Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

[Phyl]

Chris , you are so right the nissens did get hot.Tony used to put the sprinkler on the roof to try to cool the house and also we drew the curtains and hung wet blankets at the front and back door to try to catch any breeze and hopefully cool the place a little.
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Kind regards,
Phyl

[chrisnic]

I discovered the other day that both Williams Creek and Deadman's Creek bridges are on the RTA's heritage listing:
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4309505

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4309512

I also heard somewhere that the original Georges River footbridge was built by US servicemen who were stationed at Heatchcote Rd hostel during the war. Can anyone confirm this?

[richardhallford]

Ok, this isnt going to be easy, but here goes. I never wagged school even one day. Truly. I wanted to, and I knew that others did. Maybe I was just too much of a goody goody. I think another reason was (this is the cringy bit) I actually liked school. No hate mail please. lol.
Never got the cane either. Scary stuff that. Richard.
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d

[GeoffT]

I recall swimming in the creek in '65 and there was an old steel safe in the middle of the swimming hole which we could stand on. I also distinctly recall standing on the safe one hot day and watched a red belly black snake swim past, that was the closest I ever want to come to a snake ever. By jeez we used to have some fun as young teenagers.
Geoff
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Heathcote Rd Hostel 8/5/65 - 1966. Residing in Victoria since 1973.

[barkly]

I learned to swim in Williams Creek - being taken out to the island at high tide (because it is still tidal there) by my older brother and friends and encouraged. I could swim before my parents even knew.

At the BIG swimming hole further up and on the other side of the rapids I also saw my first red belly black snake. We used to spend a lot of time swimming there. I think it was an old war-tiem quarry. Lots of clay and muddy water.

Barkly

[richardhallford]

For those of you interested, the Post office on the East Hills Hostel was actually called Hammondsville East Post Office. After waiting months, the National Archive of Australia has finally approved access to an archive box relating to the Post Office. It was also the shop on the Hostel. I have no idea what is in it, maybe just junk. But I have paid for it and it should be available within the month. I will post when this is so. It should be available to all and sundry for a look see, as it is the Archives policy to charge only once. I hope it thrills and not scares or disappoints. Good luck all. PS. Im still waiting for another box of "goodies" re East Hills Hostel. The Archives are on there own time frame. :)
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d

[Phyl]

I saw my first red bellied black snake at Berkeley Hostel in 1962,it was on our front lawn and my eldest son thought it was a black hose saw it's eyes and came in to tell us. Panic !!!! The manager's wife,next door and my late husband killed it and hung it over the fence. I felt so sorry for it as though it was trying to strike ,it was fighting for it's life and had been trying to go back to the paddocks in front of the house. A sort of sad memory for me.
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Kind regards,
Phyl

[Janine Smith nee Sedgwick]

I remember going to the jumble sales in the rec hall, my one aim was to find a pair of jeans and finally found a pair of Amco ones, we then set about trying to bleach them in the wash sheds, we looked forward to it every week as it was the only way we got new clothes.
I also remember going to the Woronora dam to swim, it was quite dangerous and lots of broken glass, the wall has been removed now.
I also remember us all piling into a dark brown station wagon, i think it was owned by a fellow who worked on the hostel, and going to Cronulla beach.

[richardhallford]

As previously posted, this was the actual post office/shop on the East Hills hostel. The records I have requested have become available from the National Archives of Australia. They are now free for all to view:- Hammondville East Post Office [History file] [Box 471]
Barcode
1545061
What a dissapointment. Only five records listed and in fact there are only two records with any information on it. But I hope that some of it is usuful to someone. Cheers all.
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d

[DavidPovey]

I remember we swam a lot in that creek near Heathcote Road, that backed on to the army base. There was a very clever dog that could swim underwater and "fetch", quite a few brown snakes, and lots of "pottery" made from riverbank mud! Boy, did it get hot and was that water refreshing!

On the topic of catching the bus to school, or wagging - you could walk to Hammondville East PS and save your bus money, which was enough to buy a bar of American Gum. It was a long walk though. I do recall making "cigarettes" near a creek bed on the way to school - dry grass rolled up in old venetian blinds! My lungs!

David

[muffin]

i remember when we used to go to eat our dinner in the kitchen at easthills hostel and my dad used to get so many sweets for himself,i went to a different table ,we used to go swimming in deadmans creek,i was told that a girl got murderd on that long road to easthills in 62 iam not sure if it is true.i to went to easthills highschool didnt stay there long cause i couldnt speak english,so i left and never went back to school it was very hard in those days ,still i had a good time at the hostel i cant remember to many people do.
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trudy

[richardhallford]

Muffin, there was indeed a murder at East Hills. Her name was Monica Schofield. Another one of our member here, Sandra Anthony was there at the time. There is a Police Journal article about the whole event, including picutures of the time, including the old wooden bridge. For anyone interested in this, I have a copy.
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d

[muffin]

Thanks Richard. I would really appreciate a copy of the article.
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trudy