Margaret Marriott - Words of Wisdom

As told to Melise Coleman

This week we caught up with the very humble, Margaret Marriott. Margaret describes herself as very quiet and unassuming, “That’s just the way I am, I take a back seat.”


Name: Margaret Marriott

Age: 89

Where and when were you born? Lithgow, 1930.

What are the most important lessons you've learned in life? Be kind I’d say, I hope I have always been that way.

What’s the secret to a happy marriage? You’ve got to give as well as take, but mainly give.

What big world events were the most memorable while you were growing up? The war, my Dad was in the Small Arms Factory, making guns and that is why we came to Orange, he was transferred from Lithgow.

What is your favourite childhood memory? Probably school, and meeting my husband, I met him dancing, I loved all dancing though it’s a bit different to now, *laughs* it’s funny the boys were on one side and the girls were on the other side, he was brave enough to come and talk to me. I always knew him as ‘Teddy’ but his name was Edward.

My Grand Mother was a beautiful cook but my Mum wasn’t, I wasn’t really either, Mum cooked very plain meals and so did I *laughs* but Teddy liked plain meals so that was good, he wasn’t the one to experiment.

What life advice would you pass along to your grandchildren? I’ve got three grandchildren and eight great grandchildren- I’d tell them to study hard and to be kind to everyone.

What was your schooling like? I left school pretty early.  I wasn’t that great of an academic I can tell you, *laughs* I enjoyed it though, you make good friends at school. I wasn’t really good at anything *laughs* I suppose I was quite crafty.

What did you want to be when you grew up? A nurse, I just fancied being a nurse and helping people.

What was your first job? I was a Telephonist, it was a bit different in those days, I started work on 19 shillings threepence a week. Your phone numbers were all in front of you and you had chords, when they rang, you pushed one in and when they wanted a number you pushed another one in so that connected. I did enjoy that job.

What was your favourite job? I only had that one job because I met Teddy early, he was a farmer. Well I helped him out on the farm (it was a mixed farm) all the time, I enjoyed being with him. We had three families living on the one property, it was only a small acreage.

What are you most proud of? I think I’ve lived a good, clean sort of a life, I haven’t done anything I’m ashamed of… yet. *laughs* Am I likely to start!? *laughs*

Who is the person who influenced your life the most? Why? My Father I think, he taught me all the right things and loved me a lot.

What was your favourite thing to do for fun? Needlework- I loved needle work, I made clothes for myself, more-so because I had to, we were very poor. Dancing was also a favourite of mine, we would go each weekend.

Have you travelled? Oh yes, quite a bit, mainly around Australia, we did it a couple of times, we also went to New Zealand. We took the caravan a fair way around Australia, we went as far as Cairns at one stage, but we began flying soon after, Ted preferred the quicker trips.

How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child? As I got older the War was coming, things weren’t good then, money was very short and hard to come by, now it seems there is three or four times more to go around, that’s my own personal opinion.