Helen McAnulty

We all know that Australia is a long way from most of the rest of the world. We are certainly made aware of this when we arrive in the northern hemisphere, jet lagged and weary after a very long flight.

In spite of being so far away, we are among the most travelled people in the world with more than half of us owning a passport. Travel has become much easier, faster and certainly less expensive than ever before.

It wasn’t always like this.

When the Orange Oral History Group gathered this month, we remembered the holidays we had when we were young.

We didn’t travel in luxury.

Some of us went by train which could be exciting. Steam and cinders flew into your eye if you put your head out the window. And there was the wonderful feeling of rushing through tunnels.

Pat Daley remembered this on her way to Sydney:

“I was thrilled with the whole thing.”

Some of us travelled in Dad’s car. It was not always reliable and the radiator was inclined to boil over when going up Victoria Pass towing a caravan.

Without the constraint of seatbelts, children were able to move around the back seat quite freely. Much fighting, pinching and generally complaining about how long the journey was taking went on, while through the open windows a hot blast of air blew over all. It was often a choice between the wind or Dad’s cigarette smoke.

It was all such great fun!

Dick Page went by car to Manly for a family holiday. As they left for home his father’s foot slipped off the clutch and split the reverse gear. Dick explained:

“He decided to continue home, but all the way we had to look for spots to stop where we didn’t have to reverse.”

Richard Gilchrist told us:

“We hired a caravan and halfway up Victoria Pass the car started to boil and we had to stop every five minutes while it cooled down,”

Rosemary Currie accompanied her American mother to visit her grandparents in 1947.

“We went in a bride ship. It was carrying women who had married GI soldiers to their new homes in America. There were thirty-two passengers to a cabin and we had storms which caused broken legs, and occasionally had the excitement of people jumping overboard. I thought it was great!”

John Coxhill, who grew up in England, set off for his first holiday as a teenager with three friends and without the eagle eye of their parents:

“We had visions of smoking and drinking without any supervision. But we ended up at a Butlins holiday camp. These were family orientated venues which were very popular during the thirties and forties but not great for what we had wanted to do.”

Most of our group had to be content with camping. Elma’s husband was very efficient at erecting the tent but apparently not quite so good at attaching the trailer that held it.

“I was driving through the mountains on the way to Batemans Bay when the trailer suddenly came off which was quite alarming.”

The weather was always a problem when camping. My own family set off on a beautiful balmy day to camp at Tea Gardens. We erected our tent, cooked dinner over the campfire and settled down for the night in great contentment. A few hours later, we were hit by a southerly buster which blew our tent from its moorings and we spent the rest of the night holding it up.

Six of our group really should be encouraged to go camping again because they have all demonstrated an amazing ability to bring on the rain and may possibly be able to end the present drought. Monica Knight said:

“We went with another family to camp near the Darling River. Of course as soon as the tent was up it pelted down and we were covered in mud from head to foot.”

Barbara and Jeff both had tents swamped with water, Dick was soaked on a motor bike, while Bronwyn and Glenna were completely washed out.

Dot and her husband, Frank, camped with their children near Broken Hill. They were warned that if it rained, they would have great difficulty getting out again because of the mud which was like glue. Dot continued:

“There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and we would be there for only one night. What could possibly go wrong?”

At 2 am the skies opened and they were in a panic to leave. Dot asked us

“Have you ever tried to pack a wet tent in a hurry?”.

But it is Karilyn Gilchrist who seems to be really able to make it rain.

“I grew up in New Zealand. My father bought an acre of wild pig infested land at the top of the South Island where we camped. My mother hated it. One afternoon my girlfriend and I cooked up a magic spell with spiders and beetles on the stove. Then we forgot about it. That night a tremendous storm broke and we were blamed.

“Years later I did a rain dance and another terrible storm broke over Auckland. My fault again of course!”

Frank Higgins, who is ninety-three and has enjoyed a lot of holidays, summed it up:

“Once you would go to Central Station to see people off to the mountains.

Then you would go to the wharf to see people off overseas.

Now you go to the Airport.”

The Oral History group meets on the third Monday of each month at Duntry League at 10 o’clock.

We have a waiting list but if you are interested please let me know: helenmcanulty@me.com