Given Names:  Annie Melinda Date of Birth: 19 Jan 1903 Died: 14 Nov 2007 Known As: Peg Birth Residence: Eurelia

Parents: William & Elizabeth McBride Married: Andrew Gilbert WAUCHOPE 14 April 1926

Their Family: Click on the names to see details about the family

William born 8 January 1927 Andrew born 21 March 1929 Carmel born 29 July 1930 Geraldine born 1 February 1932

Peter 11 October 1933 John 13 October 1942 Francis 2 December 1947

Peg was born at Oladdie, which was the Hundred next to Eurelia, the youngest of William and Elizabeth’s eleven children. As a young women Peg attended High School in Adelaide so she could go on to be a teacher. Her first school was at Cobdogla, a small town 5 kilometres out of Barmera. It was while teaching at Cobdogla that she met Bert Wauchope. Bert had been born in Gladstone in the Southern Flinders Ranges area, his family living in the Port Pirie area and had travelled to work in the Riverland. Peg was transferred to Wilmington and later Solomontown, which was then a separate town, but is now a suburb of Pt Pirie.

They were married in St Raphaels Church Parkside on 14 April 1926.

PEG’S MEMOIR

My sister Uneata Carr has written some of her memories of her childhood years to the age of about 13. I will put down anything I can recall of my young days, to that age, that I think could be of any interest and could give a picture of our lives in that period.

About the earliest of my memories is of myself lying on a sofa, in our living room and my eldest brother Jack sitting nearby and playing the accordion. I fell off the sofa, and Jack, without missing a beat switched from the tune he was playing to the tune of Don’t Cry Little Girl, Don’t Cry.  No great historical event, but the earliest of my memories.  I am the youngest of our family of 11, 10 of whom grew to adulthood.  A sister died very young, before I was born. My brother Len, who was 2 years my senior, and I were companions.  My sisters were older, so I do not remember playing girl’s games, dolls etc, but rather cricket, marbles and hunting rabbits, the latter with Len and the dog.

I began school when I was 7, which was the age that most children began, as they usually had long distances to walk as most were from farms.  We lived about 10 miles north of Tumby Bay, and attended a 1 teacher school at Warratta. We had a creek to cross, mostly it was dry, sometimes a little water.  Then Len would take off his shoes and socks and piggy-back me over.  We would then walk a couple of miles across station country, when we would come to another crossing, (the same creek)  Sometimes that would be flooded and we would cross over on a swing bridge. One big girl would sometimes get in the middle and sway the bridge, scaring us younger ones greatly as the water could be fast and deep.

My father was renting land at Warratta and then applied for land 15 miles north at Port Neil. (then known as Carrow).  We moved there when I was 9 years old.  We still had a couple of miles to walk to school, but that never seemed to worry us. It was at Carrow that I first fell in love with the sea and sea bathing, and it’s a love that has remained with me.  Our bathing pattern was primitive.  Some other girls and I would go to the beach after school and change into our bathers behind the low bushes which grew in the sandhills.  (there were no shacks there then.)  We would have our swim, come out and dry our faces on our petticoats and then get dressed. (no showers). Then we would roll up our wet, sand filled bathers and put them in a bush. The next time we wanted a swim we’d drag them out, maybe still wet and full of sand, and don them. How we enjoyed those swims! Carrow had a lovely white sandy beach.

One day while we were in the water three sharks appeared not far off shore, we of course made a dash for the beach.

The land my father took up was virgin mallee. My parents must have had a great struggle in those days. But of course, we children did not realise that. I suppose money was scarce, but I don’t remember feeling the need of it or that we were lacking anything. Things are relative, and if we were not flush in money, neither were the rest of the people in the district. Speaking of money, I, being the youngest, by the time I began school, some of the older members were out working and so things were made easier for us young ones. We owe a great debt of gratitude to those older brothers and sisters, for their help to our parents, and so to us. Also, I had things easier in regards to helping in the house, as there were 3 girls older than me. Looking back, I think my hardest work was dodging it.

If any person reading this has read a book published a few years ago called “Mad as Rabbits” by Elizabeth Lane, he or she can get a picture of our life on the land from that.  That book tells the story of a family on a mallee farm in north west Victoria, when the district was first opened.

It was while living at Carrow that I had my first ride in a motor car. Some visitors from Tumby called and when they were leaving we went with them for a ride. We could go as far as we wished, but had to walk back home.  I think we went a couple of miles.

Incidentally, the first car I saw was at Warratta, when I was about 8 in 1911. I still remember the wonder of this contraption, moving along the road with no horses attached. It was really something!

An event of those years was the marriage of my sister Uneata to Wilf Carr in April 1912. Father Kelly married them in our living room – the nearest church being at Port Lincoln 50 miles away.  I am not really sure, but I think it was a nuptial mass. Looking back, there seemed to be a great crowd at our place that day, and I still remember the dress I wore, and the shoes with buckles on them.

