We never had 'annual' holidays but occasional ones. And I don't have a very good memory of when I was very young. But I do remember a drive to Victoria when I was ten. Dad came from Victoria, so probably the only reason we went so far. We borrowed my maternal grandmothers Vauxall Viva, and there were 4 of us kids to squeeze into the back. Or maybe the youngest was in the front seat. Was it a bench seat? I can't remember. Anyway, we camped at various places along the way, with Dad sleeping under a tarp outside. One place was near the Murray, and I remember Dad being eaten by mozzies.
We also occasionally had train trips west to Mum's family in the Mitchell district.
And yes, my parents also came from very humble beginnings. Mum always told us about a trip to Coolangatta when she was 16 with some of her siblings. This would have been in 1940. What a treat it was for them! The teens from the bush! It started her lifelong love of the ocean, and we spread her ashes over the surf at Kirra..her request. She would have loved to do some travelling in her later years, but Dad wouldn't.
Dad had a brutal father, and left home at 12 to go and earn some money for his mother. He was milking 50 cows morning and night, and Dad was a little weed of a kid. He wasn't interested in travelling in his later years because, he said, he 'seen Australia' in the Army during the war.
-- Edited by Beth54 on Wednesday 1st of August 2012 12:01:36 PM
Its Arcadia pub, Magnetic is., on a sunday arvo in the 80s.I got raided by the coppers, as the mate was a bit of a pot head. one of the coppers said"I,m going to get rid of all the dole bludgers and dope heads on this island!" I said " you can,t do that- there will be nobody left!"I have a great painting of the old Arcy pub. Great memeories. Bill
-- Edited by bill12 on Wednesday 1st of August 2012 04:37:17 PM
We have had a number of threads given to reminiscence - music, lollies, food, lifestyle etc.
To keep the good ole days in a bit of perspective perhaps, think back to the times of our childhood and how our parents lived.
If we were today living as our parents did, and their parents before them, we would quite probably, not own a car but be reliant on public transport, we would have limited savings and the limited ability to put very much away for 'the future'. Superannuation was unheard of and retirement meant stopping work at a designated age, whether wanting to or not and staying in one place, usually living from the support of the extended family.
Only the well-to-do could even contemplate annual holidays, let alone a lifestyle of travel.
There would be no Grey Nomads; no caravan with all, or more than, the amenities and facilities we had inside our homes as children; no large expensive 4X4 (or other vehicle) with more accessories than were dreamed of in years past; not enough money to live the travelling lifestyle; an age pension that was hardly equitable; and an extended family to care for.
By standards of only 50 years ago, we are today a very lucky generation - even if we concede that we have worked hard and long to be so lucky.
We can chat on our laptop via Skype with a friend in London with instant conversation, while we both watch the same Olympic event on the TV at the same time.
I wonder, and sometimes fear, what the next 20 years will bring.
I don't agree that only the well to do had annual holidays. We lived in Newcastle, and at christmas and easter, when the miners were on holiday, Lake Macquarie came alive with tents and miners' shacks. We swam, we fished, we rowed boats. In areas like Cams Wharf and neighbouring Nords Wharf the boat sheds opened up, boats were pushed out into the lake, and the family camped in the boatshed for the duration. The more the merrier. Although most of my male relatives were miners, my dad worked for the government buses and, like the the railways, employees got a free train pass for their holidays. That meant, we also went to Sydney on the old steam trains, and saw the sights- museums, the zoo, ferries, and the rest- and caught up with Sydney rellies. We'd be up before daylight to catch the "Glenn Innes Mail" to Sydney, and then home again on the "Newcastle Express" the same night, as there was never any money to stay over unless a relative had floor space. We packed so much into those trips! Rosie
i can remember our family holidays, not very luxurious at all, but fun with a lot of exploring. my father drove a big old dodge truck and we took an old canvas tent, i remember that i slept across the front seat of the cabin part, can't remember where everyone else slept, we always headed to the blue mountains, jenolan caves, bathurst oberon regions. there is much that i have forgotten but i will never, ever forget how cold it was sometimes. i still love to camp and explore but i still hate doing it in the cold! please pardon the lack of capitals but i'm typing with only one working arm.
