Recollections by John Clarke: recollections by john clarke

Showing posts with label recollections by john clarke. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

recollections of Keswick Island: the day we almost perished and I went blind

recollections of Port Macquarie: Tim and Missy

recollections of Port Macquarie: fishing trawlers

recollections of Port Macquarie: rescue on the bar

recollections of Port Macquarie: in general

recollections about Tottenham: magpies, chooks and goats

recollections about Tottenham: Karin gets the chop!

recollections about Tottenham: Rex Wiseman and goannas

recollections about myself: Carl Caras' Cafe

Monday, November 29, 2010

recollections about myself: meeting Sally

Sally lived at home, but later had to board at the Hospital or at the sydney Eye Hospital in Woolloomooloo. Sally used to get free tickets every now and then through the Hospital to go to the tivoli and we went and saw shows there quite often. We used to go to the movies and have coffee in a little coffee shop at Kings Cross and to to the beach. The Coffee Shop was called "The Mignon". Sally's real name was Sylvia Anne Lynch and as her initials were S.A.L. everyone called her Sal.

I had use of Dad's car for a short period, an old Austin A40 convertible and one weekend I took Sal to Austinmer where Mum and Dad and Isabel were holidaying. On the way back to Sydney at night on the Sunday, the car broke down in the deepest darkest portion of the National Park (no F3 freeway in those days).

Eventually, I got a car to stop and asked him to call the NRMA down when he got to Sutherland. We waited for hours. Big trouble as Sal's Dad would be pacing the floor waiting for his daughter.

While we were waiting, a car stopped to see if he could help and told us another car loaded with hoodlums had crashed further back down the road and that whey were suspicious characters. The NRMA arrived about 3am and I asked him to call the depot and request them to advise Sutherland Police about the crash. He did so. Turned out the A40 had to be towed to Sutherland as it had a broken axle. So we got a lift to Sutherland Police Station with the NRMA and arrived there about 6am! I went into the Police Station to use the phone to ring Sal's Dad, who naturally got stuck right into me. Then the Police Sergeant at Sutherland asked me if I was the bloke who had rung about the car crash. He congratulated me, as it turned out the Police went down and caught a gang of car thieves they had been after for a long time. I got a good mark on my Service Register for this, but was regarded with deep suspicion by Sal's Dad, Ray.

I got transferred to Parkes in 1961, but prior to being transferred, I had 14 weeks leave and with 3 other Police, including George Leighton, we went opal mining at Lightning Ridge in my 1952 blue Holden Sedan. Had a wonderful time spotlight shooting 'roos at night for skins and mining in the day. We cleaned out a deep old mine and chipped in with our picks where the old miners had stopped. We found some opal which paid for our trip. Sally's opal earrings were dug out during that trip. I had a terrible accident in the car coming back to Lightning Ridge from Walgett with supplies. I ran into the blade of a bulldozer who was grading the road at night and the blade was on the wrong side of the road. It cut right into the car from front to back, just missing my knee! Luckily the blade was turned away instead of in towards us, in which case, it would have dragged us right into the bulldozer. We were flat out at 90mph at the time, very lucky!

After my transfer to Parkes in 1961, Sally and I wrote lots of letters and I visited Sydney when I could. By this time, Mum and Dad had moved to Gordon. I boarded at Parkes iwth Lila Davis. Michael was her son who later married my sister Isabel. He fell in love with a photo of Isable that i had on my dressing table. Whilst at Parkes I used to reliee at Condobolin, Bogan Gate and Tullamore. It was at Condobolin, that an aboriginal climbed a tree and got Cocky Clarke (a white cockatoo) out of a nest for me and I gave her to Mum and Dad on one of my trips to Sydney. We had to fee her Weet-Bix on a spoon til she was old enough for seed.

I had a lot of interesting cases (police) at Parkes and attended some dreadful crashes.

