00:00:09.020 - 00:00:28.440

What can you tell me? First of all about the food cubes that four in, in rotate, you know, all together, like one line from our place to where Mrs East was all with coupons to get different things. So I thought, well, what, what's that? A block,

00:00:28.450 - 00:00:44.189

a block and a half. Well, what would you say? I don't know much about the measurements but what, there was 1 to 3 houses down from here, four houses that, no, that solid houses from here. And where were the food? Where were they getting the food

00:00:44.200 - 00:01:06.489

from and from shops with the coupons they got from the Dell? You see, they got Dell coupons. They didn't get money like they do today. They got do coupons, right. And I heard that when someone was unemployed. Yeah, the first thing they did, they go, they

00:01:10.000 - 00:01:27.690

go to a certain center and pick them up. You see, and when they had those and then they had Russian tickets, everybody had ration tickets you can only have so, you know, the difference so much you couldn't buy a, a host of things. Right. And was

00:01:27.699 - 00:01:42.830

there ever a problem with food shortages at all. Well. Uh, no, I don't think there's so much as there was then. As, as there has been other times you start thinking of time when people went to collect the food with the coup with the coupons, but

00:01:42.839 - 00:02:03.510

they just have to what they could afford. But delivery shortage of very, very likely not. But you see, I wasn't going to work. I wasn't buying and selling like, like I am now. So with the general routine of things as I am now then that is

00:02:04.089 - 00:02:19.649

a, and my brothers run short of time. They didn't have enough work to keep them going. And uh my sister didn't have that much work. I got full time work. I was lucky. I was kept on, I worked for Marcus Clarks and Marcus Clarke. What sort

00:02:19.660 - 00:02:38.410

of work did they do? Well, they did, there was a general store where they, you know, at central station there. That was a great big store there. And Marcus Clark's right. And either way, the Bon Marsh, that's where the uh educational department, I think. And down

00:02:38.419 - 00:02:54.820

back of West street, down a street, isn't it down Arrow Street there? That top of the tech in George Street? Oh, yeah, I think it's the educational buildings now. Or printing buildings now. Or technical buildings of some, I'm sorry. Uh technical buildings of some description. What

00:02:54.830 - 00:03:14.690

sort of work did we do? Well, my brother's words in the Potter. Oh, this is no, this is, I thought it was pottery at Camper down at camp down, they went to Sydney. Then my, 1000 and two brothers worked in there. My sister worked in the

00:03:14.699 - 00:03:29.770

hat making and of course, uh, the people just afford to buy them and I worked in the car and I was one of the lucky ones, I suppose. I thought that was all right to keep on. But my two friends got the job but they got

00:03:29.779 - 00:03:46.119

really in state again when, uh, we picked out, you see what, what were people's reactions to being murder? Well, it was a shock to them but they didn't go on with it like they do today. They just take the time to do that. You know, I,

00:03:46.139 - 00:04:02.559

you know, I can't do this and I can't do that and all that kind of thing that when they had work they worked for it and there was chemists, uh, there was, uh, j there were no end of people that was on the dole that normally

00:04:02.570 - 00:04:23.690

would have had a terrible surprise or because people couldn't buy, people couldn't buy them themselves and they had to live, didn't they? I suppose when people were put off they, they expected at the end of that, you know, it started in the big trail, the building,

00:04:23.829 - 00:04:45.829

you see that went down and in any time when the building goes down then, then depression set seems sort of, well, I'll be asking another question. Then, um, when people were, they lost their homes, can you tell me a bit about that? Yeah. Oh, that, the

00:04:45.839 - 00:05:03.320

heart, you know, they worked so hard to get the deposit on a home and they lost the lot. Uh, well, the chap that lived next to my brother, he said that he would never, never start another home and he never would buy another home dead now.

