, camping in tents wherever they stopped. It was pretty basic travel, but expected, given the cost. On the Calais to Dover ferry, Peter bumped into an old Prince Alfred College friend purely by chance. They started talking, and wound up renting a freezing-cold London basement flat together in Earls Court. Peter’s friend was an engineer, so he was able to fiddle with the flat’s wiring so that they had an endless supply of free hot water. Whilst there, he met up with his Uncle Ken & Aunty Kath, who were on a holiday themselves, and joined them for the trip around Scotland, thoroughly enjoying Ken’s larrikin nature. Upon his return in 1962, Peter was attending a wedding of a friend when he met a girl named Jillene Anderson. They hit it off immediately and began dating. A short while later, Jill accompanied Peter on a cricket trip to Port Lincoln with the Country XI. Peter got to play against cricketing greats like Fred Truman, Colin Cowdrey and Ted Dexter, but more importantly, he and Jill came to the realisation that they wished to spend the rest of their lives together. Peter had found the first true love of his life. Peter and Jill married on 19 September 1963 at Scots Church on North Terrace, Adelaide, officiated by Rev Devid Hodges. Still connected to farming, Peter went to work on a station at Hawick near Bordertown, owned by the McGregor family. As a station hand, Peter would assist with growing pasture, doing the seeding

286 Perroomba: A History of the Whittam Family in Australia and helping with the sheep and cattle. He and Jill moved into a Blunt home, a timber home typical of many country properties of the day1. Unfortunately, the property was surrounded by soft sand, and their Morris Minor was unable to travel without becoming bogged. They had to leave the car at their neighbour’s property and request a lift from them each time they wished to go somewhere. This was a difficult situation as Peter was playing cricket for Bordertown and often needed to head out for practice and games. After two years at Hawick, Jill’s brother Brian called to say he was setting up a chicken hatchery at Halbury, about eight miles from Jill’s home town of Balaklava, and 62 miles north of Adelaide. Brian asked Peter to work at the hatchery, and promised to build them a home if they would move, to which they quickly agreed. While the house was being built, Peter & Jill moved in with Jill’s parents, who lived in a small fibrous-cement home, where every movement could be heard throughout the house. This was not an ideal situation for a young married couple! Once settled in their new home, they were able to begin a family, and welcomed their first three children, Anna in 1965, Matthew in 1967 and Katie in 1970. Matthew’s name was specifically chose to reignite a tradition, given that the last Matthew Whittam had died in 1940. Whilst in Halbury, Peter was playing for Kensington Cricket Club, all the way down in Adelaide. Jill and the young children would often make the trip to watch the games, but when Jill was pregnant, her heavy morning sickness made the car travel unbearable. So, Peter joined the Halbury club, and the team won the premiership for the first time in twenty years, and he often credits the ensuing celebrations with the subsequent arrival of their fourth child, Samuel. Peter’s work at the hatchery became more sophisticated, learning to sex newly hatched chickens to separate the males from the females. This was, and still is, a very specialised job, which paid very well. However, the chicks were being sent all the way to the Mornington peninsula in Victoria, which was sometimes a gruelling journey for the young hatchlings. On particularly cold days, the birds would crowd together in their boxes to keep warm, and large numbers would be suffocated. So, the hatchery had to move to a better location at Gawler River, closer to the main transport routes. At this point, Peter & Jill’s children were ready for high school, and they wanted to send them to college but could not afford for them to board. So, the family moved to a home at 84 Tusmore