Format: Audio

Linked To

Interviewee

Beryl (Brodie) Mulhearn

Place Recorded

Coffs Harbour-NSW

Interviewer

Kerri Moss

Collection

Agency

Yarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)

Related Person or Organisation

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

We support the open release of content. Text and images on this page are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, so please state "Courtesy of the City of Coffs Harbour" where you use them. If your intended use is commercial, please let us know.

Tools

Download Add to My Collection Contact us about this Citation for this item

Beryl Mulhearn Interview

Details

IntervieweeBeryl (Brodie) MulhearnInterview Date4 November 1986Place RecordedCoffs Harbour-NSWDuration42m00sAccession NumberLS2020.1.147Credit LineCoffs Harbour City Council, 1988

More Information

Description

Beryl was born in Waverley, NSW on 20 March 1916. She came to Coffs Harbour when she was about 10 years old with her family. Beryl was educated at Coffs Primary and Coffs High Schools. When Beryl was young she and her family used to come to Woolgoolga by steam ship for their holidays.

InterviewerKerri MossCollectionYAM Museum CollectionVoice of Time oral history projectAgencyYarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)SummaryStandard disclaimer. Visit the 'Voice of Time' web site to read or listen to the disclaimer. Beryl's memories of those boat trips -- "My mother used to retire to her cabin and there she stay" -- Coming ashore at Coffs in a big basket and crane -- Captain Colvin was a friend of the Brodie family. The captain later drowned when he went down with his boat -- Going to Corindi by horse and sulky -- Matron Colvin and the nursing home. The Featherstones, the Averys, the Blackadders, the Policeman named Mr Bardley (all Woolgoolga residents) -- Mr Richards and Mr Ashton's Stores, a school, a police station, a residence for the wharf workers, scattered homes -- Top Town and the Jetty were "pretty separate in those days" -- The school bus and taxi. "I think the taxi fare was 3 pence and I was given 6 pence everyday; 3 pence for my fare and the other 3 pence would buy an apple, an orange and a banana" -- They had water tanks for the town water supply -- "Our electricity used to go off at midnight, it was supplied by a Mr Burke who had a garage in Coffs". Her father got a job on the wharves firstly at Woolgoolga then at Coffs and that was the reason for moving to the North Coast -- He was in charge of the harbour (like a harbour master) -- During the war years he was kept busy. They had an air-raid shelter near their house -- Boats left Sydney on Friday and arrived in Coffs on Sunday. All the goods for shops and new cars came by boat in those days -- Timber trade mainly with Japan and New Zealand -- The site of their house is where the Treasure Island Shopping Centre now stands -- The North Coast Steam Navigation Company -- School days at Coffs Harbour -- Beryl had three brothers and one sister -- "I was the eldest". She stayed on at school until she was 17. "I did the Leaving Certificate twice because I didn't pass the first time" (there were only 12 children in the L.C class) -- Discipline at school -- "I don't know why I loathed History but I did". She also learnt Latin, French, English, geography and dressmaking -- There were three tennis courts attached to the school. They also played Vigoro, basketball and hockey -- The trips to Kempsey for sport on the train. They used to go to Bellingen by truck as well -- The Depression times - "Jumping the rattler". Beryl's mother used to give men food but wouldn't let them work in case they injured themselves. They wouldn't be covered by insurance -- "Bless ya missus, you're known from here to Queensland border". World War Two - "A lot of the friends disappeared from the local scene" -- Various boats were sunk off Coffs Harbour "but it was very hush, hush" -- Beryl worked for the Public Works Department. It was situated where the present Fishing Club is out on the headland -- The type of work done by the Department at that time -- Blasting for the Breakwater. Wages were reduced from 22 shillings and 4 pence to 19 shillings and 8 pence per week -- Job description. She met her husband through the tennis club -- They went fishing, played tennis and went to the pictures -- They had a group called the ex-students and used to do a lot of things in that group but once Beryl and Dudley started courting they mainly did things together without the group -- They used to play golf. In 1936 they established the present Link (27 holes). Golf attire - "Plus-fours" -- There were no buggies; they just carried the bag -- A description of the club house -- Annual membership -- Dudley asked Beryl's father for permission to marry her -- "I think Dudley's parents thought he was going to be a bachelor all his life". Beryl's father got a big box made for Beryl to store things in. Beryl thought it looked like a coffin -- She gave up work once they were married and moved to Ulong -- Beryl was 27 when she had her first child. They got married in the old Catholic Church in Hood Street - "War time wedding". The reception was held at the Fitzroy Hotel -- "Unfortunate honeymoon" -- They first lived at the mill -- The main trouble was with only having a water tank - "I was always being told not to waste it" -- Kerosene lights and the fuel stove. They bought an engine to run lights. Good grocery stores, butcher and baker and a travelling picture show at first; Mr. Timms later built a permanent theatre -- There was plenty of social life - "Bigger permanent population" -- Community spirit - "People pulled together" -- Bush nursing -- Churches in the area.