00:05:03.350 - 00:05:23.829

And he, he, he rented the house next door to my brother. Why didn't he buy another home? Because he had no interest in it. He lost all his interest when he lost it. And you can understand that, can't you? So you think the impression really knocked

00:05:23.839 - 00:05:41.589

people's spirits? Well, it did in a lot of case, but today it doesn't, is it what they live today? Oh, well, that's just it. You know, II, I think really, although there were bad, it was dreadful days yet there was more happiness today than yesterday than

00:05:41.600 - 00:05:57.160

there is today. And, and I tell you what the churches, uh, they had Sunday schools in those days and they've got, they're going down and down now and you're lucky to have anybody there to go to Sunday school. See, we've never had a Sunday school for

00:05:57.170 - 00:06:13.600

ages. Right. Why do you think there's a difference in people's spirits then? And today? Well, I don't know, the, uh, you know, some of them have got in their desire to progress and I don't think they'll ever own a home. Some of them because their, their

00:06:13.609 - 00:06:27.850

assets are so high, aren't they? Yes. But I was thinking when people were put off that fellow that lost his home, he didn't want to buy another. No. But you're saying that some today would get up and start again and they would, I think they would,

00:06:27.859 - 00:06:43.359

they've got more spirit to start off again and there was a Frenchman, I can't think of his name but he went broke about three times but he finish up a millionaire. This is during the depression. No, no. Since the depression it could have been depression. But

00:06:43.459 - 00:06:59.910

I don't know. And when people lost their homes, where would they go? Well, they just had to rent a home and, but there was more, sort of, more houses to let you see, people had to, uh, and all there was, and then of course the war

00:06:59.920 - 00:07:19.049

scare that they took a lot of them away to the mountain and the war, the war when the war broke up I got, if you put your glass on. Yeah, I've got a picture here of some people and here they camped in the domain. That's right.

00:07:19.809 - 00:07:41.559

And I tell you another good thing about, you know, on your way to the airport and those banks are all ragged homes, you know, where people lived in the depression years like this, they look worse than that. That looks comfortable to what they want now. I

00:07:41.570 - 00:08:00.399

suppose you would have seen things like this, well, all along the embankment going to the airport, but it wasn't the airport. Then, I don't think, then you see, it was all the men on the side of the bay. You see, and were there many people living

00:08:00.410 - 00:08:16.000

like this? There was quite a lot of people, I don't know really from there on where they lived, but that's about, just about the typical house. They would have a bit of a 10 and a bit of something else, you know, something to keep the, but

00:08:17.450 - 00:08:30.170

how many people would you fit in there? Do you know? I know, I wouldn't know about that. I suppose the family could fit in there. A young family. Right. Did you ever have any friends that have to live at all? No, no, no, I, no, no,

00:08:30.179 - 00:08:53.059

no, they're not that bad. That was a very interesting picture when I came across that, of what it was. But they were desperate to get into a home, a house of some description. You know, you think you, have you seen the pictures of China when they

00:08:53.070 - 00:09:13.200

had those cardboard? Well, you know how they are for a home, a card house to sleep in them, you know, create the suns. But the council and made them take the houses down in on the, uh because, well, I suppose that would be one of the

00:09:13.210 - 00:09:28.369

things you see. It's like you're going camping today. When you go camping today, look at all the facilities you've got through at those days. There were no of that. A bit of a difference, isn't it? Oh, yes, there is. When you come to think of it,

00:09:28.500 - 00:09:44.739

you know, if you went camping in those early days, you'd have to have a campfire to cook your meal and you'd have to have a boiler to boil your clothes in or a kerosene dinner, some description if you wanted to do any washing. But today you

00:09:44.789 - 00:10:03.530

got your own drink a bit different accommodation. Where do people go if they couldn't afford to rent a house? Oh, I wouldn't know about that. I got these homes, you know, uh, when there was a lot of them slept in the park and those that slept

00:10:03.539 - 00:10:19.710

in the park, they had the newspaper for blankets, the Herald for blankets that keeps you warm, I suppose when the winter came in. Yes. Well, that's what they used to do. Keep warm. And I suppose they got so used to the fresh air that with the,

