1955 -1956 MARIST BROTHERS DARLINGHURST - BLUE AND BLUE PART ONE

YOUR SCRIBE 3RD ROW DOWN SECOND FROM THE LEFT
OBVIOUSLY SNAPPED IN THE MIDST  OF RESPONDING TO A COMMENT FROM THE IRREPRESSIBLE ROGER CONSTABLE NEXT TO THE RIGHT

YOUR SCRIBE FOURTH ROW DOWN FIFTH FROM THE LEFT
EXHIBITING THE STEELY VISAGE OF A HITLER JUGEND

From about 2nd Year of High School (1953) I had formed an increasingly strong conviction that I was being called to the Priesthood. This was not something I immediately embraced as being what I wanted to do. I can recall sitting through Sermons at Mass about the need for Priestly vocations and wishing the subject would come to an end so that my conscience would no longer be tortured by the consideration of the issue. However by 3rd Year (1954) at MARIST Brothers Lidcombe the issue was resolved after much prayer, visits to St.Patrick's Seminary Manly ( it always amused me that on cruises up to Palm Beach by the largest of the Manly Ferries "SOUTH STEYNE" the commentator regularly referred to the massive Seminary building as "the Cardinal's Palace" an infinitely more modest building across the road from the Seminary and NOT visible from the sea or the Harbour.) 

This meant that I needed to continue my studies in Latin when I went to a new college to complete 4th and 5th Years . Many of my fellow students  would not go on to those Matriculation studies, but go out into the workforce. Those that did go on went almost exclusively to Marist Brothers Parramatta - which did not teach Latin. Problem! Some investigation turned up the fact that Marist Brothers Darlinghurst - on the other side of the City and some 12 miles distant - not only taught Latin but its Headmaster, Brother Michael was an accomplished Latinist and in fact lectured at Sydney University. So that was the decision - Marist Brothers Darlinghurst it was to be. 

A daily trip to and fro by electric train was needed from Berala to Central Station then out onto Eddy Avenue which crosses Central's North frontage and then a tram or a Double-Decker bus to Taylor Square Darlinghurst , then a walk past the High Court, past (though I did not know it at the time!) the notorious "wall"-later infamous as a rent-boy pick-up point frequented by some very senior Labour appointed lawyers including it is said a High Court Judge and also a member of the Police Commission - "Sin City"indeed. The walk proceeded past the old Darlinghurst Gaol and hey presto! arrived at the College along one side of a cul-de-sac, on the corner of Liverpool Street which stretched all the way down the hill back to the City's Hyde Park.

Taylor Square at the bottom of the picture, the High Court just above it, the road to the left took me along "the wall"past the entrance to the old DARLINGHURST Gaol here shown in detail as I never saw it.. The College is out of sight beyond the top of the picture.

MARIST BROTHERS DARLINGHURST, LIVERPOOL STREET FRONTAGE FACING SOUTH AND  FACING EAST ONTO THE CUL DE SAC .OUR 5TH YEAR CLASSROOM IS ON THE TOP FLOOR ON THE RIGHT OF THE PICTURE, AND OUR 4TH YEAR CLASSROOM WAS IMMEDIATELY TO ITS LEFT IN THE PICTURE ADJACENT TO THE STAIRWELL WHICH IS THE BRICK PROJECTION OUT TOWARD THE STREET. 

As it happened , Brother Michael was appointed to another school. But he took the trouble to come all the way out to Berala during the school holidays to assure me and my parents that the College would be maintaining Latin and would gladly welcome me. I was very happy to receive this  kind attention, though embarrassed that I happened to be ill in bed  (a rare occurrence) at the time! We had few enough guests in our home when I was young, but Mum was even more overwhelmed than I by this distinguished visitor.

This of course meant a trip to ANTHONY HORDERN'S DEPARTMENT STORE  in the City to get fitted out with a new suit, Hat (!! - never have been keen on hats!) , Tie etc. So here I was on the brink of 1955 and keen to get on with it!

1950 - 1954 MARIST BROTHERS LIDCOMBE BLUE AND GOLD

SCHOOL UNIFORMS -1950 A Rather Tubby me in the Hat and best mate Brien Dryden
who went to Marist Brothers Auburn.

1950 Modern Times - the War was behind us and the good times were upon us. There was that pesky War in Korea, but that was small beer and the Communist insurgency in Malaysia, but ...... and then the Mau Mau terrorists in Kenya.... but apart from that....things were pretty good!

Mum and Dad decided that I should move to Marist Brothers Lidcombe to commence 5th Class in Primary School. This was my elder brother Pat's old school where he had finished up during the War years, in the time when the diminutive but legendary Brother Loyola was Principal.

