The following article came out of a Reminiscence session held at Watsonia Library 10 March 2009 with long time residents Ern and Lil.
Compiled by Lynne Siejka
Ern told us about his parent’s house. They had bought the Californian Bungalow in 1925 for eight hundred pounds (which was about 5 year’s wages) on Derby Street which they named ‘Beulah’ after the town where Ern’s mother grew up. It was a long block, with a lane at the back for the men who collected the night soils. Ern’s father had had the house placed to one side of the block, and was thus able to put a driveway in later, to accommodate his T-model Ford. Most of the other houses did not have the space for cars, which came along after they were built.
The house was quaint, with a porch at the front and rear. There were open fireplaces in the lounge room and bedrooms, with the attractive curved iron grates. The entrance hall had a pressed metal ceiling, and there were leadlight decorations on the front windows.
The whole of the long backyard was given over to growing vegetables and fruit. It was divided into seven or eight garden beds which were rested or rotated, according to need. They had a lemon tree, a plum, apple and apricot tree – and Ern remembers his mother making preserves with their homegrown produce. They had their own chickens, so had plenty of free range eggs, and often supplied them to others. They had a special water tank to use on the garden and for the chickens.
Ern’s main job was to polish all of the brass around the house and garden every Sunday. This involved using Brasso and a special cloth to shine the carpet rods, door knobs, tap fixtures and any other brass object until they gleamed like gold.
Ern has fond memories of growing up in Derby Street. The kids of the street played together – the boys were known as ‘The Derby Street Boys’ and have remained friends for their entire lives. They played cricket in the street, played with their bikes and billy carts (Ern confessed that he loved to collect the horse manure with his cart – it was fun!) while the girls played hopscotch.
Lil grew up in Arthur’s Street Fairfield, in a small single fronted cottage with a porch on two sides. Her parents also grew vegetables, but didn’t have the space that Ern’s family had. The house was fairly dark inside, with only small sash windows in each room. She remembered her mother being very house proud also, deploring the pipe tobacco her father used because of its smell, and for the sticky fibers of tobacco which spoilt her clean floors. They had a bathroom, with an outside privy in the backyard. She had her own room.
Lil recalled how they walked, cycled or took the bus or train everywhere as they didn’t have a car. In particular she remembers two friends from a factory walking from Collingwood to South Melbourne to work, over an hour each way, to save money.
Ern then regaled us with a story about his Grandmother who lived in Albert Park in a very small house (20 foot frontage) who had had twelve children. Years later an elderly aunt visited the home and spoke to its current occupants, and was amused to hear that, as they now had two children, it had become too small for them!
Listening to Ern and Lil’s stories made me ponder the lifestyle we have lost – that really there is much from our past, in terms of self sufficiency, that we would do well to emulate – growing our own vegetables, chickens, and fruit trees, installing water tanks, and using a range of transport options instead of depending on our cars – are just a few thoughts that came to mind.
Image: Unidentified California Bungalow, 1910-1930, State Library Victoria