00:10:19.719 - 00:10:43.109

with the blankets, you know, the paper blankets, they kept them warm and you sleep in railway, railway rooms, you know. Right. You were telling me before that when the, when the building industry started to go down, when you start to notice, that's what my father always

00:10:43.119 - 00:11:01.099

said. When the building goes down, that's the start of it going down. And there's many, many people who lost their jobs. Can you tell me something about the collapse of the banks, Langley? Really? Really? What he did to the banks? The people went there and drew

00:11:01.109 - 00:11:18.400

the money out of the bank. You see, and of course they closed the bank. You see, that's the only talking about. I'm sorry. Yes, that's what it was, what people's reactions to it. Oh, well, I had a friend. She was an English lady. I still write

00:11:18.409 - 00:11:38.500

to her. Still got the letter written. But the post lady done not to send it and she said she was going to England to see people and then the banks closed on her and of course she couldn't go. And, uh, so of course, uh, that upset

00:11:38.510 - 00:12:00.400

things greatly for her but it was Jack Lang that really closed the banks. Really? Uh, people, people were panicking and do the money out straight away. You see, uh, I didn't have any much money to lose. Did you see any eu people in the banks? No,

00:12:00.409 - 00:12:16.190

no, no. II, I didn't think, gave the bank. I, I, well, when I was starting to work I, I th th sh a week I was reading a newspaper article and it was, uh, talking about how the state government in 1930 they are reducing people's wages.

00:12:16.830 - 00:12:35.770

Well, they're making people work for longer. Um, so that jobs can be saved. Now, what were people's at that sort of thing? Oh, well, when we, we used to work 48 hours a week. Right. And, and then they brought in the, uh, 46 46 hours a

00:12:35.780 - 00:12:54.539

week or something like that. And, uh, so anyhow, they said, oh, this will never pay, well, go broke with these, you know, at 46 hours you go broke with that. And so they said, oh, no. So they said, oh, we were very downhearted about that, losing

00:12:54.570 - 00:13:09.909

the hours, you know, and the thought of what the lots has been to them. This is the business people, what it was going to be to them, you know. But anyhow, they survived that and then of course, then the unions became, uh became more uh the

00:13:09.919 - 00:13:28.229

Bolsheviks, uh Russian Bolsheviks were creating a bit of their Yeah. Oh yes. They trying to rule the roost but they didn't, they never seem to Russia didn't seem to have to get full hold here. But you can never tell what's got hold of you at the

00:13:28.239 - 00:13:45.309

present time. All people's reactions in Australia to the Bolshevik. All some of them, of course, went with them but a lot went against them. They didn't carry on like they do in some countries. What do you say? I've got, got a story here about a woman

00:13:45.320 - 00:14:04.109

who was in court. Let me see. And um I, I'll read you the story. She, her husband had left her and uh no, sorry, her husband was with her, but he'd had no regular work for 12 months and they um bought some furniture and the people,

00:14:04.119 - 00:14:21.840

they bought it off uh pond to bank because I think they must have bought sort of on a high. And um and so the court case was out, the the furniture and the Magistrates were sympathetic and he said uh this woman is obviously ill nourished and

00:14:21.849 - 00:14:35.409

has not a coin to jingle on a tombstone. The unfortunate people are submerged. They are not in the red line, they are below it and are without prospects for the future. It is most harrowing to tell such a story. There is not the slightest doubt that

00:14:35.419 - 00:14:51.280

their plight is desperate and so he refused to grant the application for the company to have the furniture back. And uh the solicitor for the company that uh want the furniture said that they'd be willing to leave the, the furniture in the home if one would

00:14:51.289 - 00:15:07.349

send back. So some other things and uh they could have the furniture. Eventually they uh plan to have them pay the, pay it off. And at the end of the case, the solicitor um for the company that wanted the furniture came across to the woman and