Lidcombe  Station is the junction of the Main Southern Line and the Main Western Line , the former heading off to Melbourne and the latter to Broken Hill and the South Australian Border. Lidcombe Station was about twenty minutes brisk walk from my home, or one could catch the bus - McVicars( lots of old Albions  with front mudguards and bonnets) from the end of the street, or walk for about 10 minutes to Berala Station and catch the City bound train the one stop to Lidcombe.
Despite the fact that it is an eminently plausible name, Lidcombe is probably unique worldwide, because the name was cobbled together by two local businessmen and I think Councillors , from their surnames LIDbury and Lar COMBE. Such distinction!

In my early years,1950/51 I used to travel by train to Lidcombe and back. In the Winter the unair-conditioned carriages' windows would fog up in the cold from exhaled air, and in the majority of carriages this was combined with smoke from cigarettes ( there being only two out of eight electric train  carriages designated "Non-Smoking") . The air was vile and I preferred to stand in the vestibule near the sliding doors where some fresh though cold air crept in.from around the doors.From Lidcombe's central double-sided platform it was a steep climb up the stairs to the overbridge which also housed the Ticket Office and a Newsagent and then a right turn to the North Side and off along John Street toward St. Joachim's Church ( then half -completed) and the School, just beyond the State School. The "publics"as we knew them, were not so much a factor here as they had been in our minds at Berala where their School was much further away.We studiously ignored them and they us.

The School and Parish site was a large one , occupying the Western end of a block bounded by John Street running North/South from the Station toward Parramatta Road ( or the Western Road as it had been known) and Keating Street on the North side and Mills Street on the South Side. The School was built at the Eastern end of the property facing North. It was built in cream brick, which was uncommon, and I believe it had won an architectural prize when built in the 1930's. It was an attractive building with a substantial Northside Verandah on both levels, the upper one bricked up to a boy's chest height and it was referred to as the parapet.There were stairs at either end of the Verandahs.On the Ground Floor, from the East end The Chemistry Room with tiered seating and lab benches, then 5th Class, then 6th Class then the Principal's Office at the rear and a Kit Room at the front. On the Upper level I can recall First Year, then Second Year and finally Third Year of the Secondary School at the West end.

Beyond the School at the East end, the Playground was on a lower level ( about three feet lower) . At the Keating Street side there was an old shelter from the sun then a Toilet Block and the Brick wall with a gate next to the drinking taps entering the grounds of the Brothers'Monastery a two- storeyed building in the same cream brick,  with its own small Chapel and a direct Frontage to Mills Street. I can recall going into the Monastery on only two or three occasions , to get something from, or deliver something to, the Brothers'Common Room,  which was often pressed into service to organise major events at the School.

As I remember it, my Teacher's were :

5th Class   Brother Verius whom I liked and admired a lot, he seemed a very large manly fellow, crew cut grey hair with dark complexion - now I think, maybe Lebanese? He was kind and made School interesting, with a good fund of stories.

6th Class   Brother Samuel whom I also liked very much and who liked me I believe , but I was in the second rank of "favourites" not being any good at sports at all. Our 6th Class was HUGE, I believe there were 62 Students - more than double present day norms,and Brother Samuel had his hands full. He was very tall and young with a largeish nose and he was very lanky. He had a good rapport with the kids whilst preserving firm discipline.

1st Year   Brother Albanus ( Now in the sad Post- Conciliar shambles Brother Peter Salta). He was my favourite Teacher of all time. He was also young and very athletic , with dark, Italian complexion and great energy. I can still recall him gathering up his Soutane and flying up the stairs in leaps and bounds at a great rate!He had a great Faith and devotion to Our Lord and Our Lady which I was very ready to warm to. He was very good to us boys in giving his great enthusiasm to the cause of our education both secular and religious.He was the very model of what a Religious should be, On occasions, he would announce a "Reign of Terror" when discipline would be strictly enforced - but I doubt anyone was done an injustice. I am glad to read that he is still loved by even more recent students , as lives out an active retirement.

2nd Year   As best I remember it , Brother Vincent Ferrer. Poor man - his Class control skills were not strong at the best of times , and 13 Yr Old boys can be a handful! I think they sensed a weakness in him , and instinctively moved to take advantage of it.

3rd Year   Brother Loman, the School Principal. He was a nice man, a very earnest, undemonstrative personality, but a dedicated serious teacher. 3rd Year was of course difficult and some boys had no intention of going further in their schooling and were already scenting the heady air of "freedom"- which made them fractious.
I recall that in that Year, we had a boy expelled for Shoplifting which was a shock for the School. I can recall his name, but it would seem unfair to mention it. It is a difficult and surprising age at which personalities are really beginning to achieve some degree of maturity and alliances begin to be formed and broken as some move ahead and others remain in their relatively childlike state.

Our uniform was a light grey suit, blue shirt, blue tie with pairs of gold diagonal stripes and a grey hat. The hat I wore as little as possible. I have never been a "hat person" . I think my large hat size had something to do with it.