The big day came on 19/6/64 when Sal and I were married at St Canices, Darlinghurst. The same day The Beatles came to Sydney - traffic was really heavy. We were married by Father Hazeler and had a lovely reception at the Australia Hotel. Ian Park and Frank Clare were our best man and groomsman and our bridesmaids were Karin (Sal's sister) and Isabel (my sister). We went on our honeymoon to Hayman Island, where we had a wondrful time.

recollections about myself: police cadets

After I completed the Leaving Certificate, I hung 'round not knowing what I wanted to do. We went to Austinmer for a holiday dn Neville Carr and his wife Pat suggested I join the Police Cadets. I thought that sounded okay but was not really enthusiastic. Neville arranged for me to have a talk with a detective sergeant he knew at Wollongong and I applied to join at the Police Training Centre at Redfern on 29 February 1958 (Mum and Dad now living at Kandos). I went back to Kandos and on getting there, received a telegram to report for duty at the Police Training Centre on 3 March 1958. So in a big panic I packed and caught the train to Sydney and went to stay with Norman and Laurie Carter at Mosman.

On Monday 3 March 1958 I caught the ferry and walked to the PTC. I had forgotten to pack hair oil and by the time I got to the PTC my hair was standing up and in a mess. I was marched into the Cadet Sergeant's office - Sergeant Garnett Brickell who looked liked a bulldog. He screamed and yelled at me, gave me a comb and sent me to the washroom (he really had a heart of gold). He gave me a talk and then sent me to work at the Fingerprints Section where I worked for 6 months. On my firtst day there, Stan Owen (later a Detective Sergeant at Newcastle) one of the other cadts, sent me out to the Sergeant for a long weight (wait) for a typewriter - I must have waited a couple of hours before I woke up!

Sergeant Brickell( 'Bricky') arranged for me to stay at Miss Amelia Jones' Boarding House at 296 Campbell Parade, Bondi. This was pretty well a place for Police Cadets to stay and there were four or five of us there. Miss Jones was a food demonstrator and lived there with her old mother and two dogs 'Patch', a very fat black and white terrier and 'Trixie', a mean little Australian terrier. she used to feed us the results of her demonstrations which was quite interesting.

The boarding house was right at North Bondi opposite the tram terminus and we used to catch the tram every day into Taylor Square and walk from their to the PTC at Redfern, about a half hour walk. On long weekends, us cadets would take out suitcases to work on the tram and head for our families in the country after work on the Friday.

One of the Cadet Sergeants was Sgt Stuart - when he talked, he spat. We were on Parade for Roll Call one day and Sgt Stuart was calling the Roll, there was another 'Clarke' in the Cadets and he was always called first. This day Sgt Stuart must have had the Roll sheets reversed and he called "Clarke JA" and I never answered, thinking he was calling the other Clarke. He called me several times - no ansewr - he then walked up tome real closed and screamed "CLARKE JA" and sprayed me with spit. I then had to run 'round the training centre (a long way) 20 times carrying my bag!

The way the Cadet system worked - we would spend a couple of hours a the PTC every morning and then go to our various stations where we did all sorts of minor jobs - telephone, filing, etc. We usually spent 6 months at each place. I was at Fingerprints, Regent Street Station, Bondi, Ruse Bay and the CIB. I was at Rose Bay when Graeme Thorne was kidnapped and murdered and also when Dr Yeates was found dead in his garage with an injection to his heart - the two biggest cases in that period

I didn't have a watch and used to go down the beach some afternoons and Miss Jones had a thing about being home at 6pm sharp for tea, so I used to carry a set alarm clock in my pocket with would go off in the strangest places.

We used to go to an illegal gaming club called The Egyptian, above some shops at Bondi to play snooker. One day, there was a raid led by Bumper Farrell of 21 Division and as the Police came in the doors, we jumped out the first flooor windows onto cars parked underneath and go away, we would be in awful trouble if we were caught in such a place. Bumper Farrell was famous as the toughtest cop of the time. He played League for Australia and bit off a Frenchman's ear during a test match!!