00:15:07.359 - 00:15:24.380

put some money in her hand, that sort of thing. Yeah, they look, I think they were more kindly the neighbor, neighborly and help one another. And that's how they got on this woman in court that I was telling you about was that sort of thing. Common

00:15:24.390 - 00:15:42.630

people having the furniture taken back. My word. We used to deal with the grocer's shop from in Carlton just around the corner of the uh in uh I don't think what street is. It's the bottom of the street anyhow. And uh we used a deal there

00:15:42.929 - 00:16:00.030

and they come and took all our furniture and uh mum had a AAA grocery bill and she used to who would be in a club. But there was that honest before they went, they come and paid mum back. It wasn't that much, but still they come

00:16:00.039 - 00:16:22.030

and paid her back. All right. Hm. Among people's reactions and, well, you can imagine what a shock it would be when you lost your bed, all your bedding and everything, the comfort to sleep at the, at the eat your food off. Don't you? Did you ever

00:16:22.039 - 00:16:39.890

know anybody personally? No, only that one lady that lost the furniture I know of. But the leader there were schools on the scene, the people went out, they like today, all of them want to live with the Joneses and they painted off for all times and

00:16:40.010 - 00:16:57.919

things are laid by. They worked at Bon Marsh and you know, people used to get things and they'd be painted up for 12 months. And that's what uh uh put Marcus Clarke oo out of a year. A lot was time payment and not paying the bills.

00:16:58.570 - 00:17:15.000

You see that it, it's quite true. You see that kind of thing. Hm. Yeah, it was really weird. I'm jolly glad I don't. I'm the end of my tell, I want to see much. Well, I think it's, I think really the way the things are going,

00:17:15.010 - 00:17:33.589

you won't know what's going to be the finish, do we? No, no. During the depression, what do people do for food? Was there much and yet you, you were living on Pavlovas and all this kind of thing you live on and they grew more, they have

00:17:33.599 - 00:17:49.410

more fruit trees in the garden and you used to go with the garden stuff themselves. You see it was more, well, that helped them out a lot. You see, and when you come to think of it, pumpkin was only about to a pound, right? And you

00:17:49.420 - 00:18:08.760

see, things are much cheaper and I like the bed was dance. Now when uh Archbishop Arch Dick and got all these little group together, I suppose he got them in different group, he give them so much and they give them a percentage of what they sold.

00:18:08.770 - 00:18:30.050

You see? So what would they sell tea or it did go from house to house? You see, and if they made a say, say is showing they made a shilling a day, they wouldn't starve, we could get half a load of brick for them. And then

00:18:30.060 - 00:18:55.979

again, I don't know how much milk was. I don't know, but I do know bread was a meat pie was so Hammond would get people to its people and that, and then they bring the money back that's sold and then they get a proportion of that.

00:18:56.189 - 00:19:10.630

What would happen to the rest, do you know? Well, I suppose he had to pay for the goods. Right. So they really got the profit. That's right. They got the profit. Right. And what was there much of that going on? Uh with RBS? He did that

00:19:10.640 - 00:19:29.339

for a long time and you know what? He, he, I heard him say this himself. Somebody said to him uh that, you know, they, oh, and look at it all he had was his suit. He stood on, you get that much too wide. He didn't leave,

00:19:30.150 - 00:19:48.410

you know, up those steps, you know that he lived in some of those, one of those places up there. And somebody said to him, are you a Christian? So he said, yes, he said, what would you do? What would you like? He said, well, give me

00:19:48.420 - 00:20:12.040

$10. He said, I'm a Christian. I'm not a money lender. He was very, very witty, I think it was. And you know, those slogans that he used to have, I used to read them every time and they were there and then I think they used to

00:20:12.050 - 00:20:32.930

have a tea and a meeting and they give them the tea or luncheon, whatever. They, you know what time that time of the day was, but they never starve of hunger. And actually another one was a good man mckibbon at Newtown. He was a marvelous man.

