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Bunnerong Hostel ..60/61
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clarkie
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Location: Victor Harbour

PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bob, my family moved to SA because we took a bit of a look around Sydney in the areas we could afford and didn't really like what we saw. It was out Liverpool, Bankstown and that was in the sticks back then. The government organised a bus trip for migrants over the Easter weekend to go and take a quick look around Adelaide so my dad came down saw a house he liked in a new suburb called Para Hills bought it and then they moved in 1966.
When we were on the hostel dad worked at ICI in Botany. He was a boiler attendant. He and I had been in the Merchant Navy before leaving Scotland and he was a stoker I was a steward. Mum worked in the kitchens on the hostel .
Dad also played the bagpipes and was with the Coogee Randwick Pipe Band. We had a friend, the brother of the person who tutored dad in Scotland his name was Bill Brown and he had migrated some years before. He was a sergeant in the NSW Police force and also the Pipe Major of the NSW Police Pipe Band.Mum and dad mixed socially with them and went to the Botany RSL a few times. Dad was ex Cameronians and also ex POW.
I met Steve Philips an Irish guy on the hostel and we moved into a flat together in Bondi. He eventually met a girl from Manchester, Stephanie Ramsden, moved in with her and I moved in with a gang of fellow migrants and stayed at Roscoe Street,Bondi Beach.One guy was a Londoner,Edinburgh,Liverpool and Manchester.Great times.
I eventually moved to SA in 1967 and apart fom two and half years living in Brisbane on business I have lived here in SA. Oh! I also went back to Sydney from late 1968 to mid 69 when I was posted to Eastern Command Barracks which was in Paddington.
The guy from Manchester whom I flatted with at Bondi was Frank Russo he and I were born on the same day and when I relocated to Eastern Command he actually ended up there with me as he had been called up also but he had done his Basic Training in NSW and I had gone to Puckapunyal in Central Victoria.
Good hearing from you again Bob. Regards, Dave
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Robert (Bob) Taylor
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:00 am    Post subject: Bunnerong Hostel Reply with quote

Hi Dave, a big coincidence there, my Dad also worked at ICI at that plant. He was an Electricians Mate, and If remember right he quite liked the place.
However, as I noted earlier he lost his job when the recession hit.
He passed away aged 94, 18 months ago. He was all there until that age but got a hole in the bowel, the surgeons didn't rate his chances of survival from an opertion too high, and him being stubborn took his chances, he lasted 2/3 days. He had been in the English army as desert rat in Tobruk also up in Burma fighting the Japanese and then went to Germany for the clean up at the end of the war. As I mentioned he was stubborn and fit to the end, we jokingly used to say he thought he still was in the trenches... The way he used to soldier on. Cheers, Bob.
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Phyl Phyl has been starred
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I take my hat off to your Dad Bob ,what a great man.Sorry he didn't make it after the op though.
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clarkie
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:39 am    Post subject: Coincidences Reply with quote

Hi Bob more coincidences eh mate. My father was in North East India with the Cameronians when war broke out. They eventually crossed the border into Burma where they were captured and spent the next 3.5 years in Rangoon Jail. My father kept everything in a box , photographs, medals and even the telegrams the Ministry sent to his mum after he was captured saying missing KIA and then later to tell her he had been found and would eventually be in touch with her. Dad met mum through her brother as he also was a POW in Rangoon and when they were repatriated in 1945 were introduced and married.
You mention your dad working at ICI also. Dad really enjoyed it there. He started off at Spartan Paints but didn't like it so much there.Mum and dad went to the Botany RSL a few times with the brother of a friend from Scotland who had migrated around 60-61. He was a Police Serg in the NSW police and Pipe Major of the NSW Pipe Band.
Sorry about your dad Bob. We lost my dad in 2006. He had just celebrated his 83rd b'day. He was diagnosed at 75 with prostate cancer and that eventually got him. Interestingly many years ago when he celebrated his 50th birthday he said to me how lucky he was to have reached 50 as he didn't think he was going to make 25 as he was only 19 when he was captured. They really were from a resilient age and adventurous. Thank goodness or we wouldn't be where we are now mate.
Cheers, Dave
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Robert (Bob) Taylor
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:16 am    Post subject: Bunnerong Hostel 60/61 Reply with quote

Thanks Phyl you are always so compassionate around these family storys.
I maybe didn't quite explain the operation right he didn't want to go under knife at his age and after a lot of soul searching we let him have his wish and take his chances. He was always going to be on a hiding to know where. The infection had set in and septacemia takes over.

Dave thanks, I remembered from your note re India that dad was there also and Ceylon, he was with the Black Watch.You never know they may have crossed paths?
Yes agree with those comments about how hard it was for them. And yes without their grit we wouldn't be around and if we were we would probably be speaking a different language and not have the freedoms etc that we do enjoy.
Cheers, BOB
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clarkie
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello again Bob. Well your dad and my grandfather were in the same regiment The Black Watch. Amazing. If you are interested and you read a bit there are two books that may interest you. One is Operation in Rangoon Jail written by Col KP Mackenzie[circa1957 ?] who was the senior medical officer, Cameronians and the other book was written many years later by two Aussie RAAF officers and was called Rats of Rangoon[1980-90].There are illustrations and photos of the same in both books. One in particular is on the roof of the nissan huts which reads Japs gone and extract digit. Even under extreme the brits sense of humour still came through.Regards, Dave
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Fionahammell
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:03 pm    Post subject: Bunnerong Hostel 1966 onwards Reply with quote

How wonderful to read all these stories and what memories they bring back.
My family were The Brady's, 7 girls,one boy.
We lived In a couple of the blocks, probably stayed in block 9 for the most time.
My dad also worked at ICI as a clerk and my mum worked there for a while as well.
I remember the blue tongues, tried to keep one as a pet and the penny bungers.
Anyone remember Boston baked beans, Russian toast , Madeira cake in lunch bags ,ice cream and orange cordial for sunday lunch.
We were always looking after stray animals .
The army barracks were behind us and we used to take great delight in trying to distract the soldiers when they were doing their drills .
Remember the playground with the monkey bars?
I remember the magazine and the paper shop .
We were from Leamington England and came over on the fair sky in 1966.
Fiona
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Fionahammell
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:03 pm    Post subject: Bunnerong Hostel 1966 onwards Reply with quote

How wonderful to read all these stories and what memories they bring back.
My family were The Brady's, 7 girls,one boy.
We lived In a couple of the blocks, probably stayed in block 9 for the most time.
My dad also worked at ICI as a clerk and my mum worked there for a while as well.
I remember the blue tongues, tried to keep one as a pet and the penny bungers.
Anyone remember Boston baked beans, Russian toast , Madeira cake in lunch bags ,ice cream and orange cordial for sunday lunch.
We were always looking after stray animals .
The army barracks were behind us and we used to take great delight in trying to distract the soldiers when they were doing their drills .
Remember the playground with the monkey bars?
I remember the magazine and the paper shop .
We were from Leamington England and came over on the fair sky in 1966.
Fiona
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Robert (Bob) Taylor
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 2:52 am    Post subject: Bunnerong Hostel Reply with quote

7 girls and 1 boy! Phew, Fiona I bet he was spoilt a lot?
Did you and your family remain in Australia?
Sorry the bungers presume they are Chinese firework crackers?
If that is right we used to spend all our pocket money and bottle deposit refunds on these. We were down right dangerous with them throwing them at each other and causing grass fires etc.
Lovely to see your postings here.
Cheers, Bob.
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