Living History

Life in Adelaide

I was born in 1942 in Adelaide.

My father was in the army based in Adelaide River and my earliest memories are of him coming home for Christmas, the tree and presents being off limits until he arrived. It was probably weeks after Christmas, but we waited in anticipation for that special moment.

My dad had not met my younger sister who was 18 months old before he came home.

I remember my Mum billeting an American Soldier called Carl who was killed in the war. His family would send us presents and I remember them sending us celluloid dolls.

I remember going to the shops using coupons to get butter and other things hard to get during those years. I remember having to blackout our house at night.

That is all before I was three.

When I was at school children would come from different countries, I remember a girl from Latvia who was a brilliant artist. She couldn’t speak English but we respected her for her academic ability and helped her with her English.

My parents also helped teach English to other Migrants who had fled the war zones. I recollect a couple of guys who had fled by swimming across a sea, but am not sure where from.

Where we lived we had neighbours on both sides who had come to South Australia as Migrants in the early 1950s. I remember being very dubious about their language but loving their food!

Sandra, Lockleys, South Australia

Look at more contributions:

previous | next