00:20:33.140 - 00:20:53.390

He did what he did for the pensioners and the old people and the out of works and that was nobody's business. What did he do? Well, he really looked after the welfare to see if he could get some help for them in every way. Um, how

00:20:53.400 - 00:21:10.089

do you think that oppression affect people's attitude towards church? Well, I don't think that there wasn't the apathy to the church as there is today. I think the apathy today in the church I think is appalling. People don't care where they go or whether they don't,

00:21:10.099 - 00:21:29.089

if they feel like it, they'll go. But if they don't, it's not a matter of a personal touch with the church they go, it's, if there's anything on that they're in abundance but if there's just a spiritual blessing, they don't like it. What I was meaning

00:21:29.099 - 00:21:44.969

was, um, did more people go to church in those days because the depression. Come on. Oh, no, I don't think so. I mean, it was a general rule but they didn't stay away from church but still the finance of the church wouldn't be as, quite as

00:21:44.979 - 00:22:01.400

happy because they wouldn't have the money to give. But certainly it was a big price for some of them, you know. Well, it's like it was a, as long as he was given that the widows might. What more would you wish? Well, the thing thing, that's

00:22:01.449 - 00:22:19.969

interesting. How did churches pay for ministers? Well, I don't know, they had a, I think materially they had a harder time then than they do now. And you say that to get the, and there they used to get, it depends more on a lot of local

00:22:19.979 - 00:22:39.209

lay preachers. You know, you're not the minister so much two years. But now they don't want the locals, the lay preachers. And yet there's some very fine preachers around ministers from those days because, oh, well, at one period I can't tell you whether it was during

00:22:39.219 - 00:22:56.510

the depression, but they imported some ministers from England. Uh huh. This is in the Methodist church. Yes. In the Methodist church, right. And during the depression, were there any people saying, well, look, you know, God doesn't care and he left. I never heard that once. Never,

00:22:56.530 - 00:23:13.660

not even outside the church. No. No, I never heard that once. No, I, I remember, I think you did more than anything else. I didn't. Really? So, so you think the depression didn't affect? No, I don't think so. It was just one of those things that

00:23:13.670 - 00:23:34.689

happened, right. Um, what was there any other practical things that the, um, church did during the depression for people who are unemployed? Well, the use of a system, if they could. You see? And now, uh, not that I want to be egotistic over this. Uh, I

00:23:34.699 - 00:23:50.170

look, I hate this thing. Yes. But I made some fancy work and I got the first prize over this fancy work. It was only, I think it was seven or six. Dad knew somebody who was pretty desperate. So I said you take him this money and

00:23:50.180 - 00:24:08.400

he was that pleased with that. Just that seven or six. And I, that's, I think there was many little jobs done like that. And yes. And I can remember a year or long before we came out to Australia, my father was out of work and he

00:24:08.410 - 00:24:22.839

looked, I think he was out of work or, I don't know how many weeks, but quite a long time his union pay had stopped and, uh, he was in the quarter line and it was real desperate and I can remember a prayer meeting. We had met

00:24:22.849 - 00:24:41.619

mum and dad and I suppose we were there. But still, I can always remember this prayer meeting and, you know, the next week my father got a job and every day, the next week we add something into it. And I've always felt that God's care is

00:24:41.630 - 00:25:08.319

still the same today as it was yesterday. He still cares about seven and six. Yeah. Do you know what? I didn't know that that was my care. That wasn't it. They should get something. I know. I didn't know them at all. But still that was some

00:25:08.329 - 00:25:28.479

little things that you can do. When you got a chance but you don't really, we didn't get much money really. And then the war comes on and he is, he is ascend the parcels overseas. Look, we sent and we, I I sent the parcels and cakes

00:25:28.489 - 00:25:45.170

and one thing overseas. And the cousin that came out to see her brother, we sent her mother a dozen eggs in lard in a tin of lard. About what around us that and we only had one egg broken and she made on the ro e she

