Dad was quite the chronicler. As Anna has been going through his papers in his office upstairs, she’s found a few books with his notes in them, in particular a number detailing the events of his many camping/ 4WD trips. Certainly from working with him at the shop I was familiar with his lists of customer names, aides-de-memoire which he would reach for as someone walked though the front door.
The dates on sticker #2, ‘1937 – 1967’, are the bookends of his 30 years before marrying MaryAnne Hurren. The move ‘From Sea Lake to Melbourne’ obviously looms large in dad’s imagination – see his writing below’: it was a ‘big wrench’ for him, from a place that was ‘his oyster’. Which makes me think of those oysters he requested in the weeks before he died.
In this ‘Note Book’, unfortunately the ‘Society Lecture Notes’ have been literally cut out (too boring? too exciting?) as you can see from his Contents Page:
But below are the current first three pages of the book, written after speaking with Joyce, his oldest sister, in August 2010. It’s followed by MaryAnne’s typed transcript of same, in case Salv’s hieroglyphic script proves indecipherable.
And here’s mum’s transcript of those pages:
DISCUSSIONS WITH JOYCE LINEHAN 4/8/10
I asked Joyce what was the catalyst for the move
from Sea Lake to Melbourne.
She told me news that I had never heard before.
Apparently Mum had promised her brother Bob
That he could take over the cafe when
He was demobilized from the army.
I remember Uncle Bob and Aunty Mary
Coming to Sea Lake with Robert and Nola
And Helen and ‘Fang’ the dog.
It might have been early in 1947 and they lived
In the detached “sleepout” which I remember
As being very large but maybe not.
I think I was older than those Lamaro children,
And I was very fond of Fang.
Uncle Bob was the youngest of Mum’s brothers
And a very young friendly man.
He was also my godfather along with Aunty Grace (Paino)
I think we left Sea Lake in June 1947
And it was a very big wrench for me
As I left the town that was my oyster
And the surrounding countryside that
I roamed over very freely
To be squeezed into an inner suburb of Melbourne.
Also going from a large premises of cafe and home
And large back yard to a tiny shop with attached double storey
Small dwelling and tiny backyard.
It wasn’t till at least 18 months later that we finally moved into
The Strand.
Joyce says that Mum was quite distressed
with the cramped conditions at 1033 Mount Alexander Road
I remember the workmen converting the old jeweller’s shop that was
Into a smart looking milk bar with a couple of tables and chairs
And stools at the bar.
There was a soda fountain and a very old espresso machine
That was never used to make coffee but the steam jets
Were used to make hor malted milks.
We also had loose sweet biscuits in large biscuits tins
And these were sold by the pound or half pound or quarter pound.
At Sea Lake we never owned a car but there always seemed
To be bikes and we all (except Mum and Dad) rode bikes.
I was asked to go out to the dairy once
Which was a couple of miles out of town
But I refused because I was scared.
Roma went and she had an accident
And I was severely chastised.
I remember “dinking” Peter one day and we slipped
On the gravel and he was badly gravel rashed
And ran all the way home crying.
Remembering Salv Caleo 