Trip to Australia - Memories of yesteryear - Goulburn

Wednesday 27th November

Popped into see an old friend for coffee.  We were in the same class at secondary school for two years and we worked at the same place.  We had ten years of catching up to do.

The rest of the day was spent with family.

Thursday 28th November

Today I decided to walk around the town - to relive the old times.  First I visited the building where I worked 50 years ago - my first real job.

The window on the very right of this square building was a door in those days, which led to the office upstairs.  These were memorable days.  Being my first job, I was naive about lots of things and often jokes were played on me.

One particular time, and I do laugh about it still.  I was going down the town to buy some milk for our tea/coffee breaks, and one of the girls asked me if I would buy her something while I was there.  "OK what is it you want" I said.  She said while you are in the shop (not there anymore) and ask the girl (her friend) for a tin of striped paint. 

Of I go, all innocent, called into the shop, paid for my milk and asked this girl for the tin of striped paint.  "Which way do you want the stripes to go?".  I had no idea, I would have to ask H, and come back.

So I ask H when I get back to the office - how she kept herself from not laughing I do not know. Off I went back to the shop and told her which way.  Of course this person just roared with laughter.   Fancy admitting this after all these years.....Ha Ha.  Can laugh about it now.

And so I leave here and move on to St Saviours Cathedral. 

This is a lovely big Church, been around for years and hasn't really changed that much. 

I took this photo of the grounds of St Saviours Church as it reminded me when I took a short cut through the grounds in the dark when I was in my teens.  Near the gate up the slight hill in the middle of the picture there were, and I expect there still is, some grave stones.  In the daylight you would just walk past and think nothing of it.  But when you are with a group of girls in the dark, and they are spooking one another, then it becomes scary.

We took this short cut to go to Guides, or if we were attending evening Church service.  We could have just walked around the road, but it would take too long.

This is a beautiful park - Belmore Park - in the centre.  So much change since I knew it all those years ago. 

There is a beautiful Memorial of those men and women who fought in the wars.  Lists of names are displayed on the plaques - gold lettering on a black background.  A forever reminder.

 



 This building was once the Police Station - it is here I applied for my driving licence all those years ago.  My driving instructor took me here for the test.  I hated the hill start in Verner Street, but it all went well and I passed.

Today this building is a Book Emporium.  I did go and have a look.  In fact I spent over an hour looking at every book.  I was looking for two, but unfortunately I could not remember the titles.  I didn't find either.  Such a shame, but I did enjoy looking.

This was taken from the top of Montague Street looking down to St Saviours Catherdral, the route we walked to church or to Guides.

I walked along Bourke Street, then left into Goldsmith Street and then up Cowper Street (the route I would have taken to go to school).  The hill was steep, but not as steep as the one in the above picture.  I was determined, even though it took the puff out of me. 

This is where I boarded so that I could go to work (centre house).  I only stayed about a year.  I was in the room behind the one on the balcony, shared with two other girls, both now my friends.   There were very strict rules here in those days.

This is the foot path - looked very pretty with the trees and shrubs. 

During my teen years I stayed at what was called the girls hostel - for girls who lived too far away to go to school.  This was two doors down from the one above, but unfortunately I could not get a good photo of it.

I walk to the corner and down Verner Street - this was another route I took to go to school.  I can't ever remember it being so pretty as this. 

 



Over there on the corner was a sweet and icecream shop.  I remember when we saved enough we used to pop in there for a Paddle Pop (icecream I think, or ice lolly with icecream in the middle).

From here I turned left and walked to Clinton Street, back towards the town and up Auburn Street to see the little church  where I taught Sunday School, but it had changed into a residential home.  I decided to buy a cold drink from the shop opposite as I was hot and exhausted and then the intention was to turn left and over the railway bridge to Braidwood Road, but I had had enough of walking and still needed to walk back to the family.

Mundy Street is another steep hill.  This photo does not show it.

Even this photo doesn't show how steep it is, but believe me it was.  I had to take dolly steps just past the end of this house as it was a sudden drop.  I feared that I would trip.

 Today was a great day,  walked lots, bumped into people I knew and had a quick chat, and covered a lot of ground on foot.