00:25:45.180 - 00:26:01.900

made the uh uh pudding but they were frozen in the wild and they just put these l in the lard like a soft lard and put them on and let it uh and then seal it up and they rolled up the calico and it went back

00:26:01.910 - 00:26:18.430

home. It went to England, the bundles for Britain and had one egg broken. And oh, we sent parcels to the boys, you know, one in the Middle East and, and uh oh, I oh I said it, we send quite a few parcels overseas and it takes

00:26:18.439 - 00:26:34.670

fruit cakes to my aunt and one thing and another pe so fresh. They look they were, they were as good as gold. They used every one of them. So they must have been stressed because you wouldn't use them otherwise. It's amazing. It was amazing and people

00:26:34.680 - 00:26:50.849

can't believe it. You do such a thing as that. But that, anyhow, I was told about it and I just tried it out and it, and it, they went and the really with them, I guess they see, they see things are so short. And then uh

00:26:50.880 - 00:27:09.310

uh I said rice, rice was very, very scarce. That's true during the depression. What, what church did you go to uh and Method in Stanwell where we, we used when we first went to the Methodist church, we stayed with it until we came up to, up

00:27:09.319 - 00:27:25.489

to car and then we went to the car and at a Methodist church on the other side of the line in Mill Street. There we go. And, um, what sort of things did the Stanwell Church do for people during the depression? Well, yeah. Well, they helped

00:27:25.500 - 00:27:46.650

in the small ways. They didn't know they were and sub students used to go there. Oh, yes. He was our skilled teacher and some school in. Yeah. And, and then we had Mr Thomas Director of Education and he required us that. So at ST they didn't

00:27:46.660 - 00:28:07.839

do anything official. No, no, no, no, no. But, you know, they had, they had to keep, keep moving, you know, to keep their church open. What do you mean? Keep moving? I mean, thea and all this kind of thing trying to keep things working. All right.

00:28:10.140 - 00:28:27.920

Well, during the depression, did, did the depression and what was going on affect what the minister said? No, I don't, I can't remember that but I can't remember what it was saying. Really? II, I really, as I've grown older, I've had more experience of what God's

00:28:27.930 - 00:28:47.050

care is than any other at any other time. I do. Really? I think as you grow older with experience, you get a lot more, you can think a lot differently. You can really, I can and I can say this and it was the spiritual background. When

00:28:47.060 - 00:29:05.810

we came to Carlton, we felt lost. There was no, it didn't seem any spiritual values much about it. You see in the church, in the church, you see where do you live during the depression in Stanmore? No, we lived up here in one part of the

00:29:05.890 - 00:29:26.920

depression. We were up here where we're living now, went back from Carlton to Stanmore back. We went to Car at the Stanmore Sunday school. When we come up here, we never lived there. We used to walk from ST Peter's or Newtown every Sunday uh for many

00:29:26.930 - 00:29:48.349

years. And then eventually the lid ones uh got an old bomb of a car and they used to meet us at Sydney. But we did that for about 25 years backwards and forwards. At th town, my sister was the superintendent of the Sunday school, right? And

00:29:48.359 - 00:30:05.510

one year uh the, the end of depression, we made all the toys for the uh kindergarten and the Christmas tree. There was no money to buy anything with and we used to stuff it I used to bring the stuffing out for it with the tracks of

00:30:05.520 - 00:30:25.540

wood in from the table, you know. Uh, they used to throw away. I used to bring it home and stuff the animals with, but still they had answers as toys. They were sensible toys. Right. Y you know, you know, you never was stuck. And I tell

00:30:25.560 - 00:30:53.380

you they like this. Tell, well, Aie Teller was a great old friend of ours and she used Elvis a bit with the different things, you know, and doing things. She was very artistic, very artistic. No, I was thinking o onto business during the depression. You're working