We had to larn typing up to 100 words a minute and we learned Pittman's shorthand at the PTC, we all went to different colleges. Some of us went to Mr Hornblowers college at Redfern. I was there one night with Carl Hermanson and Frank Clare - frank boarded with me at Miss Jones. It was a Friday and we had the weekend off. Frank suggested he and I hire a boat fromMessengers at Rushcutters Bay, but I had no money. He said he had received money for his birthday from his grandmother and that he would pay. Messengers Boat Hire at Rushcutters Bay was quite famous. They were descendants of Daily Messenger the great footballer. Saturday morning, we hired out a put-put boat from Messengers, not allowed to go past a certain poiknt in Sydney Harbour. However, we took the boat oustide Sydney Heads and went fishing well out to sea. During our fishing, Frank dropped an oar on the spark plug of the motor and smashed it. We were stuck and drifting well out to sea - we could only just see land. Eventually, an Italian fishing trawler came along and rescued us. They towed us back into the harbour to Rushcutters Bay.

My Police Cadet phase ended on 29/4/60 on my 19th birthday when I was sworn in as a Probationery Constrable and stationed at Rose Bay, which was a good station and where I had been as a Cadet for 6 months. There was a big hitch on the day I was sworn in. I had been christened 'Jack', but after that Mum had a change of mind and called me "John Alexander" so when they checked my birth certificate, they reckoned I couldn't be sworn in til my name was officially changed to "John Alexander". So I was raced in a Poice Car to Dept of Births, Deaths and Marriages to have my name changed before I could be sworn in - a big panic - great start to a career!

recollections about myself: Bea Miles famous Sydney identity

Memories of our Mother Zillah by Sue Griffin

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)

- - - - - -

This memoir is written by Sue Griffin, the half sister of Joan Clarke (my mother) regarding our mother Zillah, there is mention of our Jewish line and gives an excellent insight into Zillah's character and privileged lifestyle! A wonderfully interesting look at domestic history also, it shows that when she was going through hard times, Zillah was not afraid of hard work and made a good life for herself, independently - Karin

MEMORIES OF OUR MOTHER

After reading a great book called "Hanna's Daughters" by Marrianne Frederickson' I thought it time my two sisters & brother tried to record some recollections of our Mother Zillah Louise Hyman

She said she was never registered at birth, in Tamworth, NSW Australia. She died in 1976. To the best of our knowledge she was then 84 years old. The cause of death was kidney failure. She had been ailing for some time, with varying degrees of confusion and blackouts.

She came in the middle of nine children. Her Mother, Sarah, died in childbirth, when Zillah was six or seven years old. The children were cared for by a nanny/governess called affectionately 'Poor Winnifred'. Mum said her Father, Lewis, was not kind to Winnifred and he had a vile temper. He owned teh General Store in Tamworth, the store was sold when mum was 16 years old. He was a self-made man, sent to Oz when only fourteen years old, to work for two Uncles who owned the flour mill in Tamworth.

Mum was at school in Sydney, at Ascham. In those days it was a very small boarding school, started by Mr & Mrs Carter. Mum loved them, she was very happy there. Later on the school increased in size taking both boarding and day pupils, becoming one of the best schools in Sydney, Mum was of course a boarder. After the sale of the shop, Mum and her elder sister Ehtel, with their Father, travelled to Europe, by sea, there was no other way then. They visited two younger sisters, at school in Switerland, Stella & Gladys. Mum then went to finishing school, near Paris, for a year. The girls there were amazed she was white and spoke English. She learnt to speak French and ? to behave in a ladylike fashion, she enjoyed it all enormously. Zillah then joined her Father in Eastbourne (England). He had acquired a lady friend whom Mum disliked intensely. Partly because of this and also he thought her flighty, he cut her out of his will. He died shortly after, of pneumonia, no antibiotics in those days.

Zillah and Ethel then returned home. Arthur, Mum's eldest brother, later had her reinstated in the will.

Zillah married Alec Myers, a New Zealander, when she was twenty. They went to live in Napier. Betty Joan was born two years later. Alec, a Boer War Veteran, died when Joan was 8 months old. Mother's favourite, elder sister, Vera went to NZ and brought them home. (to Sydney, Australia)

Mum lived in a unite called ? Karrorie Flats, at Elizabeth Bay, Sydney. The first World War started in 1914, our Father Neville Kingsbury Edward Purcell Cohen joined up. He must have been on 23 or 24. He had known Zillah before her marriage - the Jewish community at that time being quite small in Sydney.

