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Jerry Landrigan & Isabel Landrigan Interview
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IntervieweeJerry LandriganIsabel (Reedy) LandriganInterview Date8 April 1987Place RecordedCoffs Harbour-NSWDuration57m19sAccession NumberLS2020.1.177Credit LineCoffs Harbour City Council, 1988.
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[Starting at 32m 3os] Isabel Landrigan: Mother died when Isabel was 11. Father had Taxis. Dodrill - "he had a van and use to be a traveller … haberdashery". Louie - kite-maker, bottle collector. Sat with Louie down in the culvert when his horse died. Father drove a baker's cart. Types of taxis her father had. Father also drove trucks and worked on the breakwater - making the concrete blocks. "I called her granny, and Ali was her daughter". Isabel's grandparents. Carrall's were cedar cutters. Isabel's grandmother gave birth to her first child when she was only 18 years of age, at home by herself. Grandmother had 13 children altogether. "One daughter-in-law had triplets so gran took one home … she said the lord will provide". Isabel used to go and sit and talk to Granny Carrall. Stories Isabel's grandmother use to tell her. Dr. Leary - ' was always drunk'. Grandmother used to say 'I've never met royalty but I've had a cup of tea with a bush ranger' (Thunderbolt). Grandfather died in 1911 - "he worked in the bush, he worked on the farm, he liked to have a beer now and again, he use to play violin". Grandmother always bought 'conversation lollies'. Isabel at age 11, looked after her five year old brother and one year old sister while her father was at work. Isabel and Jerry were married at the Karangi church. It was the last wedding to take place there. After the birth of their son, Isabel was put in hospital for four months. Moved onto the farm during the Depression. Son still lives on the family property. Jerry's father was a miner at Bucca Creek. Jerry's mother buried three children in one year. "Dad and I were very close". "I never had any sport". "I was great friends with the Mills family". She went to the pictures once a week. "Park Beach would be crowded on a Sunday afternoon". Boats coming in on a Sunday and a band would play. The war (Second World War) didn’t have much affect on them. Isabel has always looked after relatives in times of illness. "At one time I thought I'd like to nurse … I used to like music …" "I remember Mrs Spagnolo saying when we got married ' look at those kids, they're just kids' ". "We still fight just as well as we did in earlier times". "We still argue over makin' the bed". "Oh we've been frightened to leave … ha, ha".
Jerry Landrigan was born at Karangi on 20 May 1917. His father had a dairy farm and Jerry attended Karangi School. Jerry also grew bananas. Isabel Landrigan (nee Reedy) was born on 21 July 1915 at Coffs Jetty. She attended Coffs Harbour School eventually leaving at age 11 years. Isabel's mother died and she had to look after her father, brother and young sister. Isabel's father had a taxi business in Coffs and at one time the family lived opposite Carrall's.
InterviewerKerri MossCollectionYAM Museum CollectionVoice of Time oral history projectAgencyYarrila Arts & Museum (YAM)SummaryDairy farm - "cow cane paddock". Milked 85 cows by hand each day. Had three sisters and one brother. Employed a couple of boys to work on the farm. Jerry's family often attended the circus. "They were lovely". First movie Jerry ever saw was 'The Term of his natural life' at the School of Arts. Children's daily chores. Father took children to Karangi School in a horse and sulky or a horse-drawn van. "When we went to town in the early 30's you had to catch the horse first". "Always had a meal in town" (at either Byrnes' or Samios'). "I wonder how they'd (today's children) saddle-up to ten cows before school". "I use to see the other kids frolicking in the creek … but we were home under the cows again … tit pullin' ". 60 kids and two teachers at Karangi school (in approx. 