We had several colour defined in- school sporting teams - they were not named "Houses"- but the Reds, Blues, Golds and Greens got us by.I have in mind that I was most often in the "Blues", but whether it was Athletics,or swimming ( which I could not and still cannot do) ,football or Cricket  -I was a disaster - none of it interested me, I lacked physical aptitude and condition - and as much as I could I spent the time day- dreaming and wishing it was over.

An institution in the School was the Tuck Shop which was at the Western end of the building but back from it toward Mills Street and beside the Presbytery Garages. It was run by "Ma"as everyone called her and featured such exotic dishes as, in winter, hot Mince meat Bread Rolls and those ubiquitous commercially made Blackberry Jam Tarts  about 4"Inches in Diameter in short crust pastry with 1/2"high edges and a ring of cream inside it - Bliss and black teeth!

St Joachim's Church and the large Presbytery behind it was always a joy to me. It was half finished, TThe Sanctuary, Sacristy and two side altars completed and about 20 feet of the Nave  - then it was walled -up in Fibro I think. But by keeping one's eyes on the High Altar and Tabernacle, it was possible to concentrate on Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. I loved to pay visits there on arrival at School and on the way home. and sometimes at Lunchtime. The Parish Priest retired but still living in the Presbytery was Father Lloyd. Other Priests I knew of  there were Father John Gallagher and young crew cut athletic Father Barry Nobbs whom I admired very much - he was extremely devout. I was shocked to hear in later years that "he had left the Priesthood" - I can't think who it was told me - but I would like to bust them on their stupid gossiping nose! BECAUSE HE HAD NOT DONE SO! Rather , with the Archbishop of  Sydney's approval he had gone to work in the Missions in Papua New Guinea and was still there a few years ago and probably still is.So much for idle gossip!

I enjoyed my years at Lidcombe and always did well academically there without great effort. I was not one dedicated to homework or exceptional study, I just found it very easy to learn and get along. In truth I never did seriously apply myself to any intellectual effort until my time in the Commonwealth Bank years later as a Lender, developing lending proposals,assessing diverse business situations, analysing facts and marshalling them and arguing and defending a case. The skills I learned there were brought to a very high level of development later still in the Banque Nationale de Paris in relation to major corporations, private and Public, and I was able to diversify them and apply them much more widely later still as Canonical Financial Administrator of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, in areas as diverse as Finance, Law, General Management and Ecclesiastical Affairs.

By the time I was in Secondary School , I was attending daily Mass at St.Joachim's usually at 7.00 a.m. So I was always early at School and got to know more and more fellows better just yarning before School. I always followed the practice of not "running with the mob"but choosing who I wanted to speak to or was interested in speaking to. It served me well over the years.

As the years went by , I came to be regarded as one of the trusty and reliable students and on several occasions I was sent on messages for the School into the City and over to the Brother's' North Sydney Monastery.On one occasion this led to a painful but ridiculous experience. I had been sent to a Religious Goods Supplier, "Christopher & Co."in York Street Sydney. The name and address had been carefully impressed on me. But by the time I reached York Street, I was looking for "Columbus & Co." ( I had then, and have always, enjoyed playing with names!) Up and down York Street, several times , trying various combinations of the street number - but no "Columbus & Co."- oddly there was a "Christopher & Co."but I was having nothing of that distraction. Finally in great anguish I phoned the School and was set straight!! But my ingrown toe nail was in the meantime giving me Hell!

 I greatly admired some of the fellows at "Liddie"as we called it - Frank Orioles son of an Italian Greengrocer who wanted to become a Priest but was not allowed by his family. He later became a Doctor and died just a few years back - a lovely , gentlemanly man. Alan Pooley a wiry, good athlete and very bright scholar, Peter Cassidy who seemed to be able to wring larrikin fun out of life and whom I kept bumping into on trains to and from the City as the years went by. He worked as Qantas Flight Crew I think.Wallace Simpson was a good friend and Ray Hall also. They were good years - if one had to go to School it was hard to beat MBHS Lidcombe I reckon.

