Guiding/Scouting in my family – Sue

My story will be done in photos.

Brownie uniform in the 1960’s with friend Charmaine

Planting rose at opening of Glenorchy Council Chambers Civic Square

Badge presentation by Jean Goodman, Glenorchy area Commissioner, whilst at camp

Presentation of Queen’s Guide badge by Joan McKay, Regional Commissioner

Presentation of Queen’s Guides at Government House

Joining Langana Ranger Guides on the eastern shore of Hobart

Lindisfarne guiding friends at airport ready to send me overseas to either Hong Kong or Fiji

Special evening meal at Hong Kong camp

Invite to meet Prince of Wales, now King Charles

Taking part in JOTA (Jamboree on the air) conference in Victoria

Presentation of Banksia Award for work around Australia with JOTA

Leader at Ranger Guide and Venturer camps working on amateur radio station

I had a fantastic time as a Brownie, Guide, Ranger Leader and JOTA organizer from 14 June 1964 when I joined 1st Glenorchy Brownie Pack until 27 April 2001 when I was given the Banksia Award. Lots of camps at Betty Beaumont’s at Molesworth, also at Oyster Cove before it burned down then at Orana at Roches Beach. Lots of bushwalking and learning how to track animals, cook over campfires (those eggs in orange skins and banana and chocolate cooked in the coals. Also loving the singalongs around the campfires.

Readers: Were you ever a Queen’s Guide or Scout? Did you represent you unit or pack at a special event in your area?

Guiding reunion

Back in late May this year, I received a phone call from Jan, my Guide leader from back in the 1960’s. She had been in contact with a couple of other girls who were in the original 4th Glenorchy Girl Guide Company. They were thinking of organizing a reunion and would I like to come?

Now I am not the sort of person who enjoys sitting around and just chatting with people I don’t know or haven’t seen for decades. I am more the wallflower who sits back and listens. But I know mum would have pushed me into attending so ……

I took part in the Messenger group that was created for sharing information, including photos and newspaper articles. Dad and I went through all the guiding photos he had on his computer looking for those relating to 4th Glenorchy Guides. We couldn’t find many but mum had written about building the new Guide Hall at Glenorchy which happened about the same time. Those photos we found, I emailed to Jan to include in her slide show ready for the reunion.

So the date was set as Saturday 12 – 3pm at St Marks Church Hall, Bellerive on 1st October 2022. Everyone was to bring along some food to share as well as photos, log books etc.

I was the only person still wearing a mask but took it off for a couple of minutes while eating. The room wasn’t well ventilated so the mask was back on  when talking to people and reading out the information about the Guide Hall.

I did enjoy the afternoon, checking out the log book that had been kept by another Sue, the lieutenant of the Guide Company. Also looking at the camp blankets and chatting family history, of course, with some of the other participants. Like I normally do, I took a few photos.

Readers: Have you ever been to a school or Guiding/Scouting reunion? How did you feel?

Foundations of my life

The theme for the month of January is FOUNDATIONS.

To me the foundations in family history are the building blocks of your life. That means family and home.

6 Brent Street in 2021

Our first family home was at 6 Brent Street in Glenorchy, a northern suburb of Hobart at that time but since then it has become a city in its own right.

The home originally belonged to our Uncle Harry (Harry Avery who was dad’s foster father). Harry bought it after his mother passed in 1952 and he and dad lived there.

Dad’s memories of this time:

I remember that Harry let me drive his utility when we went to look at the house there and as we left I backed into a Hydro pole. Fortunately it was only a slight bump with very little damage.

After dad married my mum, it then became our family home.

It was here that my brother, Philip, and I spent our childhood years along with our parents, Bob and Phyl.

Memories of happenings while living at Brent Street:

  • We lived within walking distance of our local shop and not far from the school we both attended
  • There was plenty of room to play in and grass in the backyard to pitch a tent on to sleep overnight if we wanted
  • Room for pets but we only ever had a canary. Sadly he passed away when we were on a holiday around Tasmania
  • Playing board games and doing jigsaw puzzles in the lounge room
  • Long bike rides with our school friends – home to the Botanical Gardens then contact parents when we got there safely and ring again when we were about to leave to come home
  • Birthday parties with lots of school friends
  • Outdoor toilet – just over the passageway from the back door
  • Being sent to our rooms when we had done something wrong – I’d read my book so not much of a punishment
  • Drawing on the outside of the house then having to clean it off
  • Lots of bottles along the fence line – fundraising for the Glenorchy Girl Guides and Brownies
  • As a Brownie, planting rose bush at opening of Glenorchy Council chambers
  • Learning to cook evening meals if mum wasn’t home
  • Family holidays to Devonport, St Helens  and Douglas River – canoeing in canoe dad built
  • Bush walking and camping  around Tasmania as a family
  • Three months travelling around Australia as a family with mum’s sister Margaret and her family
  • Lots of family visiting for birthdays and Christmas – Mum’s family were all very close
  • Visiting Bathurst Street Telephone exchange where dad worked
  • Travelling on the Tasman Limited train with uncle Fred, delivering the mail
  • Sunday school each week and choir
  • Philip at the YMCA

The foundations of my life learnt as a child included being independent, being part of a family as well as groups like Guides and YMCA, having hobbies, consequences of actions, enjoying life as a family and also with friends.

 

Pa England and his grandchildren Philip, Bronwyn, Sue and Leigh

 

Sue and Philip washing off the paint on the side of the house, rascals

 

Sue and Philip dressed up at Brent St, probably going to church

 

Charmaine and Sue Brownies

 

Planting rose at Glenorchy Council

 

Philip and dad working on their cars

Readers: What would you write about for the topic of foundations?