Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

GinaKate · Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 7:44 am Post subject: GinaKate: Dundas Hostel 1965

44 years ago today we boarded the train to London. 44 years ago tomorrow we set sail on the Fairsky bound for Sydney.

We spent all of four days on East Hills Hostel. East Hills seemed like the end of the earth, there was nothing there except the hostel and the army camp. Dad requested a transfer and since he had a job to go to in Rydalmere we scored Dundas Hostel were we stayed for about 18 months during 1965-66.

Mr. Giles (I think that is the right spelling) was in charge. During his illness we had a German man, the name Gunther Saddler springs to mind.

Len · Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject:

Hi GinaKate welcome to our forums and thankyou for taking the time to post as it�s probably a very busy time of year for everyone with it being xmas and new year etc. It must have been a blast for you and your family celebrating the new on board the Fairsky.
If you have any photos of your stay at Dundas hostel then please email them to me and I�ll gratefully add them to our forums for all to enjoy

Smile

Phyl · Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 5:00 am Post subject:

Hi Ginakate,
It was great to read your posts.
I think you would be talking about Mr Jiear who was the manager in charge when you arrived in Dundas. I really can't remember a manager named Gunther Saddler.
My late husband Tony Hobbs was manager in charge there in 1966.I don't know if you remember him.We were there till late 1967 when we were transferred to East Hills.
Did you go to Oatlands School?.
My twins did and my eldest son was there for a year then to McQuarie boys High.
I do hope you post some memories. Smile

_________________
Kind regards,
Phyl

GinaKate · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:03 am Post subject:

No I didn't go to Oatlands but I knew most of the families whose children did. I was fifteen on arrival and so I went to the Metropolitan Business College in McQuarrie Street, Parramatta. After finishing there I got a job in Sydney City which was the norm back then. All the girls met up at the side of the hostel behind the nissen huts and walked down the hill and across that cement thing over the creek and came out directly opposite the entrance to the railway station. We changed trains at Clyde and the Villawood girls joined the train at Lidcombe. It was 17s 6d for a weekly ticket back then.

GinaKate · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:08 am Post subject:

I wish I did have photos, I thought I had one of a mob of us at the docks when we went to see off a family who returned to England, but I can't seem to find it.

Looking at my diary, it would seem that we were on East Hills Hostel for 8 days, I have arriving 28th January, 46A. Dundas 4th February. But no number, did we have numbers at Dundas?

GinaKate · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:31 am Post subject:

Jiear, that was him. He was ill, I think it was his heart, Gunther, or it could have been Wolfgang Saddler was sent in to help out. He lived behind us, we were on the back row parallel to the canteen, behind us there was a waist high chain link fence, and then a strip of ground between the hostel and the plant nursery (quite a few of the boys got jobs in the nursery) anyway, Mr. Saddler was on that patch, not sure if he had a nissen hut, I'm thinking it was some sort of demountable fibro dwelling. He was there for quite some months.
Yes I do remember Mr. Hobbs, although vaguely. I remember that the heat was taken off one of the boys when Mr Jiear left. The boy was a former resident of the hostel and like many just gravitated back every day for the social life. I don't know what he had done, it had happened before my time, but Mr Jiear banned him and threatened to call the police if he ever set foot on the place. Obviously that didn't have any effect because he was back every day, and as a result of the banning we were all constantly aware of Mr Jiear's whereabouts so we could sound the warning bell. When you came the slate was wiped clean and no need to know where Mr Hobbs was at any time, and so I didn't take much notice, but your photos are very familiar.

And young David, well if his family stayed they more than likely moved out Penrith way, between Penrith and Springwood seems to be where most of them are. And David of course will have had an Aussie accent for the past forty odd years.

Phyl · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject:

GinaKate,
Neat to read your posts . His name was Sadlo .You have the christian name correct, Wolfgang. I remember him well.Wonder where he is now. I know he was in Canberra with CHL last I heard but of course all those places may not exist now.
I do have photos of the chef and cooks but as not sure about the privacy code have not posted them. I am sure you would recognise them.
_________________
Kind regards,
Phyl

GinaKate · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:12 am Post subject:

Had a flashback yesterday, I do remember you. I remember seeing you in the canteen mingling with the residents, I thought it was unusual because we just didn't see Mrs. Jiears at all. I don't think she ventured on the camp site further that the office.
And after you came we were allowed back into the rec room. It seems that the kids were banned from there too, again before my time so I don't know the reason, anyway we congregated around the shop and after that closed for the night we would take the tape recorder into the wash sheds and plug in on one of the ironing tables.
Mr and Mrs McMannus ran the shop, Andy I think his name was, nice couple.
Francis worked in the kitchen, or was it the child care, and there was an older man (actually at age 15 every man was an older man) I think he must have been a cook, I don't know his nationality, I'm thinking South American, Portuguese. He used to come and talk to us after he had finished his work, always had something profound to say.
I don't know about privacy codes but it would be nice to see photos, I know that on other forums people post old school photos, but that might be viewed differently.