00:30:53.390 - 00:31:13.989

at, uh Marcus Clarks. How did the Depression affect the business at market? It went, it went down a lot and then of course, when television came in that went worse, you see a lot of people real speculated on the televisions of one thing or another and

00:31:14.000 - 00:31:32.069

of course, the business and then paid for it and they lost a lot of the business. You say Marcus Clark, what sort of things that the general store, furniture or hardware a bit like? Oh, yes, very much. Not as big as that, of course, but it

00:31:32.079 - 00:31:54.020

was a big building and they own, they own marsh, you know, at the corner of Harris Street and of course, that's the technical colleges now. Yeah. So there was a big, um, in all business. They, they didn't go, you know, I suppose some of the business

00:31:54.030 - 00:32:10.589

went broke. If people didn't pay the bills, they got the goods but they didn't pay the bills. They, they go broke thinking about the depression again. What are your memories of the period leading up to the depression? Oh. Well, I don't know so much about that

00:32:10.599 - 00:32:31.439

but, uh, gradually things really deteriorated. You see, I'm thinking of, say 1928 coming into 9, 29. 0, I don't know. Well, we had, we had a house painted with a fellow was put out of work. You see, what else did we have done? Oh, we had

00:32:31.609 - 00:32:48.609

a few things. Um, when the uh depression was on, well, when did you start to realize that it was more than just, um, just got a bad period in the economy? Well, I, I don't know because I was getting, getting uh full pay and assisting the

00:32:48.619 - 00:33:07.305

boys, you know, and I can always remember young Jack that died. You know, my brother Jack and then his son and I made him a, when the, when the coat to put him on his pajamas, you know, instead of getting covered and it was just a

00:33:07.314 - 00:33:29.359

plain cotton m and he was pale and he always stood into the ground. And my brother said, I can always remember him saying that he said you wouldn't think the pressure was on you the deck. Oh, so, so your family, the depression didn't affect you that

00:33:29.369 - 00:33:48.130

much? Oh, well, it did the boys because we supported them. You know, uh, Jack had his outing. There was, there was the Jack and Betty anyhow. Well, I don't think Ray was born then. I don't think so. I know when Ray was born. So I, I

00:33:48.140 - 00:34:06.479

guess my question then I was trying to ask earlier was, well, how do people feel when they realized that there was more going, going on? Very serious? Period? Well, they, they couldn't plan for the future, could they, uh, they couldn't plan anything for the future because

00:34:06.489 - 00:34:23.129

they didn't know what the future was going to be and he seemed to read, you know, really come back to his own again. You see, was there much despair? No, I don't know. Really. There could have been a lot of despair but I think it could

00:34:23.139 - 00:34:39.198

have been worse. I think it would be worse if it was today. Yes, I do. I think it would be much worse if it was something like that. I don't think they go too good because they can't handle the work too much today. You know, look

00:34:39.208 - 00:34:52.638

at how many people are out of work. Really? That should be looking for work. And I think a lot of them don't even look for work. I don't say all of them are like that. But, uh, really, it's very, very sad when you come to think

00:34:52.648 - 00:35:12.270

about it when you think about the period of the depression. Um, what, what are your strongest memories of the period. Oh, well, we see your friends losing their jobs, you know? You see, and they got, they got another job just for a little while until they

00:35:12.280 - 00:35:28.165

could be relo again. You see, can you tell me something about some of your personal friends losing? Well, a very great friend of mine, she's been, she was my apprentice as, as a matter of fact. And she, she lost her job but still she's recovered and

00:35:28.395 - 00:35:46.340

she's done all like that said. You see, and what were her reactions? Oh, well, she just felt, oh, well, I've got it. You see, I can, you can't do any more. You can't say I'm not going to let go. Accepted. Yeah. But those, that lost their

00:35:46.350 - 00:36:02.540

homes. I think that was the big, biggest knock back of their life when they lost their homes. And why wasn't your father was able to keep working? And when you say he was a foreman, right? In, in the poverty, in the pot, right. Yes, he was

