Romance

HSW Lawson’s

Local solicitors, HSW Lawson on Lyttleton st.:

Jean’s father worked at Thompson’s foundry and her two brothers did their apprenticeships there too. Jean, aged 15, went instead to work for the local solicitors, HSW Lawson on Lyttleton st. ( now the Copy Centre) Sir Harry Lawson lived in Melbourne at the time but came up every Friday and in preparation for his visit they had to go the Vin Whaley’s bike shop ( now antique shop next to National Bank) and make sure his bike was well serviced, for Harry liked to use the bike to go visiting. He visited the Levinny sisters at Buda who made cakes and decorated them with Calendula flowers. He also visited Alice King, a nurse who lived on Myring St whom he helped turn Emma in her bed, who had a hip problem and couldn’t turn herself.

While Jean worked at HSW Lawson, there was a Popular Girl competition in town, set up to raise funds for the new swimming pool. A girl was chosen from different work places in the town and which ever of them raised the most money won. Irene Elliot was the Thompson’s foundry girl, Sylvia Eastman was from the Woolen mill, Jacqueline Dillon was the town girl and Winsome Barlow from the Theatre Royal ( Jacqueline later worked at the photographers (now the chemist on barker St) on Very’s corner, colouring photos) Walter Lyndrom, the billiard player came to town as part of one fund raiser. Sylvia Eastman won it.

Jean lived on Myring St. When she and her sister were young their mother would call out “ Here comes the Desmond boy on the horse,” and they would run out and watch the Desmond boy pass on his black horse which was 17 hands tall and had been ridden all the way from Happy Valley, up the steep hill, across Kalimna park. Some time later and somewhere between HSW Lawson offices and the Post Office, Jean would meet Ray Desmond again. The boy on the black horse. had returned from the war, now a quiet war-wearied man who she would later marry at the Congregational church.

Jean and Ray took 3 years to build their house on north as bricks were scarce and Ray rode his bike over to the place where they were manufactured on ten foot hill and begged for them.

Camp Reserve

FOOTBALL GRAND FINAL

“I remember very clearly the day Castlemaine Football Club won the Grand Final after I think it was 42 years. The whole town was covered in Black and White, such a proud site to see everyone supporting our boys, and then the party for the whole town at the Old Gaol, and back to Hendo’s. I worked at the Cri then: my, that was a big week, everyone was so happy, and celebrating.

The town was abuzz. I particularly remember the naked run of the footballers through the streets… I think that was about day 3 of celebrating. That got many tongues wagging…funny as…I was loving every minute of it, they were on Cloud 9 and rightly so, those boys were happy as Larry, it was great to be a part of it.”

Max remembers when he was a boy that there was always kids on the camp reserve, kicking the footy, or kids down by the creeks on their way home from school. You could catch trout in the creek

THE CASTLEMAINE SHOW

The Camp Reserve:

Where Jean had to do exercises as a school girl on hessian sacks.

Where boys used to gather after school to kick the footy.

The Show was huge – in primary school we’d all go. I’d go with my two girlfriends. We’d always go on the Ferris Wheel at the end of the night. It seemed so high – and the fireworks always seemed so big and bright then.

Where Keith McShanag met his wife Virginia Faletti on the Ferris wheel at the Castlemaine Fair.

Keith met his wife Virgie at the Castlemaine Fair at Camp Reserve. Virgie’s friend was scared of heights and couldn’t accompany her on the ferris wheel so Keith stepped in and afterwards asked her on a date. Six months later they were engaged.

Theatre Royal

In the early days the Theatre Royal was accessed by the lane down the side as there was a hotel at the front of it. It is claimed that in early times a philandering man famously tried to escape out an upstairs window to avoid a returning husband, but fell and broke his leg.

During the war, Archbishop Mannicks who was the Catholic Arch Bishop from Melbourne was refused a booking at the town hall because he was arguing against conscription on the grounds that he objected to Irish Catholic boys being conscripted to fight for the English. Instead he addressed the crowd from the balcony at the front of the Theatre. To get to the balcony he had to pass through the bedrooms. In one bedroom was a sickly young girl whom he blessed as he passed through. That young girl recovered and went on to live a long life. She attributed her recovery and subsequent good health to the Arch Bishop’s blessing. In 1918 St Mary’s hall was built so that the Archbishop would not have to suffer the indignity of being refused a booking again.

THE PIT

I met Kylie and Jason at a Blue Light in the day. I vomited from eating too many lollies and listening to loud music.

The pleasure of seeing John Paul Young yesterdays hero at The Pit when i was 5! What a blast!

If you wanted to go to the theatre you could go book your ticket at Macafies milk bar on Barker St where there was a plan of the Theatre Royal pinned to the cupboard so you could mark off your chosen seat. Sometime you went twice in one week as the movie was often to be continued.

Sat arvo at the pictures at the Theatre Royal, 50’s maybe? sixpence to get in, threepence for lollies, National Anthem, newsreel, 2 cartoons, one serial, one short movie, intermission, shorts for next movies, main feature. 1.30 to 5.15pm.

Lots of cheering for the goodies and booing for the baddies in the serials, then main picture might be Shirley Temple or even better a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedy. Everyone stood up for the National Anthem!!

A long time ago when the Theatre Royal used to be a pub, the publican’s had a daughter named Annie. She was considered simple, so they used to keep her locked up in the room upstairs, “for her own good.” This room, named Annie’s Room, is now haunted by her ghost.