Tag Archives: Australia

A town called Hay

4 May

We had come from Gundagai along the Hume Highway.  After a little while we turned into Sturt Highway where we went past Wagga Wagga. Then we reached Narrandera for our overnight stop. The next morning we were on our way along Sturt Highway towards the town of Hay. Before we left Narrandera we had to make sure that we ended on the right Highway, for we noticed all of a sudden that our motel had actually been on the Newell Highway and not on the Sturt Highway. There was a beutifully situated Information Centre on our way out where we found some toilets or should I say  some facilities?

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Arriving in the town of HAY

Arriving in the town of Hay.

This building in Hay is still being occupied by a bank as far a we could tell.

This building in Hay is still being occupied by a bank as far a we could tell.

It was such a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky. We sat outside this shop were we were being served a nice cup of tea..

It was such a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky. We sat outside this shop were we were being served a nice cup of tea..

Above the shop counter it said: “Bringing the tastes of an outback experience to you.” So this was an outback experience. They also wanted us to enjoy

a long paddock experience whatever this is!

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We thought this balustrade looked magnificent.

We thought this balustrade looked magnificent.

Just a street scene

Just a street scene

And here some displays in a shop window:

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So it looks like that Hay is just a few years older than NARRANDERA!

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Before we left Hay we had some gelato in a place that was crowded with seniors. It looks like a lot of retirees live in Hay. They told us more and more come because properties are still very affordable if you compare it with what you have to fork out for a place in a coastal town. They have just opened a hospital in Hay that is especially geared towards the needs of elderly people. But if you need an operation you have to be transferred to another town. This hospital in Hay doesn’t cater for operations.

Thursday in Melbourne

24 Apr

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Uta at the entrance of the State Library, Melbourne Thursday, 18th April, 2013

Uta at the entrance of the State Library, Melbourne
Thursday, 18th April, 2013

That Thursday was Lauren’s last day in Melbourne. She wanted to go to the Queen Victoria Markets on that day. Martin said he’d go with her. Peter and I announced that instead of going to the markets with them we’d pay the State Library a visit. Later on we could meet to go by tram to St. Kilda and splash out on some cake there!

We all caught the train from Essendon to Melbourne Central. The State Library was a few steps from there and the markets weren’t far away either. Before we went to the library Peter and I first of all looked for a place where we could sit down and have some morning tea. We soon found a lovely place that was just right for us.

During the early afternoon we met up with Martin and Lauren again and caught a tram to St. Kilda as planned. I’ll show pictures of St. Kilda and all the lovely cakes and Lauren’s departure to Newcastle in my next post.

When we met Noeleen the other day in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, there was a Readings Bookstore. We found out that in the State Library in Swanston Street, there is also a Readings Bookstore. I bought another book. It’s called a ‘Text Classics’. (textclassics.com.au) Copyright Robin Boyd Foundation 2010. They say ROBIN BOYD was arguably Australia’s most influential architect.

Somewhere near Swanston Street Peter saw these bikes that are apparently for hire.

Somewhere near Swanston Street Peter saw these bikes that are apparently for hire.

Where we had morning tea there were a great many mirrors.

Where we had morning tea there were a great many mirrors.

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There are some shops near this courtyard where we found this sign:

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The Bunyip

The Bunyip

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All these monuments are to be seen near the library entrance. Opposite you see an add on the facade of a house.

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Morning Tea! This is our tea tray at that nice place with the mirrors. Morning Tea!
This is our tea tray at that nice place with the mirrors.

Out and about in Melbourne

22 Apr

Famous sculpture at the Yarra River in Melbourne.

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Peter, granddaughter Lauren and I had been waiting at Flinders Street Station for granddaughter Justine who was going to meet us there after work. It was a happy meeting after not having seen each other for sooo long!

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Uta and granddaughters at the Yarra River

Uta and granddaughters at the Yarra River

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Dinner at Il PRIMO POSTO, Italian Restaurant

Dinner at Il PRIMO POSTO, Italian Restaurant

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After dinner we strolled to a Gelato shop that was still open. We each had a little tub of this delicious gelato and sat down at a large table with a terrific view of the Yarra.

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This was a lovely night out with the granddaughters. Justine caught the train back home from Flinders Street Station. Peter and I went with Lauren by train back to Essendon where our son Martin was waiting with the car to take us home.

Mildura at the Murray River

12 Apr

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We had a great time today with Ian and Ana at the Murray River.

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Here we had coffee and something to eat.

Here we had coffee and something to eat.

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Thanks Ana and Ian for making this a memorable day for us!

Bulli Beach

5 Apr

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Here I go again. Since I can upload pictures again I cannot resist uploading some more of Palm Sunday’s Bulli Beach pictures.

