Woomera (continued)
My mother worked most of our time in Woomera, first as a kitchen hand at the now famous JRC and later at the Laundry, quite somewhat more refined. Dad played for the RAAF football team and then coached for a couple of years and we kids tagged along. Very little sports were on the go for kids, who were mostly seen but not encouraged. Myself and others started organising cricket on McCullam oval and it was good until intervention of the elders. We also managed a football comp of sorts on the Pimple oval which was eventually organised by adults.Our real sporting organisational skills came to the fore front with the Saturday morning bike races on our self built circuit, down behind Spud Murphys house. There were water jumps, dry jumps, bridges, S bends, straits and pits, and it was about a half-mile circuit. Some events staged were of 100 laps but mostly of 8-10 laps. We had our road bike races and our special off-road bikes, self made somewhat like a Penny Farthing , large wheel at the front, maybe 26-28” and smaller 18”-20” rear, with big handle bars and big egos to match copying the motorcycles. I can't remember any adult ever being involved here and it ran well. Everyone was accountable to everyone and if anything needed sorting there were always the Murphy brothers. It started to become a popular pastime on Saturday mornings to see cars with parents and younger siblings looking on. Our bikes were part of us and it was not uncommon to pack some supplies and a few of you would ride out onto the range. We were never stopped from going anywhere. I still hear the wind whistling thru the steel power lines toward Koolymilka.
As my mother worked, children were a
problem and I know that I wasn’t the best kid in the world , so I can
only
presume that the parents decided that I needed some adult supervision,
so a house maid was hired. From where I don’t know
and have never been able to ascertain. I could have caused this problem
(maybe). An aboriginal lady took over our immediate
supervision. To me, this lady was a joy and she taught me much about
the land. I think she may have come from out Maralinga
way, although there is nothing that I can find written that would
substantiate
that. To me it would seem that she transgressed the
white man's way and she was sacked and another aboriginal lady was
hired.
She also was a major part in my development,
although you don’t realise at the time, only on serious reflection.
I thank these two women who’s names may have been Elsie
and Laura, someone somewhere may know.
The first swimming pool in town was
a rock bar in the creek bed into which water was released from the
pipeline.
A
small wall was constructed on top of the rock outcrop and people cooled
off here. Really serious swimming for kids (boys)
was out at the sewerage run off near the Ponds and tin built boating
was carried out here as well. After the building of the Town
pool this is where we lived in the water. Once again, there were not
many organised events for kids except school sports and
Royal Life Saving certification, however a very completive children’s/
juniors water polo comp did eventually take root. We
were still very British you know.
Billy carts were a major pastime and
at one stage I had a fleet of about six which were for hire to other
kids,
or you
could order a cart load of bush fire wood for a nominal
price.
However, the adults organised some of the best billy cart races
down one of the steeper slopes. These attracted world wide news
coverage and were a great lot of fun. It was serious and
some amazing machines were produced. I think stores and
transport,
RAAF built one for me from left over rocket packing cases which they
called Malkara, after the missile. It was pretty
good but not good enough and the winner was the Beatties
entry - a paper machae speedster. Other down hill racing was
carried
out on the break-away slopes on corrugated lengths of tin
with the nose turned up. We were lucky that not many serious
injuries occurred.
Most kids were able to identify all the aircraft that we could see flying and that was from the war birds of the second World War to modern and secret jet aircraft. One flying demo that I remember witnessing was the departure of the British Yorks for the homeland after their stint. A few of us were playing at the swings which must have been on their flight path. An increasing sound drew our attention and we watched in awe as the flight lowered their nose and line astern flew over the village at zero height. We witnessed it, but as to flying under the powerlines near the old hospital, I don’t know, I think maybe just a few feet above, but really memorable. The annual air displays were something that no other people in Australia would ever see, and on two occasions the live fire display by a Mustang - both rockets and cannon at a discarded aircraft shell on the end of the runway, was unbelievable to young minds. The only helicopter in the land was also a big crowd puller, especially when called into service to help accident victims, landing on the donga opposite the hospital (old), but also at Xmas time with Santa usually near the school, just after the lolly drops.
As Woomera started to get bigger and
projects like the building of flats, new hospital, coffee lounge,
new picture
theatre, extensions to the schoo,l there became more work available
to kids. I worked all my spare time with an electrical
contractor mainly threading steel conduit for light and power and
helping
to run cable. Some times I would even wag a little
school to make a bob or two. Other interesting money earners were
shovelling
sand onto trucks and trailers around the area
that was to become the golf club. This was for the domestic garden
that took a little establishing, due mainly to strong winds
blowing away what already had been done. Winds not only blew away the
gardens but also the lawns, and fences , and sheds.
One amazing garden that I was privy to see often was that of Mr Forbes
who lived opposite. He had managed to cross breed
Stuart pea with ? producing strange colour variants and also multi
coloured petals. The Arboretum and the work produced
from there was a national credit to all concerned and a lasting epitaph
as to what should be accomplished throughout arid areas
of Australia.
Joe Murray
E-mail: walkaboutjoe@hotmail.com
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Memories of Woomera |
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