1964 I MUST GO DOWN TO THE SEA AGAIN H.M.A.S. SYDNEY III

H.M.A.S. SYDNEY III in her role as a fast Troop Transport In 1964 I came to do my two weeks Royal Australian Navy training at sea aboard  the former light Fleet Aircraft Carrier H.M.A.S. SYDNEY III, she had been converted by that time to a Fast Troop Transport and was to do sterling work ferrying our troops and their equipment to and from Vietnam, where we were engaged in company with our Allies. It was my first experience of serving in such a large ship, with none of the sense of shared experience that we had in poor old H.M.A.S. WAGGA. Although only displacing about 19,000 tons, SYDNEY was large to live and work in. As the top photo shows, the flight deck was used as carrying space for large Army vehicles and the large Hangar Deck below it was similarly used with the addition of crated stores. Learning our way around SYDNEY was not easy as the very particular construction of an aircraft carrier makes for a lot of unusual passageways and access points quite unlike a normal vessel, which is more predictable. We were allocated accommodation space toward the ship's bows where we slung our hammocks with other members of the ship's crew. The location was well forárd because the anchor cables -  that is heavy steel chains - passed through the forárd section of the space on their way to the cable locker deep below. The racket was incredible. The key essentials were to learn where the Galley was -to eat, where the Heads were for toilet purposes, where our training assembly points were and where our Action Stations were.The first three were relatively easy, even though the training space changed a few times. However the Action Stations were allotted to different men in various parts of the ship which would not otherwise be familiar . As a result getting there ,AND quickly, took a lot of concentration. My Action Station was on one of the 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Gun Mountings which were set up in blisters around and below the level of the Flight Deck. During one such exercise , SYDNEY first re-fuelled one of the "Q"Class anti-submarine frigates ( actually conversions of WW II destroyers - the conversion spoiled their looks by enclosing part of the upper deck to create more inboard space). After the refuelling which was an interesting exercise, involving the 'Q"coming onto a parallel course and matching speed, a light line being passed between the two ships, then beneath that a large flexible oil pipe, securing the pipe to the "Q" and, at a given signal commencing the pumping. When complete the exercise was reversed and the "Q"drew ahead and off to Starboard for further exercises which involved a simulated air attack on both ships. It was interesting to be on the mount when the Bofors was fired , but a little disappointing. As I recall it the noise of the gun firing was rather disappointing something like hitting a metal tank filled with water , with a sledgehammer a dull thump! Well it was only a 40mm and hardly up to the "thunder of the guns"on a battleship! The next stage was a simulated fire aboard SYDNEY and the Pipe for the Fire Control Team to Head to a designated space described if I remember correctly , by a number (the Deck) a letter(the lateral frame in the Ship's construction) and another number ) indicating the specific location in that area "Fire in 3 Charlie7 !"or the like.I looked up to the Island , the tall superstructure on the Starboard side of the Flight Deck and saw the Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Cabban running with the party on an external accessway toward the location. Cabban was to become instrumental in the formation of the Second Voyager Royal Commission which cleared Captain Robertson of H.M.A.S. MELBOURNE of responsibility for the sinking of VOYAGER. H.M.A.S. SYDNEY III as we sailed off in the Cutter to our Banyan  on Fraser Island We had other less taxing days including a "Banyan"( civilian picnic) ashore on Fraser Island. We saw no Dingos, but the soldier crabs were abundant and interesting to watch. We went across to the Island on one of SYDNEY's large wooden cutters, under the control of an Able Seaman. He was an impressive sight strongly built , stripped to the waist and over 6 feet tall standing in the stern with the Tiller in his grasp.He could have come right out of the days of sail! On another occasion our training room was to be one of the original Pilots Ready Rooms toward the Stern, there was a heavy vibration throughout the Room and it had a regular pattern - there was a simple explanation . The Room was immediately above one of the ship's propellers and the vibration was caused by the water the propeller pushed toward the hull.    HMAS SYDNEY III IN HER GLORY DAYS AS LIGHT FLEET AIRCRAFT CARRIER I cannot let this account pass without commenting on the Pongos! No, I am not talking about dirty socks or laundry! Pongos is the term the sailors use for Soldiers. And we did have several hundred Regulars and Citizens Military Forces embarked. At the time I had with me a  pocketbook for off duty reading entitled "What Roosevelt Thought"( FDR). But I was surprised to find a number of the  Pongos reading Comic Books! Enough said. We did not fraternise. We were just getting accustomed to life aboard when the two weeks were up and , on a "dark and stormy night" SYDNEY ended up sailing the "big box"off Sydney Heads. We could easily tell that this was so as the repeated turns to Port made all too clear. This leg calm, this leg rough, this leg calm, this leg rough as we repeatedly opposed the prevailing sea. It was still teeming rain as we sailed in through the Heads that grey Saturday morning. We came alongside Garden Island Dockyard and the ship was made ready for a major re-fit. Most people were already ashore by the time we came to leave, and because the re-fit was in prospect the forced draught ventilation was turned off. I had never been aboard a large ship in that state before - and I would rather not do it again. It was sad and lifeless , eerie and depressing!As I came ashore it was one of the most drear sights I have ever seen. The rain poured down all across the Harbour like a dark grey veil, the Dockyard was grey, the ships were grey, the cranes were grey!! I could not get away quickly enough.

1946 SCHOOL DAYS BEGIN - ST.PETER CHANEL'S CONVENT SCHOOL BERALA N.S.W.

First Holy Communion Class 1947 - Yours Truly second from left front row
Brien Dryden on my left, Billy Cowan on my right, Cyril Spencer on his right
The great Father Con Donovan at the Centre - God Bless him.