Before he was sent overseas, they were married, seemingly, three times, once in an Anglican Church, in Musselbrook, where Dad was stationed? In a registry office in Sydney. The third time in the Great Synagogue in Sydney, otherwise father's Mother Mollie/Minnie, would not recognise the marriage.

Jill was born in 1922, after Nev returned from the war. He had a shrapnel wound in his thigh, he had seen active service at ? Ypres. Sue followed in 1925. Neville Junior, in 1931, to the great joy of his parents, Mum was 45.

In nineteen twenty five the family moved to a lovely home, called Mont d Or, 10 Fisher Av., Vaucluse. It had sweeping views down the harbour to what was later the site of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Later we were able to watch it being built. We could also see all of Rose Bay which became the base for the Sunderland Flying Boats. The Harbour provided endless entertainment, there were always ferry boats going to and fro, yacht races, liners, cargo boats and beautiful sunsets to be viewed.

In the early days at Mont dOr, Zillah and Nev were both great gamblers. The loved horse races and poker. Mum would get all dressed up to go to the races on a Saturday. She was very superstitious and would never wear green, walk under a ladder or sit down with 13 people to a meal. Many times there was doom and gloom when they had lost all their dosh. Things would get very stressed for the whole family. Eventually instead of the races, they would listen to the meets on the radio and bet by phone with starting price bookies. The kids, Jill, Sue and Junior would be sent off to the cinema every Saturday afternoon, of course we were more than happy to go, we had a great time, Westerns, Tarzan and what seemed to us wonderful movies, the days of silent movies were over by then. Mum and Dad had no interruptions to their exciting pursuits!

Zillah spent a lot of time cleaning and polishing her home. She was an excellent cook. In the late twenties and thirties she had quite a lot of help in the house and garden. A maid helped with the cooking housework and children. She was provided with a uniform and cap to cover her hair. All meals were taken in the kitchen, but, she ate the same food as the family. If she married, she had to leave and a replacement was quickly found. Arthur would come each week and keep the garden tidy. He would bring his own sandwiches, which Jill sometimes shared, much to Mum's horror.

A laundress did the washing and ironing, always on a Monday. She would sort the washing, in the laundry, under the house. The house was three stories, due to the sloping site. The dirty clothes and linen were thrown down a chute, upstairs it was accessed through a large walk in linen press next to the bathroom. Downstairs the chute was outside the kitchen door, in a small porch, which also housed a fly screened cupboard where a jug was left each day for the milkman, who came in a horse and cart, to leave the milk. Potatoes were also stored in a basket in this cupboard. Down a few steps from this porch sat the dustbin. All rubbish was neatly wrapped in newspaper, a supply of which was neatly folded and stored in a cupboard in the kitchen. Back to the Monday wash day - Mrs Jones and later Mrs Neville would boi up all the linen and towels in the gas copper. They were then rinsed in the large tubs and put through a hand operated mangle. When all the clothes were washed they were carried in a large wicker basket up and down two flights of steps to be hung on the parallel wire clothes lines, held aloft by wooden clothes props. The laundress would then have a good lunch in the kitchen, after which she would bring in any washing that was dry and start on the ironing. This was done on a wooden table in the maid's bedroom, under the house next to the laundry. When it was complete she would carry it all upstairs and lay it out on Mum and Dad's fine double bed, to be put away.

1939 The start of the second world war, our circumstances had changed a lot. Father had an affair and gotten the family into quite some debt. Mother moved to Cooma, where she stayed until Father died.
At this time Zillah decided to change her name to Zillah Carr from Cohen. (shortened excerpt)

Zillah was not afraid of hard work. Finances were strained so she took in two paying guests, cooking them breakfast and dinnner at night, which they ate with the family. During the war she had two women guests. Mrs Buchanan, an Oz woman who had left her husband. She ran a coffee shop in the city. Mrs Riley, an, Englishwoman, who escapted just before Singapore fell. She didn't know if the husband she'd left behind was dead of a POW of the Japanese. They were both delightful women and added greatly to our everyday lives. After the war, Mrs Buchanan returned returned to her husband and Mrs Riley to England, where I think she was reunited with her husband and daughter. Mrs Martin came down from Hong Kong just after the war with her son Peter, she only stayed a short while, Peter occupied what had been the maids room. I am not sure how long he stayed. I think he was still at Cranbrook. They were followed by Jack Palmer. He was a widower who had been a Magistrate in India furing the war. His wife was Russian, she had two children by a previous marriage. He planned to start up a law practice in Sydney, but found there were too many barristers already so eventually went back to England. Connie jacks step-daughter stayed with Mum when she finished school, for a while. The last boarder was Mr Granger he came from N.Ireland and was quite a young man. Mum doted on him. Sue had gone abroad a while before, she too was now married and living in Nigeria.

