I think you've mentioned that to me before Larry haven't you?happyas wrote:Hey Digger, I used to work at Palmers Boat Shed in Kananook Creek when I was a teenager. They were the white hulls, yellow trim and aqua decks. I could start those Chapman engines by flicking the flywheel against the compression by hand.
tonystott wrote:Seeing bread, ice, milk and veggies all delivered by horse-drawn cart
Watching crayfish boil in the copper
Seeing a new wringer washing machine arrive
Watching the glee on my folks' faces as they turned on their first fridge
Seeing the "sparrow-starver" collecting horse-manure, and making a living from it.
Helping dad load Malley-roots in the boot (they burn forever)
Being overjoyed when my Dad brought home his first new car (FC Holden)
Throwing a jar half filled with kero into the lit backyard incinerator to see how high the lid would fly
Getting taken to 4 events at the Melbourne Olympics by the American family friend who came here to design the Holden dashboard.
Watching the 1956 Australian Grand Prix live at Albert Park
Travelling by boat over to Churchill Island and then riding the luggage sled behind the tractor up to the farmhouse
Shooting bunnies on Churchill Island (being trusted with a 410 double-barrelled pistol at 10yo).
Lying on sandbags on the veranda after lunch, and firing .222s, 303s, Garards, 1856 Winchester (black powder) etc at targets set at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards in the passionfruit orchard
Watching pine-needles jump a foot when my rellies fired the ship's cannon into WPB on NYE (don't worry, the stopped years ago!)
Luckily we tend to remember the good bits...
Craft disease....Grin~happyas wrote:See Rob, it proves that I am getting old. Now suffering from craft disease. Can't remember a f*#^^ing thing.
It's hard to imagine that they will have similar memories of their childhood Tim as we had so much freedom, but then I suppose things are all relative and hopefully it will seem a special time to them. I guess it's up to parents to see that they do lots of things, holidays etc. and ensure that they do gather up some of the good stuff! Pretty sad if they don't.Haynsie wrote:Great read Digger.
I grew up in country WA in the 70s and from the age of 5 or 6, I pretty much did as I pleased.
I had a bike, a pocket knife and a fishing rod and I could keep myself entertained all day with those things!
We used to catch Marron and Gilgies (WA's native yabby) in the creeks.
Build rafts from whatever we could find on the farm and float them down the river till they sank or fell apart.
My mate's dad had a race car and we would hang around the pits at the town speedway.
We'd set rabbit traps after school and collect the rabbits next morning.
Learnt to drive in utes without doors around farm paddocks.
I also was in constant possesion of matches and would set fire to almost anything that would burn.
.
I look at my 5yo daughter now and wonder what her memories of childhood will be.
Cheers
Tim