After the short Bus trip,Mum dropped me off at the School and was quickly relieved of her parental responsibilities by a confident little bloke whose name was Cyril Spencer. He came up pleasantly and respectfully, and having sagely assessed the situation, said: "Don't worry lady, I'll look after him!" "Bye Mum!"and I was off into the new world
.
I had not gone to Kindergarten, and so commenced my Primary Schooling in First Class.This was something of a minor disadvantage, because I found that very many of the boys knew one another, whereas the only boy I knew was my best friend Brien Dryden who lived across the street.

The Church/School I have described earlier. It stood at the Western end of the large Parish site that had been accumulated running from the top of the hill on Kingsland Road in the East down to Regent Street(which led directly into Regents Park - all of these Royal word associations were entirely lost on me) Our Irish Parish Priest Father Con Donovan regularly reminded us of the great Archbishop of Brisbane James Duhig, an Irishman of course, who had built most of his churches on hilltop sites around Brisbane, that fabled city in exotic Queensland.So Father Donovan had also chosen a hilltop location for our future church.

This first morning at School was bewildering with hundreds of children ,boys and girls, swirling around and eagerly chattering. Then games started forming up and another boy, Brian Edwards from a more senior class,who appeared to be regarded as rather worldly wise, took me under his wing and we ended up joining a game called "Cocky Lorum"( I have been unable to find any Web references to it.) . It involved forming into two large groups of about thirty each, facing one another at a distance of about 25 metres, then someone would yell "Cocky Lorum"' and each group would charge toward and through the other. There was no ball involved as far as I can remember, and my opinion then was that it all seemed rather pointless.I am not sure if anyone got "out" or otherwise penalised - utterly pointless. If anyone could ever enlighten me about some detail I had missed, I would be very grateful.

I think it was on that first day some boy whose face or name I can't remember started some petty bit of bullying which was promptly terminated when Billy Cowan a stocky pleasant faced little bloke with curly hair intervened and warned the bully off. Amazing the things we remember.

We were in Sister Alan's Class. The School was staffed entirely by the Sisters of Saint Joseph founded by the recently canonised Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Saint Mary would have been proud of them. The Principal ( we always said Head Nun) was Sister Austin ( which you will probably know is a contracted form of Augustine) who was Irish and always very kind to me over the years, I loved her lilting voice and the way she used to call me "Ant'ny".Sister Alan was really good with us littlies, kind and motherly, whilst steering us through the very basics and getting us used to Class discipline.Rewards for good performance consisted of Rubber Stamp impressions on one's exercise book, whether varying animals or, if your achievement was exceptional, the Map of Australia about 7inches by three inches with ink from a violet pad! ( I never got it ! Scarred for life? No.)

It was in Primary School that I noticed my strong interest in stationery. I have since then always been attracted by the rich texture and subtle colours of paper stocks as well as by all the paraphernalia of pen and ink, Fountain Pens ( no one ever tells you that their ink bladders wear out), Propelling Pencils, Biros - not to mention the humble lead pencil and its sharpener.

School Fees in First Class were Sixpence a Week ( 5 Cents), which Sister marked off in a special record book. A Year or so later Class fees went to one shilling ( 10cents) a week.

Discipline was mild in First Class with Boys sometimes being sent outside the Class for 5/10 minutes.In Third and Fourth Class there was talk of "the Strap"but I don't recall ever seeing it used.

As I moved through Primary School , I came to love the first days of each New Year for the experience of getting new Textbooks, often published by BROOKS BROTHERS (I think it was) Their emblem was a Shield with books & other schoolish  things on its four quartered front. I particularly remember in Second or Third Class a History Book, and as I quickly explored "it, my eye was caught by a painting of the First Fleet coming through the Sydney Heads. The ships were PURPLE! Enough to turn one off the British for keeps!

We always brought our lunch, Brien Dryden and I and with all the other children ate it sitting in , or around the "Shed", a fairly primitive sun shade in the middle of the Parish land. We often swapped lunches just for a change - I always ended up worse off. Apart from the Church/School, the only other buildings on the site were, up on Kingsland Road, the Convent -  an 1880s solid brick building with a colonial style front verandah, and the old wooden Parish Hall ( the former Church School) .It had long ago been moved up the Hill from Fourth Avenue where it had sat on land over the back fence from Grandma Dixon's house at 34 Third Avenue, Berala, as I mentioned earlier.



There were two ways home - the long way down Kingsland Road, right into Walters Road down the hill until the left hand turn into Second avenue and home. However, the SHORT way led across the street from the Convent and diagonally across vacant land resumed by the State Government for a State School that was never to be built, and then quickly onto Walters Road and down the hill etc. There was from time to time, a problem with a sharp faced runty  English bully a nasty piece of work we thought - though he just menaced, but never did anything. Often we took the "risk", but after a while we gave it away and found great advantages in visiting Ma Brearley's shop on Kingsland Road, to buy lollies, the occasional Sherbert (sucked from its paper package by means of a licorice straw. Favourite lollies were Musk Sticks - sickly- and grey Pastille sticks - aniseed flavour. But on hot days Ma B. was tops with her own "home made" ICE BLOCKS about 7 inches long and square in section, eaten from their long white paper bags. Life can be great!

