DOREEN HOPE HARROD

1908 to 1993

Doreen started work in the office of Weir & Harrod in 1927 and was hit by a car when getting out of a tram in September, loosing several fingers and spending one month in Balmain Hospital. She then spent three months recuperating on Norfolk Island with the Bunting’s (Rita, her mother’s cousin) in 1928, before returning to Weir & Harrod. She did a Tech course in Interior Decoration from 1937-39 and a course in Drawing and Tracing in 1940. Doreen started work as a tracer in the AWA Office in 1940 and in 1941 with the Radiophysics Laboratory and was later promoted to Draughtsman (the first female in NSW) with National Standards Laboratory. She belonged to the Red Cross, V.A.D (Voluntary Aid Detachment), Air Observer and Air Force House helper during World War II. She left NSL in 1945 to get married, to Harry Skinner on the 16th February 1946 at St. Stephens in Sydney, and live at Girilambone.

“My father must have been a very forbearing parent!! The only time I can remember him being really upset with me was when we were living in Drummoyne, near his workshop in 1920′ “The shop was on the waters edge and next door was a boatbuilders workshop, Deerings. Mr. Deering had rowing boats for hire and an enclosed swimming pool. We were allowed to swim in the pool, so this particular afternoon I and Ruby Stern (next door neighbour) were down there and to our surprise the gate of the pool was open and there was a nice rowing boat tied up to the slip. No one was about, so we borrowed the boat and set off down the Parramatta River, under the Iron Cove Bridge, and on to Rodd Island. We were doing very well, but time was passing so we thought we’d better turn for home. Unfortunately for us going home was much harder because we were rowing against the tide. We got nearly back to the Bridge, very tired girls and were delighted to see Dad and Mr Deering rowing towards us. They towed us the rest of the way home and I can assure you we were most unpopular and didn’t try such things again. I remember I went to bed without any dinner and poor Ruby fared even worse.”

Things I can remember. Playing with Edith Laurence when we lived in Palmer St Balmain. Their funny two-storey house with deaf Mollie living in the basement and the steps going straight up into the street. Various visits to “Kinross” Junee and how I loved Grandpa Meldrum and Auntie Jean. Helping Grandpa feed the horses and chooks and the lovely smell of the feed room. Being a sulky child and Grandpa telling me “only horses need sulkies”. Having to eat everything Auntie Gert served me and hating porridge and meat most of all. Going to school there (must have been when Ross was scalded) and playing with Berry Dowd. Visiting Uncle Jim and Auntie Ida and Bob – walking to their house through Gaudreys yard, where there were terrifying geese which chased us. Playing with the Weirs, who were there quite often and thinking how lucky they were because they liked porridge ! The tennis parties at “Kinross”, Aunty Jean’s music pupils, playing cards, visiting country homes with the Aunts, going shopping in Meldrums Store where Grandpa or Uncle Jim would give us lollies, the vineyard at “Kinross” – so many memories and they continued for so long, long after “Kinross” was burnt down in the 1920’s – when I used to spend so many of my school holidays with the Weirs, who now lived at “The Wattles” Dalley St. Uncle Jock still had his property “Airies” out of Junee. Getting the cane at school (Rozelle Public) when I was eight, because I had persuaded mother to let me stay home for my eighth birthday and the Headmistress (Miss Fay) wasn’t amused. Going up into the “big” school and liking the teachers there. Doing the Q.C. twice, because I only got a pass to an Intermediate High School the first time and was considered too young anyhow.

The War years 1914-18 when both Mother and Father were so involved with war work – we also were very busy but I can’t remember what we were doing.

A very vivid recollection of Grandma Meldrum who was staying with us asking me to go and buy her the evening paper, which I did very ungraciously. That same evening she had a heart attack and died (1918). Mother and Dad went up to Junee for her funeral and Helen Weir and I stayed with Auntie Alice Harrod. She made us each a white voile dress for mourning. Helen’s had pink ribbon threaded through it, but mine had black, because I was big ! . Grandma Meldrum used to stay with us quite often particularly in the hot weather. I can remember Mother taking her to a hat shop and trying to persuade her to buy a new hat, rather than a new bonnet. She seemed so old to me then, had been an old lady as long as I could remember, but only 73 when she died. I did not see Grandpa Meldrum again, he died the same year.

