On verandah of Davis House, 23 Ford Street Red Rock. 1949, probably December.
L to R; Violet Davis, Grace Cornish (nee Davis), Sidney Davis nursing Helen Cornish, Jim Cornish, Sue Cornish at front,
Recollections of Grace Cornish
"After World War 11, my brother aquired 23 Ford Street and built a weekender. In 1955 my husband took over this block from Mr Tom Richards junior. It was an empty block and, to be transferred, had to have a building on it. So, one weekend, our outside 'dunny' grew as quickly as a mushroom, to provide the building, thus solving our problem.
The hall was the entertainment centre. I cannot recall the time it was build. Dances were held at Christmas and many is the time we did the barn dance, gypsy tap etc., to a dance band. One time they could not get a band so a chap on the piano accordian , and myself on the poor out-of-tune piano, did the honours. I earned 10/- that night for thumping it out! Every evening during the Christmas holidays a lad would go around the streets, ringing his bell, and telling us "what was on in the hall tonight". Housie, or a dance, or whatever. It was something different and I think that it set Red Rock apart from the rest of the world. I wonder what become of that bell?
When we first built our 'beach house' we had a kerosene fridge, stove and a Tilley lamp. Often, if the kero was dirty, the fridge would smoke in the night and, the next day, the terrible black soot had to be scrubbed off the ceiling. What a relief when eventually the electricty was brought in here. The new road was also a boon."
excerpt from "A History of Red Rock" by Olwyn Campey and Lindsay Cochrane
Note: The original bell is in Collection of Red Rock History (CoRRH) display at the Museum in Lynch Colttage Red Rock