Children's crazes for collecting cards were very strong before the War, and I had seen plenty of examples.Now they are back in fashion. But in those days I can't recall any. However we had great fun collecting Cigarette Packets which were carefully folded in on themselves to show the front off to advantage. Very many people smoked then - far more than now it seems, and there were few restrictions on smoking , except on trains which had certain designated Non-Smoking carriages.The Cigarette Packets were great pieces of Commercial design. My prized possessions were Players with a Naval theme, Garrick I think it was, which were bright green - actually, I thought they all looked pretty good. The craze never inclined me to smoking which I always thought was a disgusting habit .

I really did enjoy my time at the Convent School where I went through to the end of Fourth Class in 1949.

It was there in 1947 that I made my First Holy Communion with the rest of the Class. We were carefully and prayerfully prepared by the Sisters who were truly Faith - filled women. Then we were examined by Father Con Donovan and, having proved ourselves, made our First Confessions and a few days later, our First Holy Communion. There followed a Breakfast in the old Parish Hall catered by the Parish ladies , which for some reason brings to my mind brilliant red jelly!

Well, it was not the Breakfast, no. But from that day Our Lord had won my heart and mind and soul totally, and at 71 that dedication has never wavered. Sure, I have let Him down from time to time, but He has never let me down .He is always the first to offer His Hand. And I always know He is the Way and in the Catholic Church and in Holy Communion, I am one with Him. Way to go!( As our American cousins would say!)

Last detail - I almost forgot- our uniform was Navy Blue Shorts, White Shirt and a Black Boucle Tie with pairs of Gold Stripes horizontally across it. I could rabbit on about the other boys and their characteristics and nicknames for a bit, but is it fair to name "x" who was called ""taps"because he would burst into tears regularly and at the slightest provocation - I think not.

Next, I was to follow in my brother's footsteps and go to Marist Brothers'School Lidcombe. That would be in  1950 and I would be 10 years old.

2011 CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS "HE WAS LAID IN THE MANGER OF OUR LIVES...HE IS KEPT IN THE CRIB OF OUR HEARTS".

"Away in a manger.."

Having just returned from 8.30pm Carols and 9.00 pm Holy Mass for the Vigil of Christmas Day, I want to comment on , or rather introduce to you the idea developed by our young and holy Polish Curate Father Mariusz Adamczyk SDS in his Homily.

Father Mariusz spoke of the overwhelming importance of Christ's Birth, emphasising that we do not celebrate a myth or fable but that the "Great God of Might"had really become a little baby . And that ordinary reality, a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger of all things, was THE SIGN THE ANGELS gave that identified the Saviour! And that is how it is to-day,  that Jesus Christ is laid in the manger of OUR lives , and it is for us to embrace  Him in the Crib of our hearts. And we are to see Him in one another, in those we meet and pass, and in doing so in a fitting way, we can remake this tired world.

And the opponents of "imported "clergy will tell you "they don't understand our culture"!!! Father Mariusz , God Bless you! You understand us very well, and respond ideally.

Truly Christmas is about Christ "by highest Heav'n adored". In celebrating Our Divine Lord's birth, we have, over these two thousand years of the Catholic Church's life, also been moved to celebrate the families the Lord has given us. In that vein I want to share with you a couple of photos now some years old, so that you will know how lucky I have been and am:

If you can't see the joy on my face ..you are dead!
Taken about 1976..whatever happened to white Polo Necks?


But someone is missing! The cause of my joy is not only our marvellous children, but my beautiful Wife Robyn -the photographatrix(Its my word and I'm sticking with it!)

The heart of the joy and love we enjoy..with our children a few years later.

Life isn't led like a TV commercial with ever glowing smiles , but it has its regular moments when the Love brought into the world on that First Christmas IS reflected in our daily being, and we thank God for that and with Him " in the Crib of our hearts" we work through the highs and lows of our lives. And, we thank Him for  the Children He has so wonderfully given us ,each one of them.

Happy Christmas once again to all our readers, now and in future years.

1960 MUSCLED ATHLETE OF THE SEA PART I NOT ALL AT SEA

HMAS VOYAGER - IN HER HEYDAY

In an earlier post I mentioned that I was not balloted for National Service in the birth date lottery, and that, whilst standing on Berala Railway Station one morning , waiting for my train to the City, I decided that I should do some form of volunteer service instead. For me, that would have to be the Royal Australian Naval Reserve.

Other than my elder Brother's desire to join the Navy during the War( which as I have already recorded he was not allowed to do) the family had no record of Naval Service. But I had a fascination with the Navy and Naval History from a very early age. I can recall reading in 6th Class (Age 11 yrs) at Marist Brothers Lidcombe a book from the School Library called 

"The Cruise of the Vengeful"and being enthralled.( In an effort to find out more about it I have found that it is on Google Books, was written by Gordon Stables and is set in 1908 when the Royal Navy's latest warship is instrumental in frustrating a French and Russian plan to conquer England!! Classification - "Juvenile Fiction" well, I was 11 ! The Internet never ceases to amaze me. I remember the Dust jacket well!)

