Home The Road to Waddamana Waddamana Littlestoke The Women who made me More

My memory of emigrating to Tasmania is patchy as I went age 2 years and came back age 3 years.

I was put in the nursery by my parents but not sure if it was going to Australia or coming back.

There was a slider in the Nursery, facing towards the ocean when I climbed to the top I thought I would slide into the sea. I tried to go back down the slider steps but other children were pushing from behind. I just had to slide down the slider closing my eyes ,the relief when I opened my eyes and found I was still in the nursery.

I was taught to swim by the Childrens Hostess, her name was “Auntie Ruthie” , on the SS Himalaya on the way back to UK.

Going through the Bay of Biscay we went through very rough sea this must have been on the way back because it was a small two berth cabin I shared with my Gran.

I slept on the bottom bunk and Gran on the top. During the storm we were very sea sick .We had a very kind black steward who brought in a cream cracker with a knob of butter on the top on a plate.

The ship gave a sudden lurch the biscuit flew across the cabin and with the butter it stuck to the wall. The plate

The Road to Waddamana

 smashed onto the floor. I thought that was so funny I was laughing but I felt weak from being so sick.

I said laughing "Look Granny that is so funny look at the biscuit stuck on the wall"

Gran replied in a very weak voice from the bunk above "Yes my love it is"

The group  photo with me holding the life-buoy I can remember organising. I said let me hold the life-buoy up and I can look through it At first the grown ups said no but I persisted. My eldest grandaughter is very much like that. I wonder who she gets that from?

The second photo is of my young Mum age about 22 years. She is looking very glamorous and surprised  at having her photo taken whilst shopping at one of the ports of call.

As we went on an old troop ship it broke down in the Suez Canal for about a week. Not only did it block all the shipping we all became ill because of lack of water and sanitation . This caused us to develop boils. I cannot remember this but can remember looking overboard at the desert with palm trees and camels.

From the canal to Australia was many weeks .Over the Indian Ocean it was just  endless  sea for miles and miles .Sometimes you would see a bird ,but one day I saw some flying fish .They were beautiful  I think they were red and blue and  skimmed across the surface of the ocean very fast.

Read my memories of Waddamana. On the next page.

Shirley