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East Hills 1965 - 1968

 
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Olly Olly has been starred
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:09 am    Post subject: East Hills 1965 - 1968 Reply with quote

Some of my memories
I remember the Aussies had had a gutful of pommies so we often had fights on the way to school (East Hills Girls High) and fights on the way home. The Aussies sat on one side of the canteen and we sat on the other and I was often called a ***** because of my unusual name.
On the hostel we hung around 'the circle' in the bus shelter.
The only ramp where I could practice with my skateboard was the ramp leading into the canteen.
Jed Broad was the guy who drove us in the minibus up to the footbridge for school. There was always huge jellyfish in that river.
Skip Quin was the first skip I had and I played in Heathcote Hearts Netball and Softball teams.
Heathcote Hostel had the Youth Centre.
When we went decimal in 1966 kids missed out big time in the lollies department. 5 cents only bought you five whereas sixpence used to buy you 6. It was even worse with the 10 cents where once we got 12 for a shilling.
Lunch from the canteen comprised a peanut butter sandwich that separated into 3 distinct slices at lunchtime, a slice of plain cake and an orange.
I remember the toilet blocks and a massive tarantula crawling along the side of the bath when we were in it once. We screamed the place down.
We weren't allowed pets on the hostel yet the hostel area (the bush on the outskirts of town) was the dumping ground for a lot of animals that found their way onto the site. There was a maintenance(?) guy who was German and used to round up all the strays and put them down. We hated him at the time, but I do remember one incident where he humanely killed some kittens and allowed us to cut some of their fur as a memento. I realised then that he wasn't such a bad chap - just doing his job. I went into the sales office a few years back when they knocked it all down and had a look at the plans. The sales girl started doing the sales pitch about the area and I told her there wasn't anything she could tell me about the site and told her that 'the desert' was a virtual pet cemetary containing 100's of dogs & cats etc.

Olly
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Phyl Phyl has been starred
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Olly,
I've enjoyed your posts but I really can't think how so many animals were destroyed at East Hills. My husband was manager in charge there late 1967-1971 and I'm sure that would not have happened under his command. I certainly knew nothing of it,
Shocked
The assistant manager there was german and all hostels had staff who came from Europe.I am in touch with he and his wife so must bring that up at some stage.
I remember that youth leader and the one who came after.
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Phyl
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Olly Olly has been starred
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Phyl

I may be exaggerating when I say 100's Rolling Eyes , just that it seemed like that looking back. We just knew we weren't allowed pets and I certainly remember that we used to try to hide any animals we came across from our parents as much as anyone else and feed them on the sly. And when we came home from school if they were gone then we concluded that he'd found them and gotten rid of them.

I certainly remember burying a couple of animals in the desert myself - the 2 kittens and a puppy and I know of other kids who did the same. Of course, I can't remember all the details now of how we came by the animals in the first place or why they died and had to be buried. They just seemed to wander on to the hostel site and whoever found them claimed them as their own and tried to keep them.

The Asst Manager may have gained 'bogeyman' status if the kids knew he'd even put down 1 animal or for some other unrelated incident entirely - you know what kids are like. The kittens incident was mine and my friends father had told us we couldn't keep 2 kittens. We liked Jed and took them to him to put down. He put them in a tin with something that smelled awful (camphor blocks or something similar) and put a lid on top. The German man came in and said that was a cruel way of doing it and that they were suffering so he took them out and drowned them instead. As I say, my opinion of him changed after that and I told the other kids he may have to do it as part of his job but he is compassionate and tries not to make them suffer.