So, I enlisted in the R.A.N.R. which involved spending 2 weeks each year on a training cruise as well as attending weekly training parades at H.M.A.S. RUSHCUTTER ,a shore establishment on Rushcutter's Bay on Sydney's Southern Harbour shore in the Eastern Suburbs.

Given my employment in Banking, the Navy in its wisdom, elected to place me in the Supply  Division with the rating of Writer - something less than swashbuckling stuff! Rather than Bellbottom Trousers and a navy cap, we wore a Navy Suit and peaked Cap of the sort worn by Petty Officers and Officers, though with a suitably humble red embroidered Fouled Anchor rather than Silver or Gold.

The Officer in Charge of the Supply Division was Lieutenant Commander Bert Gamble R.A.N.R. He was a bespectacled gentleman  and apparently a businessman from the North Shore area.The routine for the Training Nights consisted in a Parade which involved forming up in Ranks and Files, some marching to and fro on the Parade Ground which was not huge.On occasions, some formal prayers were said and prior to this the Order would be given "Fall Out the Roman Catholics!". Neat! So two of the Officers and about 20 other ranks including yours truly would duly fall out and make ourselves inconspicuous until recalled - the time involved was so brief that no acceptable Catholic Prayer Session was arranged.

After the Parade was dismissed the various Divisions broke out into separate training sessions at various parts of the Base. Fairly early in the piece I was given the opportunity to join the Officer Training Squad along with 7 or so others. This went on for several years and a few were granted Commissions as Sub-Lieutenant ( U.S.N. equivalent : Ensign) and some were dropped. I was still waiting when my time with the R.A.N.R. came to an end at my request.

We were required to study the Admiralty Manual of Seamanship which is a treasure trove of useful and interesting information and the occasional bit of nonsense. An example of the latter is the prescription for bringing a Ship's whaler in to shore through the surf. As I remember it, it required the whaler to be turned about as it approached the surf, and the crew to row as if heading back out to sea whilst the surf carried them in! ( Lifesavers seem to have succeeded admirably without resort to this nonsense.) 

Each member of the Officer Training Squad was required to give a Lecture of about 30 Minutes to the assembled Officers on a given Training Night, on a subject worked out in conjunction with the the Officer in Charge of Officer Trainig, Lieutenant Commander Peder Pedersen. I chose the Battle for Leyte Gulf. This was the largest Naval Battle in the history of the World and I knew a good deal about it already, and had good access to Samuel Eliot Morrison's 35 (?)Volume History of Naval Warfare in World War II. The battle is not as well known as it deserves to be, and that was true even in the R.A.N. at that time . I think the reason was that there was no British involvement in it, so that it was almost as if it diddn't happen. The Lecture went quite well, but it was the first time I had done anything of the kind. As a result, I had prepared a detailed text which I intended to read from. Of course two or three minutes proved that it did not work. Fortunately, I knew the subject inside out and had a very good recollection of the text I had prepared and was able to sail on without it! The Battle is a marvellous fund of dramatic stories and with my enthusiasm for the subject it was not hard to keep it interesting. ( I must do a post on it one day.)

One of the other members of the squad more advanced than I, was one of the most admirable fellows I had ever known. His name was Max Breckenridge - not a common name - but by no means the only way he stood out in the group. He was intelligent, gentlemanly, modest in manner, handsome and athletic and could assume and project, the essential power of command with an ease and natural grace that identifies a born  leader.

Our annual two weeks Training Cruise provided a richly varied experience on successive years my training cruises were aboard :

SDB 1321 or Seaward Defence Motor Launch - a large  80 feet long diesel motor Launch which had done heroic service in WWII on special ops off New Guinea.

H.M.A.S. VOYAGER at speed.

H.M.A.S. VOYAGER (II) the Daring Class Destroyer which was to be later sunk by H.M.A.S. Melbourne the Aircraft Carrier
.
H.M.A.S. WAGGA the "Bathurst"Class WWII Minesweeper.

And H.M.A.S. Sydney (III) the Aicraft Carrier turned TroopTransport.

H.M.A.S. WAGGA was designated for service as the R.A.N.R. Training Ship. However she was rather "tired"when we inherited her and require many weekends of voluntary work to get her ready for sea. This involved much chipping and painting, but also cleaning the tubes of her boiler of the accumulated soot which surrounded them. This was vile work in the highly constrained innards of the boiler and those of us ignorant enough to have volunteered, spent the following week at the tiresome task of cleaning our sinuses of the fine black particles. A memorable experience!

SDB 1321

SDB 1321

My first Training Cruise was aboard SDB 1321. This was an 80 Feet long Diesel powered Launch which had seen prolonged and heroic service in WWII running special ops against the Japanese in the New Guinea region.