Our (Jim, Ross and Doreen) growing up years spent at Gladesville-Hunters Hill were good ones. We belonged to the Hunters Hill Congregational Church Tennis Club and Ross, Dad and I were members of the Congregational Church Choir. While still at Fort Street High School, I used to walk to De Milhau Rd, Hunters Hill to catch the ferry into the city and as this was 1924 I was able to watch the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Over the years, I belonged to the Hunters Hill Girls’ Club, the Red Cross and Voluntary Aid Department where we had instruction in First Aid, and hospital work at Ryde Hospital and during the war at the Concord Repatriation Hospital.

The many happy holidays at Junee with the Weir family. The great long walks we took. One, while still at school about 1925, after a Shakespeare play in the city (at night) four of us decided to walk home from Central Railway, so started off via Glebe, White Bay, Rozelle and Drummoyne. By this time two had left us, so we decided to catch a tram the rest of the way, our families were not amused. Another time a group of us decided to walk from Moss Vale to Nowra – the Harrods, Brittons, Thorntons, Maunders, etc, camping at night. We had one car to carry luggage, food and tents. I was the only girl to walk all the way (the others had spells in the car). We walked to the top of Mt Camberwarra, camped there to see the beautiful view in the morning, alas! the valley was full of mist, so no view. The many happy week-ends we spent with the Brittons at their Collaroy Cottage and also holidays I spent with Auntie Rita and Uncle Frank at Whale Beach.

Another long walk, taken regularly was from Ryde tram terminus to Alexandria St, Eastwood, where Grandpa Harrod and the Aunts lived. We would stop halfway at the big water tanks and eat our morning tea, then on again. One evening we arrived back at Ryde, no Ross! so Dad walked back and here he was walking slowly along, picking up pennies, he had dozens of them, pockets and hands full. Some poor thing had dropped them and a penny meant something in those days.

During the War, while working at National Standards Laboratory we often had to work back at night. The Laboratory is in Sydney University grounds and the caretaker closed the main gates on to City Road at dusk, so we had to climb over the high gates after work, quite a job.

In 1946 after Harry and I were married, we spent part of our honeymoon at Jenolan Caves, but had to cut it short when Harry got something in his eye and couldn’t see (he only had one eye). Fortunately a doctor fixed it up, but Harry was worried, so we left for home. Girilambone was strange to me, I had met some of the people previously but only really knew the Johnson family at ‘Bylong’. Margaret Johnson was a long time Hunters Hill friend. I gradually got to know others. Unfortunately Margaret’s husband Ken died suddenly in 1948 while playing tennis, and Margaret with her daughter, Barbara returned to Sydney shortly after.

I joined the CWA Younger Set, but after a few months the parent branch asked me to transfer to them and become President, which I did. I loved the life in the country and often helped Harry with the sheep, drafting, dipping, etc, and twice spending days bringing mobs of sheep from Nyngan, camping on the way.

Many friends from Sydney visited us, also the Jim Harrods from Adelaide and Skinners from Gulargambone, so we were kept busy, nearly every school holidays there were visitors staying at Anglebar.

At one stage we had four Italian migrants working, burr-cutting. They were nice young fellows. Grace and Will Harrod were staying with us at the time, so Grace started teaching them English at night. After they finished we had three Greek migrants but they weren’t much good so Harry sent them packing when one of them baled me up in the pantry.

One Christmas Day when we were visiting Ned and Edna Larsen, we were sitting out on the lawn after a lovely Christmas dinner, when Keith Larsen said “I can see smoke”. So the men raced into Girilambone and sure enough there was a big fire raging on the other side of the town. The men all drove out to it, and spent the night fighting the fire, and we the women and children slept on Larsens lawn. We had several bad fires while I lived up there and most times the women worked in the Hall making sandwiches to feed the fire fighters.

Doreen died on the 30th May, 1993, after a short illness. A Presbyterian service was held at St Matthews Anglican Church, West Pennant Hills, and she was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

Notes

From Gladesville to Girilambone by Ruth Lynch