I'm so grateful to be retiring at this time, my parents lives were very hard, really wouldnt want to go back to the "good old days"!! Our families holidays were visits to Grandma 120 miles away, and it was considered a huge adventure to drive so far.... couldnt use the train, grandma didnt have a car to meet us, and the train stopped 20 miles from her home! My father could never understand why we would want to travel to see Australia, said it was irresponsible to waste money on such a useless thing... that was how he was brought up.
My younger life was a continual holliday - my family moved around a lot - so lots of change of scenery - tho we never really hada "holiday" as such. Making up for it now!!!!!
My ex father in law used to build his own caravans - and his wife had to do all the cooking - usually inside, deal with three kids, while he had his "holiday" - doing exactly what he did at home - sit and smoke - get his 11am cup of tea - 12.30 lunch, 3pm cup of tea - with home made cakes or biscuitsn his wife made under difficult circumstances - no holiday for her!!!
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
I cant remember having any holidays as a kid, My dad who was self employed was always working.
I do well remember though the dentist. Pulled out of skool in year one for half a day for four weeks straight so i could see the old guy. He decided it would be a good thing to pull four teeth out to make room for my adult ones. He got it wrong by three. He pulled one baby tooth and three adult molars. Seeing him over time was for me the scariest event of my entire life to date. I didn't see another dentist after that for about 30 years. How things have changed! I now go once a year and its almost a pleasure to do so.
I did not as far back as I can remember ever have any family holidays as such. Mum worked in a factory and Dad was in the Army and always going bush, or going to Malaya (we did too) or going to Vietnam 3 times, so Mum was virtually a single parent for a lot of our younger years. We lived in Malaya for two years as a family that was the only 'holiday' we ever had if you can class it as one lol.
When Ray and I married I already had my eldest daughter from my first marriage and we had another girl together so when they were old enough we used to go on holidays at least once a year. I wanted my girls to have everything I missed out on as a child. Like having my parents come to special days at school, like being home when the kids came home from school with homemade afternoon tea etc. Simple things but I missed out on them and hated it. The girls always say that they had the best childhood which is music to my ears hehehe.
My old man was a postman, and we used to go on holiday to Redcliffe or Labrador on the gold coast, mostly camping with my 3 younger sisters. Me and dad would go fishing, while mum and the girls would go for a swim, or something, until I starteed catching more fish than dad, and he would go to the pub. There was always a pub close.I remember dad pinched $20 from mums purse, and bought a bucket of KFC, the first time we had ever eaten it. It was much better when the colonel was involved. $20 was a lot of money in those days.It wasn,t as mad on the GCoast in those days.Great holidays. Bill
My 1st husband was the second eldest of 14 and every Xmas they would pack the very big tent up and set it up at the Gold Coast for 6 weeks in the same spot every year right on the waters edge, they didn't have much but they sure enjoyed what they had.
It seems to me that we settled for less in those days, and we were happy with it. Or maybe our priorities were different.
Young families these days seem to want and need more. A holiday isn't a holiday unless its overseas. Where we settled for, and were happy in, a tent pitched an hour or so up the road, they want Bali, or Disneyland.
It seems to me that we settled for less in those days, and we were happy with it. Or maybe our priorities were different.
Young families these days seem to want and need more. ---SNIPPED----
Gday...
I think, despite the fact our parent's were more accepting of their overall lot, the level of disposable income was significantly lower for the 'working classes' back in their time. I don't think they 'settled for less' so much but compared to today's generation, generally speaking, who want the 'new stuff', and want it now, then need to replace it with the 'next new stuff' as soon as it is released, our parent's insisted on 'value for money'.
That is not to say they did not have dreams, expectations, goals for themselves or their offspring. Life was more basic, 'luxuries', if available, were expensive and not as accessible and, coming out of the war/s, life itself was what mattered.
I know my parents were country folk, just out of their war service with limited education, skills and money. We could not afford any sort of 'holiday' and, except for the travel we experienced following my father's itinerant worklife, we stayed where we lived.