Cheers
Olly
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Ann Ainsworth
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:59 pm    Post subject: Jed Broad Reply with quote

Hi Olly, I remember Jed as well. Also remember being happy when the George river flooded and we couldn't cross the bridge to go to school Very Happy
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GeoffT
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Olly,
I was at Heathcote hostel in '65 - '66 and played football (soccer) with Heathcote Hearts under skip (not sure of his name), but I sometimes used to skip school and help with his mail run.
Yes I had heaps of trouble with the 'aussies' from East Hills Boys High, probably why I ended up in the truancy court in deep doodoo. I finally figured out why I had such a hard time. When I left secondary school in Lancaster in April '65 I was in Form 3 and enter Form 4 in the September. Arrived in Oz and was put into Form 2 (because I was deemed too young) which meant Form 3 in February '66. They wondered why I didn't want to go to school. Finally got sorted and have enjoyed being an Aussie.
regards Geoff
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Heathcote Rd Hostel 8/5/65 - 1966. Residing in Victoria since 1973.
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Hollander
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Ollie & Geoff,

It sounds like you were both at East Hills/Heathcote hostels at the same time as me. I went to East Hills Boys High in 1965/66. In 1965 I was in fourth form. I was a bit notorious over my refusal to get my hair cut. I got on well with all the students and the teachers (particularly the French and German teacher, Mr. McMahon and the English teacher, Mr. Machin). However, the Headmaster (Wallis) and his deputy (Saunders) were my arch enemies. So, Geoff, you might remember me as an undesirable example to younger pupils like yourself. Very Happy

And Geoff, do you remember the woodworking teacher? He was so infuriated by one of the more obnoxious students that he threw a chisel at him, which ended up quivering in a door jamb. Henceforth he became known as Jim Bowie. (remember the start of that TV show where he throws the Bowie knife?)

You might also have known Brian Dewhurst, who lived on the Heathcote Hostel during this period. From one of Englands northern cities, he was a tall lanky guy who was on the school swim team. Ironically, although a good friend of mine, he was regarded as a very positive potential Australian. Very Happy

Btw I do remember the minibus driver, but his name had escaped me.

Cheers
Ed Jonker
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GeoffT
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PostPosted: Tue May 18, 2010 4:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Hollander,
unfortunately I didn't attend school very often, but I do remember the woodwork teacher, he also used to lob his blackboard duster if he thought you weren't paying attention. Obviously a teacher with issues.
We only stayed at Heathcote Road a year, as the magistrate at children's court (truancy) advised mum & dad to take me to a different environment, I was sent to Minda Remand centre for 10 days for evaluation, and placed on 12months probation. It was a pretty bad time for me and my family. We moved to Auburn and I attended Homebush Boys High, finishing at end of fourth form. I finally got sorted and completed a four year apprenticeship as an Electrician. Of course I'm now a grandfather of seven so I have to behave myself. LOL.
cheers Geoff
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Heathcote Rd Hostel 8/5/65 - 1966. Residing in Victoria since 1973.
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Hollander
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PostPosted: Wed May 19, 2010 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good to hear from you Geoff, but sorry that you had such a bad time in the early days. East Hills Boys' High was a nightmare for me too, but I put up with it for two years. In my final year (6th form, 1967), I went to see the headmaster, dumped my school textbooks on his desk and told him I'd had enough and walked out. I never went back and ended up sitting for the HSC as a private student. Still managed to get into Sydney Uni and with a Commonwealth Scholarship.

On a different subject, they had a sort of youth club/gymnasium at Heathcote Hostel. I used to go there in the evenings and box. They had all sorts of sports equipment there. An old fellow was in charge there. He also supervised basketball or volleyball at the far end of East Hills Hostel, where you could play at night under bright lights. Looking at Olly's photo now, I think she might have gone there as well.

Ed
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richardhallford richardhallford has been starred
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PostPosted: Sun May 23, 2010 2:19 am    Post subject: Heathcote Hearts Football team Reply with quote

Geoff, you may have noticed in other streams that I was in the Heathcote Hearts team from 1966. ( I posted team photo some time ago)
I was lucky enough to go to Liverpool Boys High. I had no such trouble with the locals. I did have trouble though at Hammomdsville PS in that regard. Many an "immigrant" taunting came my way, especially because of broad Scottish accent. tehe, the good old days, some of them werent that good. :)
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East Hills Hostel Aug 1966 to 1968. Nissen Huts 81 and 83d
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