00:36:02.550 - 00:36:18.139

a foreman, you say? Oh, well, you can tell, uh, uh, how much money he was getting. He was a foreman and I, I forget how many people and he had a lot of worry one way or the other. He got $7.07 pound a week for being

00:36:18.340 - 00:36:34.850

a, that's quite a good money. And that was, it was, they thought it was marble in those days. And yet he had a terrible, he getting the draft and one thing and another he got fleury out of it and then he recovered. But, oh, he was,

00:36:35.070 - 00:37:00.929

he wasn't really the same after, after that. And most he working yet he was making systems, you know, toilet systems. F Potter, the only word of power pot. So that's right. That's what it is. But, uh, the, uh, Mr P, uh, he was a real nice

00:37:00.939 - 00:37:19.949

fella. He went overseas and he brought all the form and a little gift home, a little pencil. That's as big as that. How do you think the depression affected Australia? Well, I suppose it, it didn't get as bad as China in the politics. They not as

00:37:19.959 - 00:37:38.639

bad as them, although there was really a lot of poverty yet the people seem to hide it more than they do than they did and they would today, you know, the real down and out, you know, if they had it today, like they had it that

00:37:38.649 - 00:38:02.340

day. Oh, I think it is a bad bit about the situation. I guess people love, love. Here's a question that might interest you. What do you think that, what do you think caused the depression? Well, uh uh, well, I think there's a lot of bundling now,

00:38:02.350 - 00:38:25.189

I think in the first place they wanted to George something, you know, and bubble over and they, different things got together, you know, and things like, well, the building train and and all the other, you know, people start putting the garden off and people start putting

00:38:25.199 - 00:38:43.540

this one off and somebody else put something else on and, you know, all that accumulates and when it all accumulates he got his b mm And that, and that's the, um, that's the end for the economy then. That's right. There we go like that. I think

00:38:43.550 - 00:39:01.370

it was, it could have really been stopped if they do use the right technique. I think my dad always said that he thought it was the, it could have been stopped but still it was uh you know, you have a gardener, even the uh either maid,

00:39:01.469 - 00:39:18.629

she can go, somebody else has something else. They can go, they go on the unemployed list. You see, and so it was a um you know, self made but it went all over the world all the same. Oh. And did most people think that this is,

00:39:18.860 - 00:39:35.280

this is what caused it? Just the putting off, led to one thing to another? And that's what it seems to be that, do you think ordinary people ever really understood what caused it? I don't think they would. I don't think they would. We were talking before

00:39:35.290 - 00:39:53.520

about Jack Lang closing the banks now, apparently lang was sacked later on. Oh, good. He was, but he literally was that. No, didn't he? He was long? Yeah. You sure he wasn't a Harvey, you know? No, he didn't go my plan. What, um, now what do

00:39:53.530 - 00:40:11.879

you snack and things started to get a bit better and Bertie Steven over there, didn't he? I think, yes, I think so. I think he did think it was a good thing that they were of a lot of people mind when Jack Lang bought in the

00:40:11.889 - 00:40:32.090

46 hours a week, oh, the place was going to go bungle all together. Nobody had survived and they did survive. And, uh, so, and how they can always say Jacqueline, thank Jacqueline for starting at 4646 and a quarter hours a week. You used to work from

00:40:32.100 - 00:40:52.620

eight till six every day. With how long off for lunch? That half hour, morning and afternoon tea? Oh, afternoon tea? Oh, we didn't have morning tea and only what you, uh, think during the, the morning, you know. Yeah. Not that you did it openly, right. Maybe

00:40:52.629 - 00:41:09.419

a long morning, wouldn't you? Yes, it was. But that was a long day. You see when he first started off? Really? We live in Stanmore then. And that says you watch it. He says it's all right, given all these shorter hours. But he said it's, uh,

00:41:09.669 - 00:41:16.939

they'll pay for it. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. They want to stop.