Having said all that, I must admit I was, unlike today's generation, never bored. We had too many things to do outside and were only inside for brekky and evening meal - always outside playing, imagining, running, jumping, standing still etc
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
I don't think my parents were too worried about material possessions, they were just trying to survive and raise four kids. We girls had a lot of hand-me-down clothes from some friends who were a little better off than us. Only the youngest went past grade 10....He was the surprise package when Mum was 38. He actually got it a lot easier than us, because by the time he was a teen, we'd all left home, and money wasn't so tight.
We moved around a fair bit in the early days, but we stayed put when we got to Slacks Creek and we kids loved having the bush to roam, the creek to swim in, and mates just up the road. The house was tiny, our brothers didn't really have a bedroom, and we survived with 'duck baths' for years...only tank water...the 'town water' came much later. And lets not talk about the thunderbox down the back.
But all that makes us appreciate all the mod cons now. Some of the younger generation don't know what it's like to do without...my niece & nephew...but my kids certainly knew all about it, and apppreciate what they have now.
I cant remember having any holidays as a kid, My dad who was self employed was always working.
I do well remember though the dentist. Pulled out of skool in year one for half a day for four weeks straight so i could see the old guy. He decided it would be a good thing to pull four teeth out to make room for my adult ones. He got it wrong by three. He pulled one baby tooth and three adult molars. Seeing him over time was for me the scariest event of my entire life to date. I didn't see another dentist after that for about 30 years. How things have changed! I now go once a year and its almost a pleasure to do so.
Oh boy, I can really relate to the terror of the dentist. Compared to those days, it really is almost a pleasure. I've worn dentures since I was 14. No one spent much money on me, so after my grandmother died one of my aunties took me in hand and to the dentist to have the worst of my teeth out and replaced with plastic alternatives. So these days I buy my smile.
I was sent to relatives of the family in school holidays. Probably to give my grandmother a spell from my "lazy, naughty" ways. Otherwise it was down and around the paddocks of the spud, sheep and dairy farms, picking mushies, checking for abandoned lambs, playing down the creek and smoking under the bridge. Riding our bikes everywhere, Netball practice and games on Saturday, rain, hail or shine, walking or riding. No parent drop-offs or supporting spectators.
I could only go to Netball if I'd done my jobs around the house. Getting the wood in for the stove, cleaning the louve blinds, skirting boards and venetian blinds. I hate them all these days.
Good old days? Not bloody likely!
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
I did not as far back as I can remember ever have any family holidays as such. Mum worked in a factory and Dad was in the Army and always going bush, or going to Malaya (we did too) or going to Vietnam 3 times, so Mum was virtually a single parent for a lot of our younger years. We lived in Malaya for two years as a family that was the only 'holiday' we ever had if you can class it as one lol.
When Ray and I married I already had my eldest daughter from my first marriage and we had another girl together so when they were old enough we used to go on holidays at least once a year. I wanted my girls to have everything I missed out on as a child. Like having my parents come to special days at school, like being home when the kids came home from school with homemade afternoon tea etc. Simple things but I missed out on them and hated it. The girls always say that they had the best childhood which is music to my ears hehehe.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
When did you live in Malaysia? I did too as a teenager as my dad was in the army and he worked there for two years.
We were there in Kuala Lumpur from 1978 - 1980
Hi Sucastja,
We were in Malacca from 1965-1967. I loved every single minute of our time over there. In 1978 I was married and in the Army myself lol.
Michelle
-- Edited by BohemianGypsy on Monday 6th of August 2012 10:08:14 PM
I did not as far back as I can remember ever have any family holidays as such. Mum worked in a factory and Dad was in the Army and always going bush, or going to Malaya (we did too) or going to Vietnam 3 times, so Mum was virtually a single parent for a lot of our younger years. We lived in Malaya for two years as a family that was the only 'holiday' we ever had if you can class it as one lol.
When Ray and I married I already had my eldest daughter from my first marriage and we had another girl together so when they were old enough we used to go on holidays at least once a year. I wanted my girls to have everything I missed out on as a child. Like having my parents come to special days at school, like being home when the kids came home from school with homemade afternoon tea etc. Simple things but I missed out on them and hated it. The girls always say that they had the best childhood which is music to my ears hehehe.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
When did you live in Malaysia? I did too as a teenager as my dad was in the army and he worked there for two years.
He actually got it a lot easier than us, because by the time he was a teen, we'd all left home, and money wasn't so tight.