Joan had two children, her husband Jack were transferred to Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains and Zillah decided to sell Mont dOr and move to the Mountains to be near them. She sold Mon dOr for eleven thousand pounds (now probably wrth a couple of million). She bought a small bungalow called Greenaway just over the road from Joan. Mum spent twelve very happy years there. Bought herself a Morris Minor car, played bowls and enjoyed her grandchildren, as well as the company of Joan and Jack. Jack worked in the Bank of NSW.

He was eventually transferred to Kandos. MUm had made a new life for herself, she stayed on in the Moutnains until she was seventy. Joan and Jack were then transferred to Sydey. They bought a house in Sydney. Mother was persuaded to move back to Sydney too. She bought a unit in Turramurra not far from Joan. Once again she settled in and made a life for herself. Being close to public transport, Zillah was persuaded to give up her beloved Morrie.

recollections of Katoomba: Pacific Paradise

Whilst at Katoomba, we went on two holidays. When I was 'round 9 I reckon, we went and stayed with Norman and Laurie Carter and their daughter Susan in a holiday house at Newport Beach, Sydney. The house was right on the beach - long gone now and it had a bookcase with really old book and buffalo horns up on the wall - I just loved it and remember going to sleep listening to the surf and beachcombing and going 'round the rocks at low tide. I remember playing with blue-ringed occies (octupus) there, long before anyone knew they were poisonous. I think that is where my great love of the sea and fish began.

Our second holiday was to 'Pacific Paradise' - a holiday camp near Norah Head, north of The Entrance. Mum was hysterical when we arrived on the train from Katoomba, as what we stayed in was a wooden frame covered with canvas and hessian. I just had the most wonderful time beachcombing and fishing. We were right on the beach and there was a Kiosk where you could get rods and reels for beach fishing. Alvey side casters and big long cane rods. Dad and I got out the rods and reels and went to fish the surf. We didn't have a clue that to caste, you had to turn the reel sideways and after a few attempts at casting we gave it up and just had the baits (pippies) washing around our feet pretending to fish (all the other fishermen along the beach were casting out great distances). Anyhow, this hug bream came up and grabbed Dad's pippy right at his feet and he hauled it out with great excitement. I remember it was a huge bream!
I used to go prospecting around the rocks on my own every day and remember this bloke went in snorkelling and was pulling out these huge crays. One day a big wave knocked me over and washed me in and I had to swim round to the beach to get out!
One night we were in bed and a big rat was running across the rafters. Mum was not impressed.
While we were there, Dad and I both got really bad sunburn on our backs - blisters - and Dad was really in a bad mess. There was no electricity and we used kerosene lamps for lighting and a methylated spirits primus stove for cooking.
I have been back there to try and find the site of Pacific Paradise, but could never find it again. I just know it was north of Norah Head and within walking distance.
Pacific Paradise was advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper (NSW 1842-1954) on Wed 13 November 1946 and again on Saturday 3 February 1951 on Page 23 (of 36) - taken from Australia Trove Digitised newpapers and more website

1st advertisement 1946

PACIFIC PARADISE Furn Camp Units

Fix this text

accom 4 on ocean near lake bus soptlcsystem showers fishing (rock-beach lo"e)riding school all tradesmen Pamphletsphotos details BLIGH S 14a Martin Place

2nd advertisement 1951

PACIFIC PARADISE (Central Coa»t)

CABINS Furnished accommodate four

Septic system Surf, fishing prawnIng tennis rod and reel prawn nets inelusive Store Enjoy a pleasant holidayFor pomphlet Trustee Paclflo Paradise