On the cruise we had  a very mixed crew including an English Lieutenant who was a constant source of (unintended) amusement to the crew in view of his ignorance about things Australian. Nowhere was this more in evidence than in pronunciation of place names. Our destination was Brisbane. We made our way up the New South Wales coast without significant problems. Though in the early afternoon we were witness to, and victim of , a magnificent sight. Coming over the Southern horizon was a ship, and not just any ship. It was one of the Australian Destroyers of the day I think, either ARUNTA OR WARRAMUNGA , and at speed. As she broke the horizon, her Signal Lamp flashed out "What Ship?"

There was a minute or so of sheer bedlam aboard as the Officer of the Watch called for our lone Signal Rating and we got back our identifying response. What a sight she made, with "a bone in her teeth"the bow wave forced up by her speed, and she rushed by off to the North East, leaving us to wallow along at a quarter of her speed. I am sure the Officers in the Destroyer had a good laugh knowing the panic they had caused us Reservists! Later that evening I had a spell at the helm . To my regret, I found that our trusty vessel's diesel exhausts to Port and Starboard were located just above the water line on either side of the wheelhouse.Any breeze on either beam, brought the sickly dense diesel exhaust straight through wheelhouse and immediately into the nostrils of the helmsman.I lasted about half an hour before succumbing to sea sickness and the need to be relieved at the wheel.

We reached Brisbane on a Saturday afternoon and cruised sedately up the Brisbane River as far as Saint Lucia, before coming about and returning to our berth at New Farm. I was favourably impressed by the city on this lovely August afternoon. But came the night and I was surprised at how cold it became. Sunday morning came and I headed off to Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral, little guessing what a significant role it was to play in my later life.After Mass I bought a Newspaper from a young bloke selling papers outside the Cathedral and there, on that hallowed spot I heard the first words said to me by a Queenslander : "When are you leaving?". Some might have regarded this as less than encouraging! With another crew member, I walked up onto Spring Hill and back down to the City. 

The following day we left for Sydney, heading out through the seemingly interminable Moreton Bay. When the time came to turn South around the headland to run down the Coast, our trusty British Officer ordered everyone else off the foc'sle and secured all the mooring cables to his own satisfaction, getting thoroughly drenched for his trouble as the vessel headed into the swell coming up from the South.

As we headed down the New South Wales Coast that evening our British Lieutenant was examining the chart as we continually checked our progress. Some of the names caused him a little trouble, but one stumped him : "BULAH DELAH"( pronounced "BULLA DEELA")  - when he called it "" BOO -LAR - DEE- LAR" in his fruity tones,those of us on Watch nearly choked trying not to laugh.

The remainder of the Cruise was uneventful ,as was our return to Rushcutter's Bay and H.M.A.S.Rushcutter.

1954 MY BROTHER UPGRADES - VESTIGIAL CHROMED FLUTES

                                                        1954 VAUXHALL WYVERN
                                            THERE WAS A SECOND VERSION WITH
                                                     A SILLY ABBREVIATED BOOT

In 1954 my older brother Pat bit the bullet and bought a brand new car. A Vauxhall of course, maintaining the link with his earler Tourer. He chose an Olive Green Vauxhall Wyvern which was the 4 Cylinder version of the car . I have very pleasant memories of the car. Which seemed to me at age 14 to be very pleasant and neat and quiet in operation.

It was an interesting offering from General Motors'U.K. operation. If you follow the design outline, it was a shrunken version of the Chevrolet "Fleetmaster"of 1948.

The shrinking process had its costs. It made the car look slightly "Dinky", especiially when there were still plenty of Chev. Fleetmasters on the street, since U.S. Dollar imports had been eased under the Liberal Government elected in 1949. The Vauxhall also looked small when compared to G.M.'s new Australian Car the Holden which had commenced production in 1948. It was yet another shrunken version of the Chev Fleetmaster - but not reduced as far as the Vauxhall.

Even though it featured still a divided windscreen, the Holden result was far happier in appearance than the Vauxhall which  by comparison looked relatively feeble . My brother had I think, been led astray from sensible choice by brand loyalty!

The saddest aspect of the Vauxhall design was the reduction of the traditional and iconic Chromed Flutes on the edge of the bonnet, to mere vestigial traces - the times were a'changin 'even then!

How different the world of automotive manufacturing is to-day! So many of the Brands of those days are gone, the companies that made them are gone and car designs have become truly international with only modest tweaking for vastly different markets.The high cost of developing and manufacturing a new model is now so high,  that economies of scale have had to be achieved even at the cost of mergers and acquisitions and co-operative deals that in the past would have been unthinkable are now routine. In recent years Ford has owned Jaguar, SAAB and VOLVO. VW has owned AUDI etc etc.

My brother's auto adventures continued so stay tuned. Then there have been my own....be prepared!