Friends of Merri Creek have been conducting oral history interviews with residents who have lived on the Creek before 1970. The interviews form the Merri Creek Oral History Project.
This is an interview with Loris Macleod who lived by the Merri Creek in her youth in Goodwin Street West Preston. The interviewer is Ruth Shiel. The date is 21 May 2012. The interview takes place in the Doutta Galla Aged Care establishment in Avondale Heights.
RS: Can we start with getting some of your background? When were you born?
LM: Thirteen of the third of 1928.
RS: And you were living on the Merri Creek when you were born?
LM: No I was living in Parkville, near Carlton. I was born at Parkville. And then my mother and father they lived in Brunswick. And then came to Preston.
RS: How many siblings did you have?
LM: Just one sister.
RS: And how long were you living at home before you went away?
LM: Oh, I think I was about ………. I went teaching in 1949.
RS: What about in the other direction was it built up?
LM: There was only one house between our house and the Creek. Nearby there was a really big old house. I never got to see in it, but it was very impressive. The children used to wonder what it was. They used to say that it was haunted, with ghosts and so on. Because we never heard any news of it or saw anybody who lived there. As I said the other day, there were cows on the paddock near our place. That’s where we got our milk from.
RS: How would you describe your family and the life there?
LM: Oh, very peaceful and nice. All the people in the street knew one another,there were only a couple of houses and so everyone knew one another. They were very friendly, very different style from today, no one knows their next door neighbour sometimes.
RS: You said you got milk from the big house, what about other deliveries?
LM: We had the potato man come, we had the baker come, we looked forward to him, my sister and I, because he gave us a special roll each. We looked forward to the grocer coming, he gave us lollies. The iceman, we looked forward to him too because we ran out into the street and said have you got any ice for us today. He would say yes, and he would give us this ice and we would be so happy. Of course we all had ice chests, no refrigeration then.
RS: What sort of work did the people in the area do?
LM: My father was a clothing factory worker at Sargoods in the city. I don’t know what the others did really. One was a head teacher at a school. It was a sort of a middle class area.
RS: What did you do for recreation?
LM: The children played games in the street, came into our place and played in there, all the children seemed to gather in our place for some reason or other. Yes we went to the pictures when there was something suitable on. We went with the family, there was always something on on Saturday afternoon. And it was wonderful, you would get in for about three pence. The children would stamp their feet when it was exciting. And we had community singing, you don’t hear much of that now. It was a very regular thing. We all enjoyed that.
RS: And what about your schooldays?
LM: I went to Bell School, can’t remember the name of the street. The school became a bit of a shambles, but they have done it all up now. The class sizes were much bigger than they are now, they were 40 or 50. I grew up and became a teacher ,and taught first grade and infants. I trained for a year at a Teachers’ College in Melbourne. Then they sent me out. They sent me to a place where they should not have sent me, to the migrant centre in Sommerville. The people they couldn’t help it, they had been in the war, come over here and some of them you couldn’t be sure of them. It was quite an experience, big change from living at home, going straight to there , I couldn’t believe there were so many different nationalities and they were all speaking their own language. I thought how am I going to teach the children, but there was always one or two children who understood English.
RS: Getting back to the Creek, what part of the Creek were you familiar with?
LM: We were near the swinging bridge, all round there where the Chinese gardens were. I don’t know what’s there today. My mother used to send us down there and they had the most wonderful goods, their food, their lettuces, tomatoes and cucumbers, all sorts of fruit. We would go down there and other children would say “”They will hurt you, they’ll hurt you” but they were lovely down there.
RS: Did you go to just one garden, or did you go to a number?
LM: Just one right near the bridge, adjoined the bridge, facing Coburg. The bridge used to swing a bit, the boys used to rock it all. It was quite a feature.
RS: How were the Chinese regarded generally?
LM: I don’t think other people regarded them very well, but my mother and father trusted them. Because they were harmless.
RS: Can you remember any fishing being done?
LM: No, I didn’t see any. We used to try and catch some fish with our hands, only when it flooded, then it came right up and gave us a fright. But we were too far away from it to worry us. I don’t remember which years it flooded, but there were a few floods.
RS: Were there many of you who played down by the Creek?
LM: Oh, just about 4 or 5. One day I fell in, my mother had just ironed and put this lovely clean dress on me, we went down to the Creek and I fell in and my dress was all muddy and ruined. I said to my sister “What will my mother say?” She must have been pleased!
RS: If you stood on the bridge and looked towards the city, what sort of plant life did you see?
LM: Well on one side there were a few trees, the other side there were just shrubs, aniseed bush. There was a lot of aniseed. The paths along the Creek were up and down, and the road down there was very uneven.
RS:Were there any other industries or places of employment in the area?
LM: Only the tannery was there. An awful smell. That is the only one I can remember.
RS: Were there any changes much to the Creek while you lived there?
LM: No, not that I remember and I didn’t come back later as an adult. But I’d love to go down there again and walk over the bridge.
RS: You seem to remember very fondly growing up there.
LM: I did, I had a lovely time in that area. It was very lively, even though there were only a few people, It was just nice. The people were friendly.
RS: Well thank you very much Loris. It’s been great.
LM: Thank you!
This is an edited version of the interview.
Photo: Lois in 2004