1925). Miss Hackett thought Jerry 'was just it'. "The fella that use to bash me a lot was Thomas McDonald". Mr McDonald was kicked out of Fort St. High (Sydney) 'for boozing'. "I was inclined to be a fella that was in a hurry". Corporal punishment. "He was fair though". Referred to girls sulking as 'having the black pup on their shoulders'. Flood time children stopped home from school. "It used to rain a lot more". Discussion between Jerry and his parents about going to high school. Started high school in July - instead of January. " I think this spoilt my schooling forever". "I'd never seen Latin or Algebra and French". "Every night was this homework for hours". Went to high school for two years then became very ill and never went back. "I became a money earner". "I use to live it up around the town on a Saturday night". Got one Sunday off a month from work. Entertainment - dances, etc. Story of how Jerry got fined for drinking in the Fitzroy hotel on a polling day. Playing cricket - 'woman scored'. Also played rugby league. Fishing on the Orara - perch, mullet and catfish. Jerry's thoughts of why there are no fish today. Banana growing - why they grew them and how. Other occupations - lorry driver, mill worker, banana grower. Borrowed money off his brother-in-law to buy a banana plantation. "We nearly starved to pay that money back". Jerry used to drive into town to 'the pub' in an old ute. Mick Cunningham - gave credit to the 'Cockies'. N.E. gale destroyed the bananas. Local storekeeper gave them credit too. Carrying the bananas. Not many diseases in the bananas in those days. Father's orchid - 'no grubs'. Characters of the day - Jerry's memories. Bob Carnie - pulled people's cars out of 'the bog'. [spelling of Carnie may be Carney or Kearney.][Starting at 32m 3os] Isabel Landrigan: Mother died when Isabel was 11. Father had Taxis. Dodrill - "he had a van and use to be a traveller … haberdashery". Louie - kite-maker, bottle collector. Sat with Louie down in the culvert when his horse died. Father drove a baker's cart. Types of taxis her father had. Father also drove trucks and worked on the breakwater - making the concrete blocks. "I called her granny, and Ali was her daughter". Isabel's grandparents. Carrall's were cedar cutters. Isabel's grandmother gave birth to her first child when she was only 18 years of age, at home by herself. Grandmother had 13 children altogether. "One daughter-in-law had triplets so gran took one home … she said the lord will provide". Isabel used to go and sit and talk to Granny Carrall. Stories Isabel's grandmother use to tell her. Dr. Leary - ' was always drunk'. Grandmother used to say 'I've never met royalty but I've had a cup of tea with a bush ranger' (Thunderbolt). Grandfather died in 1911 - "he worked in the bush, he worked on the farm, he liked to have a beer now and again, he use to play violin". Grandmother always bought 'conversation lollies'. Isabel at age 11, looked after her five year old brother and one year old sister while her father was at work. Isabel and Jerry were married at the Karangi church. It was the last wedding to take place there. After the birth of their son, Isabel was put in hospital for four months. Moved onto the farm during the Depression. Son still lives on the family property. Jerry's father was a miner at Bucca Creek. Jerry's mother buried three children in one year. "Dad and I were very close". "I never had any sport". "I was great friends with the Mills family". She went to the pictures once a week. "Park Beach would be crowded on a Sunday afternoon". Boats coming in on a Sunday and a band would play. The war (Second World War) didn’t have much affect on them. Isabel has always looked after relatives in times of illness. "At one time I thought I'd like to nurse … I used to like music …" "I remember Mrs Spagnolo saying when we got married ' look at those kids, they're just kids' ". "We still fight just as well as we did in earlier times". "We still argue over makin' the bed". "Oh we've been frightened to leave … ha, ha".
Classification
SubjectsAdoptionChildren's needsDisciplineEducatorsHistorical/biographical account of schoolsSchoolsSecondary schoolingChildren and educationCoffs CreekGreat DepressionPainters and musiciansRemarkable charactersSense of communityTheatres and dance hallsTraditional holidaysEntertainment and community lifeChildbirthCooking methodsJetty familiesLand prices and ratesSingle-parent familiesSocial issuesCourtship and marriageHome and family lifeBanana growersDairyingFarmersFarming techniques (agriculture)Living off the landRural communityCricketDancingFishingFootballHorsemanshipSwimmingSportCoachingEarly automobilesJetty lifeRailroadsShippingSupplies and provisionsTransport and communicationsAccidents and natural disastersCouncillorsFloodsHotelkeepersLocal business peopleNursesPoliceUrban communityWomen's changing roleWorld War 2LanguageEnglish
Jerry Landrigan & Isabel Landrigan Interview. Coffs Collections, accessed 18/04/2025, https://coffs.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/31269