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We had coffee and cake and some cooled tapwater. It was a perfect outing on a beautiful day.

PALM SUNDAY

25 Mar

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Palm Sunday morning was a glorious morning for me. A few minutes after seven o’clock, when the sun had just started coming up a bit, I slowly walked to the church carrying my piece of palm which Peter had cut off for me from our palm tree. I arrived at 7,30. People were already walking towards an outside table where the priest started blessing the palms. After a few minutes everyone assembled in the church for the Palm Sunday mass.

During mass the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke was read. Some parts were read by a narrator, then there were other parts being read by a different person; in bold types was printed out on the overhead screen what the crowd (the congregation) had to read, and Father read the part of Jesus.

Towards the end Jesus said: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
And the narrator said: With these words he breathed his last.

Coming Home from Sydney

12 Mar

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For part of the way the ocean can be seen from the train. This is going home in the late afternoon after having spent some time in Sydney. These train-trips are rather exciting because it’s such a beautiful scenery.

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Visiting David

23 Feb

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David’s brother let Peter know that David is in hospital. We went to see him there two weeks ago on Sunday. We traveled by train to Westmead station. From there we walked to Westmead Hospital. We found David in good spirits. He looked much healthier than we had seen him before. We talked for about an hour. He called us ‘Papa’ and ‘Mama’. He showed us his leg where it had been amputated. He said he was going to get physio so he would be able to walk better. In a few weeks he was to go back home.

In the meantime the brother sent another message that David was to be sent to a nursing home. So the villa where Gaby and David had lived for the past twenty-three years had to be vacated. We were asked would we perhaps want anything out of the villa that had belonged to Gaby? We said, we would go up to the place on a day when David’s family was to be there too.

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We were glad we left the car at home.

We were glad we left the car at home.


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This was our way back to the station.

This was our way back to the station.

We didn’t take any photos inside the hospital. But David was in a pleasant ward, I think it was on the seventh floor. He had a room all to himself! He was listening to his radio which a neighbor had brought in for him. He had just had his lunch and someone came in to pick up his lunch-tray. He said he didn’t smoke any more and this was going to save him a lot of money. We were very happy David felt so much better after having had good medical care in hospital for several weeks.

Oral History

16 Feb

http://www.nla.gov.au/what-we-collect/oral-history-and-folklore

 

The past week Peter and I have been busy with the telling  of our lives’ story. We had a very lovely visitor recording everything for the Oral History section of the library at Canberra. It takes a few weeks before these recordings are accessible. I understand they are going to be preserved for future generations. This whole project is of course extremely exciting for us.

Frances, who’s interviewing us, tells us,  we as migrants from Germany, having been through WW II  and post war years as children in Germany have experiences to recall which people would be interested to hear about. Also of interest are our experiences in Australia as migrants. In this regard it is of special interest to find out how our lives were shaped by having had a daughter who had been severely disabled by polio.

Neither Peter or I are experienced speakers. Having our voices recorded is something completely new to us. However Frances is very good at encouraging us. She gently guides us into the relevant sections of our lives by asking some questions. Peter and I are always being interviewed separately. Usually we have one hour each in the morning, then a lunch-break, and maybe another hour each in the afternoon.

I found out having to talk for one hour at a time about my life can be rather tiring and sometimes a bit stressful too. But I love doing it especially with such a good interviewer as Frances. By the middle of next week she’s going to be back for the conclusion of the interviews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The “Pioneer Family”

23 Jan

Today I was looking for some more pictures from the past. I came up with two pictures from 1958 and another two pictures from 1960

Peter with Gaby

Peter with Gaby

This pictures was taken in Düsseldorf, Germany, in a park called ‘Hofgarten’, on 17th June 1958. Gaby was not quite nine months yet at the time.

Uta and Peter with Gaby

Uta and Peter with Gaby

This pictures was taken by Uta’s Mum on her balcony in Berlin in August 1958. Gaby was nearly one year old. We were for a visit in Berlin at the time.

Uta with Baby Martin, two months, Monika, eighteen months, and Gaby  thirty-three months.

Uta with Baby Martin, two months, Monika, eighteen months, and Gaby thirty-three months.

This pictures was taken near Fairy Meadow Beach, New South Wales, Australia, in June 1960.

Uta and Peter (25) with all three children

Uta and Peter (25) with all three children

This is where the pioneer family ended up in Oak Flats, NSW, Australia, which was ‘the sticks’ at the time. This picture was taken on the 28th August 1960 which was Gaby’s birthday. We were building a garage at the time. One year later the children were stricken by polio; as it turned out, Gaby very severely.

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