War broke out in 1914, and two of my brothers enlisted – Frank in the Infantry and later going to the war zones of France and Vin the Light Horse Regiment. He went to Egypt and the Holy Land. Thank God, they both returned safely, but looking back, I think what an anxious time it was for our parents, as for all the parents whose boys had gone.

In August 1912 Sain Leo’s Church at Tumby was opened, and confirmation was conferred on a number of people, Wilf Carr and Len and I being among them. Bishop Norton performed the ceremony.  I had only made my First Communion that morning and looking back now I remind myself of that character who was spattered with water and christened as he ran from a hollow log.  McGuiness I think was the name. “Seemed they did me while they had me”.  We drove the 25 miles into Tumby that morning in a buggy with two horses. On the way, my father asked me what name I was taking for confirmation.  I had chosen a rather long and fancy name, and when he told me that the Bishop would ask me how to spell it, I thought he was dinkum, so for the rest of the journey I was deep in thought, and by the time we reached Tumby, I had come up with Agnes. And Agnes it is.

There always seemed to be a lot of visitors at our home.  I suppose young folk bring young folk. We had a tennis court at both Warratta and Carrow and guess that would draw a few people. The tennis courts were not concrete or asphalt, but just the flattest piece of ground with a tennis net strung across it.  There were no back stops and Len and I often acted as ball boys.

I saw my first moving picture show, a travelling concern, when I was about 10 or 11.

Practically everything we ate was cooked in our own kitchen. My mother made our bread and often at weekends she would take some bread dough and make it into yeast buns. These were some of our favourites. A German family lived near us, and when the lady made German Cake, she would send a large slab to us. It was delicious. Cool drinks were almost unknown. At Christmas time Mum would make hop beer. Lollies were not purchased very much, and mostly we’d spend our pennies on half-penny sticks. These were a toffee made into ½ inch sticks about a foot long and wrapped in paper. Ice –Cream was not known then.

School was a big interest in our lives. There were not many other attractions, no T.V or radio, hence whatever came up at school was of great importance. All of my primary school days were spent at a 1 teacher school. In passing, I would like to pay tribute to these teachers.  They mostly taught in poor conditions, with little in the way of aids. Also, these teachers were isolated, as they usually lived with a farming family and as transport was limited to horse drawn vehicles, there was not a great deal of entertainment available.  Many of these teachers were in their late teens, and it seems to me now that the big majority were girls. I think a national acknowledgement should be made to those folk. They were the means of many country children receiving a beginning in education. Some of them were excellent teachers, - very sincere in their work, although having little in the way of teacher training.  Natural teachers I presume. Also, the government of that time did what they could for country children, with their policy of a school where an average attendance of 7 children could be shown.

Religion was always important to us, which is surprising, as we lived a long way from a church and rarely got to mass. Several times a year Father Kelly from Port Lincoln would come to our house and stay overnight. Next morning we would have mass, and the one other Catholic family in the district would come. As I think of it now, Father Kelly was the Catholic Church to me, he was the only Priest I knew- He was the Pope, Bishop and Priest all in one. His Parish took in the whole of Eyre Peninsula.  But that’s another story.  We always had religious instructions at home. My mother and older sisters would set catechism to be learned through the week. On Sundays, it would be heard. We were also taught our prayers and prepared for First Holy Communion. I’m always amazed that my parents kept their religious beliefs so well, and more that they practised them as they did and passed them on to their family.  With a large family, hard living conditions, not much money and a priest only a few times a year, it must have been a great effort for them.  Beside out catechism, we had family rosary during the week. On Sunday morning my father would lead the Rosary, reading the meditation and prayers respectively before and after each mystery. Then he would lead the Litany of our Lady. Having the father kneel and lead the prayers must have been a great example to the family especially to the teenagers.  Also, the Catholic paper “The Southern Cross” arrived by post every week. The periodicals, the “Messenger of the Sacred Heart” and the “Annals of our Lady” were also taken. Having some religious literature in the home is a great help in keeping God in our midst. Australia as a whole, owes a tremendous debt to those early settlers, both Catholic and Protestant in their faithful practice of and passing on of their religious beliefs, often under great odds. We thank God for them and should feel obliged to do likewise and follow them to the best of our ability. Our best legacy to our children is one of duty and love of God and his Laws. After all “what does it profit….”

 I have written of the main events of my life to the age of about 13. If it sounds trivial, it is and I remember it. And when we think of things, doesn’t each life consist of trivia, with a few outstanding events and occasions? The two most important events we cannot discuss – we cannot remember our birth and have yet to experience our death. 

 Written by Peg – Annie Melinda McBride