Clubs and Messes
Club and Mess life was pivotal to one's existence in Woomera and my father (with me in tow) at one stage or another must have belonged to or visited just about all of them.
In the early years, I remember being settled with a bag of chips and pint of raspberry lemonade while dad settled in at the bar and mum around a table with the other ladies. It wasn’t as bad as it may appear, there were plenty of other kids in the same predicament and for the most part we made the most of each other's company tearing around outside. That was the beauty of Woomera you could walk into any club, be it Works, Centrals, Kooly or Village and feel as welcome as you did in your own club.
Later on the Messes relaxed their strict hierarchal structures and the same sort of thing was true. It was not uncommon to see people involved in fund raising events for rival clubs. I’m sure the concept of loco - parentis stemmed from Woomera - there was a feeling that we were all one big family - if say Mr Zehender told you to do something, you bloody well got on and did it or you would cop it from your dad. In the same vein it gave both parents and kids the added sense of security - that there was always someone looking out for you.
Who could forget those Village Sports Club working bees, Slavo Lasic would cook up those magnificent spit roasts and Rosa would keep us kids and the flies away. I’m not sure if they are still around, but it might tickle them to know that while pretending to be terrified of Slavo we kids thought the world of them both.
Footy and things
I was also fortunate enough to progress from mini league Aussie rules on the school oval to playing senior football to a full house at the Newman Oval. I remember, with me at not quite 14, my mother was fretting that I would come out with broken limbs or worse. But as rugged as the games were, I felt that even opposition teams took account of our youth, although I did certainly cop one or two.
It was a testament to our fitness that we were able to play junior footy on the Saturday and backup again for the seniors on the Sunday. From memory, we were only allowed four or five games with the seniors a season before we had to give up junior footy. The realisation of the “real thing” came to me one day when Tommy Lloyd cleaned up the highly regarded (ex South Adelaide) captain coach of the Tigers (fairly) and he crashed to the ground metres from me unconscious. Playing and training with the senior side certainly gave me a different perspective on a few “adults” and even teachers. I remember with great discomfort having to carry one Jim Birch the length of the Newman oval on my back, probably payback for the hard time I gave him as one of my teachers.
Footy and cricket were certainly a major part of my life in Woomera. Playing on excellent grounds and turf wickets with many mentors certainly paved the way for me to play these sports at a high level in years to come. Although I do concede that my early entry into senior ranks ultimately shortened my overall playing days due to the early onset of arthritis due to the rigours placed on such a young body. Notwithstanding, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I owe a special mention to Chunky Campbell who not only coached me in the skills of the two endeavours, but also, and perhaps more importantly, how one conducts oneself on the field of play
One sport I did not continue with in later years was Soccer, although there is no doubt that the skills that Peter Dixon Snr taught me held me in good stead for with other sports in later years. Who could forget Beth Dixon yelling across the field in that beautiful Welsh cadence that I still have trouble understanding.
It seemed there was someone’s mum or dad at every turn - how
could I forget Mrs Rich and the other swimming coaches pushing us for two
miles after school up and down that bloody pool when other kids were running
jumping and playing. Still, no disrespect intended, I have as fond memory
of those coaches and mentors as I did for
all the others.
Phil Spehr
Ex 4 Karnang St / Ex Flat 346 Dewrang Avenue
ymee@dodo.com.au
E-mail: ymee@dodo.com.au
(22 August 2003)
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Memories of Woomera |
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