Western Sydney Women's Oral History Project: Letter from Mavis Lamrock

Dear Robyn,

How nice to meet you yesterday. You stirred many memories. Wendy & Jennifer kept on reminiscing. Regarding amusement in younger days my age group had many parties in homes & picnics centred on the river & surroundings.

In wartime a very active womens group in Emu knitted, sent food parcels & had meals for any army troops passing through. My mother, Mrs Hunter learned to make camouflage nets – a friend had an empty shop in High St, Penrith. Mother decorated the window with nets & needles & needles & measuring boards. Each Tuesday morning as my husband drove to the office he took Mother to the shop where she “netted” all day – also taught people who wanted to help.

Also she visited our local Prison Farm

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each Monday evening & had a group making nets. Again my husband drove her, also he made the needles and wooden measuring boards. The needles were quite intricate(?) – also wood. A bundle of nets would be sent to Service H.Q quite regularly.

The Land Army was formed on my parents property “Yodalla” my father not only had an orchard. He planted a large vegetable garden in part of it & was able to teach the girls all about land work. The wife of the Governor of N.S.W at that time subsequently paid my parents a courtesy call & had tea with them.

Quite a number of younger women in my age group & a bit older attended First Aid courses(?). then later Home Nursing, having to go for exams at the end of each one.

I do not know if I referred to the mission that brought half

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cast girls & young women from Groote Island and Arnhem Land because of a possible Japanese attack. My mother worked to place as many as possible. We each had one working in our home for some years. After the war some stayed on, some in family situations as husbands came down but most girls were glad to go back to the mission areas they came from.

If you wish the piece about my husband can stay in. He was the only resident full time solicitor between Parramatta & Katoomba.

Hope you can read this & I know I keep misspelling words because I write so quickly.

Sincerely

Mavis Lamrock