Noraville via YVyong (would be Wyong)

recollections of Katoomba: olympic flags and bush fires

In 1956 I went to the Olympic Games in Melbourne. I stayed with Aunty Jill and Phil Gilbert at Cantebury with their kids, Louise (who died a few years ago of breast cancer), Warwick (who I haven't seen since) and Graham (who we seem to see every now and again - he works for the Tax Dept. Jill isMum's half sister and Sue Griffin is her other half sister and Neville Carr is her half brother. Phil Gilbert was a Doctor and the City Health Officer for Melbourne. They had a beautiful home at 12 Chaucer Crescent, East Cantebury or Camberwell, with a lovely tennis court down the back. White staying with Phil and Jill, I knocked off a flag that was flying at the shopping centre - there were heaps there for the Games and I knocked it off for a souvenir. Big trouble from Uncle Phil and we had to return it.

Also in 1956, there was a terrible bush fire in Katoomba - Leura - Wentworth Falls. It started at Katoomba Rubbish Tip and there was a howling hot westerly blowing. I was one of the volunteers iwth one of the ttankers. Therw were several guesthouses, a church and 80 homes burnt out. It was one of the worst first in Australia up to that time.

recollections of Katoomba: golf swings and flying saucers

In my last year at school, Dad got transferred to Kandos and I stayed on with Nin (my grandmother) to finish the year. While in Nin's house at Katoomba, I was supposed to be studying but instead, I was practising my golf swing in the bedroom and smashed her beautiful chandelier light on my follow-through (big trouble!!)

I was in the CEBS for several years (Church of England Boys Society) with Neil Elphick - it was like the Scouts and we wore a blue uniform with airforce type caps. We were coming home one night when we saw a flying saucer. It was only a couple of hundred feet high and it was circular with red and green lights revolving 'round its edge. Many others also saw it and it was in the Sydney papers - headlines - and the next night it was seen again by hundreds of people and they sent up airforce planes from Richmond to check it out but they couldn't find it.

recollections of Katoomba: tv, tripe & hepatitis

TV came when we were at Katoomba (about 1956) and I remember big crowds watching TV through the windows of the electrical stores at night.

Dad was in terrible pain one night and was taken to hospital and had an operation on his stomach. Scar tissue had blocked off his bowel. Apparently when he was a boy, he was jucking around and a girl stuck the end of an umbrella into his stomach near his navel where the scar tissue was. He spent a few days in hospital. When recovering Jack was starving and his first meal - TRIPE! Dad used to shudder when telling the story and had a few more days without eating!!

In my last year at school (1957) I went camping with mates down the Megalong Valley over Easter where I caught a really bad dose of hepatitis. I was really sick, vomiting, etc.., and could hardly move. I spent 6 weeks flat on my back.. I recall Mum took me for my first game of golf and I collapsed on the course and said 'Mum I can't go any further...' When I went back to school, Mr Eric Johnston the headmaster told Mum and Dad that I had no chance of passing the Leaving Certificate and to repeat the year, anyway I ended up passing it with flying colours!! I completed the Leaving Certificate in 1957 and got 5B's - an average pass.

recollections of Katoomba: my beautiful overcoat

Recollections of Katoomba: air guns, shanghais, billy carts & paper boys

I was a paper boy at Katoomba for quite a while and used to sell papers on the street corners and deliver Sunday papers in a billy cart to the guest houses. A bloke gave me a 10/- tip one Christmas - it was a red letter day! I used to clal out 'Paper, Sun or the Mirror!'

We went through a big billy cart craze and used to race them down the Cliff Drive!

On one occasion, a boy called Cawley who lived up the road, shot a lady hanging out the washing next door in the bottom, with his air gun. When the Police came, he told them I did it and they came to my place and confiscated my air gun!

Shanghais (catapults) were very popular and we used to make them out of a forked stick, car tube rubber and the tongue stolen out of someone's shoe (mostly Dad's). These days you can't make them, as the rubber of car tyres have no stretch anymore. We bound all the parts together with copper wire. I was a crack shot and could hit a bird flying overhead. We used to 'wing' the local King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas and keep them in aviaries. We always had our catapults in our back pockets.