Jean Smith

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JEAN VERONICA ATKINSON (written around 1999)

Jean Veronica SMITH was born at Parkes, NSW on the 20th April 1916. My parents were living at the time at Bogan Gate on a farm, growing wheat and raising sheep. I do not remember life there as I was too young. Later we moved to Orange where my father brought a little corner grocery store. I remember one of the streets was called Summer Street. I can remember going to dancing class and learning Scottish Dancing with my brother Edward. We had a beautiful big rocking horse.

When I was about six years old we moved to Greystanes (on the outskirts of Sydney) where my father brought a little property of 3 acres with a four roomed house with a front and back verandah. It had a lovely orchard in one corner and contained every kind of fruit tree including Persimmons, Guavas, Figs, Apricots, Plums, Apples, Lemons, Oranges and Mandarins. The rest of the property was covered in gum trees many of which were cut down to build poultry sheds and yards. My father raised chickens and started a poultry farm and eggs were picked. By this time we were a family of four, myself, Edward, Ella and Frank. We very rarely went anywhere and had to use our imagination a lot for playing games. We played marbles, hop scotch and rounders with bat and ball.

I did not go to school until I was seven years old but I advanced quickly and went from 1st to 3rd class. I can remember working very hard to keep up. I loved reading books and couldn't get enough of them so I read them over and over.

My mother saved wrappers from Pears soap and when she had so many she was given a Pears Encyclopedia which I read from cover to cover and gained a lot of knowledge from it.

I walked a little over a mile to school at Greystanes, on Merrylands Road. The school consisted of two classrooms one for 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes, the other for 4th, 5th and 6th classes. One teacher taught 3 classes.

Every morning we assembled around the Flag and sang God Save the Queen then we did exercises before going into the classroom. We then recited our tables out loud from 1 to 12 times tables which was a very good idea and helped immensely when doing arithmetic. At 80 years of age I can still give the answer to any multiplication mentally. Spelling was also learned by reciting out loud. We had to learn poems off by heart and would be called out to recite them. We were encouraged to read books which was very good as we had no TV, etc.

We had to do our homework by kerosene lamps in those days and I was a teenager before electricity came to Greystanes.

Our teacher in 4th to 6th class was Mr Lake, he was a very good teacher but also very strict. The cane was used when necessary and no one complained, not even parents. Mr Lake's wife came once a week and taught the girls the rudiments of hand sewing and from these lessons we learned to embroider and this became very handy as girls embroidered doyleys, supper clothes etc, for their glory boxes.

As we grew up and went to High School we learned to make our own clothes, learnt cooking and were taught how to clean a house. Jean leaned to be very good at these things.

When I was 13 years old Mary Patricia was born and while my mother was in hospital I had to be little mother at home. This is where my knowledge of cooking came in handy. I was helped at weekends by a future sister in law of my mothers. Seven years later my brother John arrived.

Around this time the big depression had set in, there was very little money and jobs were scarce, men worked on the roads locally and were given dockets to collect food from the grocery store. This would be for the barest necessities such as flour, sugar, rice, sago, tea and golden syrup. Soap was made at home by loading the ingredients in the fuel copper and when cool set in dishes and then cut into bars when hard.

Clothes were packed in the fuel copper on wash days, taken out and rinsed in the laundry tub then rinsed in blue of water using Ricketts blue bags. Some of the washing such as table cloths and men's shirt collars were starched before drying.

We were fortunate in those days to have a cow and so had plenty of milk. Butter was made from the cream which was obtained by setting the milk in large bowls and cream skimmed off the top the next day.

My final years at school were at Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta, where I obtained the Intermediate Certificate.

My Dad had a Crystal Radio which we had to wear ear phones to hear. We also had a phonograph which had to be wound up to play records. Our first record was "Sweet Rosie O'Grady".

I had several small jobs such as sewing for a dress maker for a short time, and in the Hosiery Dept of Mark Foys. Eventually Poultry Farmers daughters were given work at the Egg Board and I worked there until I was married in 1938.

When I was around 18 years old I met Wally through watching cricket and tennis. Wally loved sport. The local Hall was close to our home and we had Saturday night dances or went to the pictures. My father taught me to dance the old time waltz, Canadian Three Step, Shotage and Barn Dance etc.

When I was 19 years old I made my Debut. This was a wonderful experience, the Ball was held at the Rivoli in Parramatta. Unfortunately no photos were taken.

I also had to watch Boxing Matches (which I hated) with Wally at the Rivoli Hall.

Wally and I lived with his parents for about 12months after we were married. Beverley and Noelene arrived. Noelene was born and we moved to 69 Ettalong Rd which had become vacant while I was in hospital. With the help of his twin sister and her husband Wally furnished our new home. I was taken there from hospital with Noelene.

Ma had seen minding Beverley and when she came home life became tedious with two babies in 13 months. Pat came over to help me for a few weeks. How life had changed in a couple of years.

During the next 18 months we survived on a wage of four pounds a week, paying 25 shillings a week rent plus paying off furniture. We were fortunate in having a few chooks for eggs and milk from the family cow. Wally was the milker. Arthur Hicks was his employer and he saw that Wally did not go without a beer.

War broke out and men were conscripted if they did not join up. In 1940 Wally enlisted along with his brother Jack and a friend of ours Rex Seaton. Wally and Jack thought they would be in the same unit but Wally and Rex finished up in the 2nd 109 AGT Unit and drove their vehicles from Sydney to Mount Isa.

Ivy Seaton and I decided to share house as hers had the most conveniences. I moved to Berkley St Wentwothville.. During my stay Ivy and I went to Queensland for 3 months to meet up with Wally and Rex. They joined us most evenings.

We took Noelene and Pam with us to get to Queensland. During the war we had to fabricate a reason for needing to go - must have been a lie I cant remember. We enjoyed the visit, Wally and Rex were at Chermside Camp. Before being sent north they were given a short leave, after which we returned home

By now Ivy decided to rent their house. She went to her parents and I went to live with Ma and Pop until the war was over. I did not see very much of Wally for the next four years. My brother Edward was killed about this time, and later on Dianne was born. Her arrival helped Ma and Pop over their sadness in losing Eddie. They loved her. Wally didn't see Dianne until she was 9 months old, she smiled at him and he loved her. After this leave we did not see each other until war ended.

We were able to get our own house around this time. I had brought a block of land in Wentworthville with savings from my military allotment. This was sold at double the purchase price and paid the deposit on our house and land. John was born.

Robert arrived after we moved into our house at 52 Ettalong Road. After a couple of years we sold this place and moved to 63 Ettalong Road where Kevin was born in 1960.

In 1988 Wally and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary with the entire family present including great grand children and many old friends. It was a very enjoyable occasion with much hard work put in by my family and we were very pleased.

A few years later Wally started to go down hill slowly suffering from Alheizimers , Parkinson's Disease, Emphasymia and Prostrate Cancer. He died on the 19th July 1996, shortly before our 58th Wedding Anniversary. We had a happy life and he is sadly missed.

Jan, Wal & family circa 1995

63 Ettalong Road
PENDLE HILL	NSW	2145
Tel: 02 9631 6348		Fax:
Mobile:		Email:

Jean Veronica Smith		Williamson Walter (Wally) Atkinson
		-1996
Children		Born	Died
Christened	Called	Born	Died
Beverley	Beverley	1939
Noelene	Noelene
Dianne	Dianne
John Edward	John
Robert	Robert
Kevin	Kevin