Migrantweb.com Hostels Forum

[Len]

These plans have been drawn-up by Leigh (fairstar1965). They are great. Just click on the two images and you should (with a bit of luck) see them full size and with more detail.
They are a little large, so it may take a bit of time for them to load.

Cheers Leigh.

[Phyl]

Hi Len and Leigh,
Thankyou Len for posting Leigh's wonderful plans. Wow. We were in the second house in yellow coming in the main entrance though Tony was Assistant Manager in 1954.I remember the dining room and office and boiler house etc. Though can't remember going to the kiosk.
Thanks for the memory Leigh with your well drawn plans.
I can even see the spot our little dog Joey was hit by the car.
We went from Heathcote Rd. to Villawood for a short time then back to Heathcote Road in 1955 and then in about June of that year we were posted to Nunawading in Victoria.
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Kind regards,
Phyl

[chrisnic]

Great job, Leigh. Thanks for all that effort.

Cheers
Chris

[fairstar1965]

Cheers, Len, for uploading my artwork, it's a privilege to see them on the site. And also to yourself, Phyl and Chris for your kind words.

All the best,
Leigh

[barkly]

After we left East Hills Hostel in 1955 we moved onto the Naval Estate (8 Torch St) as dad was in the RAN. We came to Canberra in 1961.

I certainly remember some fights between the Heathcote Hostel 'thugs' and us nice boys on the Estate. In one melee my friend from next door was hit by a stick and had his arm broken.

Not all the memories were that good although on the whole we boys enjoyed the freedom we had.

Barkly

[Norm Faint]

Great work LEIGH, when I get a magnifying glass I will put some names to 'huts' that I remember persons living in. Like wise with PHYL, we also occupied the same yellow house 'for awhile and then moved up to the fourth one next door (almost) to the Office. From memory dad was relieving at Heathcote and then Fairy Meadow (somewhere) whilst we stayed at Heathcote, later dad was posted to East Hills Hostel but we remained at Heathcote. Great times at the Rec Hall for gymnastics, the Dining room for Saturday night (?) kiss and cuddles at the movies, rock and roll to the juke box at the kiosk and again Sunday night at 'the bottom camp' Rec. Hall. BARKLEY I didnt know we were thugs, I remember a small group of us being called 'Silver City Boys' then of course there were the East Hills gang (township) called 'Sunshine Boys' and the Hamondville Oz thugs that pestered the camps and our girl friends also try pass themselves off as Poms, some on motor cycles that played 'chicken' on the Heathcote Road.
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1954, Cabramatta Hostel from England aboard S.S.Strathaird, followed by Matraville, Marybrinong, Broadmeadows, Williamstown, Heathcote Road and Bunnerong (various moves as dad was later in '54 engaged as a Hostel Manager.

[fairstar1965]

Hi Norm, thanks for that, this is actually the first time I've been on the forums for a long time so better late than never in replying! Anyway here's some advance notice, I'm asking Len to upload a new and totally revised version of my hostels area chart since more info has come to light recently. Using surveyor's sketches and maps from the National Archives (thanks to Richard Halford for supplying the link), and various photos put up by everyone I have tried to show how the area around the two hostels may have looked from a satellite in 1965 if we'd had today's technology then. I felt motivated when I read Richard's message in which he lamented that due to the building work going on there soon no trace of our hostels will be left, at all, gone forever. So all us veterans will have some picture record to refer to in the future.

Kind regards,
Leigh