​I am writing of an experience that resonates with me, through my flying training almost fifty years ago.

This concerns the clothing and accessories that we wore whilst flying aircraft during flight training.

Commencing in the early phase of initial training on the Harvard warbird aircraft, we were given flying suits, flying boots, oxygen masks, soft helmet which included headphones and microphone, hard helmet and fireproof gloves. When we strapped into the aircraft, we also sat on the seat which was a parachute so that, in the case of an emergency, we could bale out. We also strapped into the aircraft, so had a lot of safety and secure equipment to prevent injury in case of an emergency during flight and take-off and landing. Most of the clothing and the accessories were deemed fire resistant and safety for the pilots was paramount at all times.

We were also provided with an attachment to our thigh to enable us to place a map of our navigation exercise as the cockpit did not have modern google maps or any digital technology.

Moving on to the next phase of training in a StrikeMaster training jet aircraft, there were new requirements for safety on top of the normal flying suit, boots and leather gloves.

This time we were in an aircraft that could fly at a maximum speed of 450 knots and climb to 42,000 feet. Hence the requirement for more safety equipment in the form of full helmet including visors and headphones and microphone all in one piece. The helmet had a clip-on attachment for an oxygen mask to automatically produce oxygen as soon as you passed 10,000 feet. The other very important accoutrement was the “G” suit. This was worn on the lower half of your body up to the waist and extended to both legs. This addition was important for flying a jet aircraft in that the “G” forces were significantly higher than the Harvard due to speed and high-speed manoeuvres. This stopped the blood from draining to your legs and always kept you conscious, so your safety was secure at all times when flying, including all aerobatics which built up a “G” force of up to 7.5 G. Fun times!

At the end of the course, we were offered our new postings and mine was to a medium range transport squadron. The flying uniform for this was vastly different in that we had our normal flying suit, leather gloves as per original allocation. However, the flying boots became less important, and we used headset and microphone only. This was due to the aircraft being multi engine and considered very safe as it could easily land using one engine.
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These memories are unique for me in that I have never needed such uniform accoutrements in any other career.  It was an experience that I will forever remember.
Merry Xmas and Happy new year to all.
 
James Davey
November 16, 2025

My mum said to me “You’re good at this, I’m going to get you proper lessons.”
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It was a strange thing because I’d never won any kind of race and really struggled with my coordination. I couldn’t skip or hula hoop like my sister. My three years younger brother was already a better runner and was showing potential with footy. I won a couple of swimming races with no particular style or technique and hadn’t noticed that this was different, but my mum did.
 
My instructor was Mrs Muir Smith. Lessons were a dollar an hour. That was ten shillings in the old currency from which we had just changed, a veritable fortune. It was being spent solely on me learning a skill. Whatever she told me to do I just did it. Swimming was the only physical skill that ever worked like this. Looking back I think I would have had five lessons at the most. I reckon it was a good investment.
 
It changed my life. If I went in a running race, I was flat out trying not to come last. In swimming I came first.
 
Stanhope had an amazing swimming and lifesaving club run by Mrs Josie Bohn. For years we had more certificates go through our club in little Stanhope than any other club in Victoria. I had the full set.
 
We competed against other clubs in life saving skills. I wanted to be perfect at it. To prove that to myself I always swam in the lane that my dad was judging because I knew that to get a perfect score off him I would have to indeed be perfect.
 
I was the club and high school champion.
 
When I was about twenty five, I updated my bronze medallion and did an AUSTWIM course as I’d been working in an office and wanted a change of direction.
 
The examiner for the medallion couldn’t believe her eyes when she checked her stopwatch for my timed rescue because she had never seen anyone do it so quickly.
 
I was supposed to do some practical experience for the AUSTWIM certificate but couldn’t find the time around work to get it done. I went into the Royal Lifesaving headquarters and asked them if a reference would suffice. They looked very sceptical until I said it was from Josie.
 
“Oh Josie,” they said, “let’s have a look.”
 
Swimming, particularly with the start those lessons gave me, has:
 
Given me work as a lifeguard and in swimming pool management.
 
Helped me with my work at the summer camp in New Jersey where my qualifications were recognised as equal to the highest US certification.
 
Enabled me to rescue a couple of people.
 
Given me confidence with other activities such as kayaking, body surfing, sailing and sail boarding.
 
Enabled me to raise over $5000 for Laps for Life by swimming 90 km in March of three recent years.
 
Now I swim for pleasure and fitness.
 
John Holschier
November 2025

I had enjoyed living in a small country town rather than in the city, where you could live next door to people and never even meet them. My little town in West Gippsland was called Longwarry. Some residents of other towns probably regarded us as living on the wrong side of the tracks.

New people were always welcomed—especially if they looked like they could play football or netball. They were also warned not to criticise anyone, as the person they were talking about could be a relative.

I had two mates, both rough-and-tumble types, while I was small and rather timid. The first was called Sprig, a hunter. He would go to the regular Saturday night dances looking to take a girl home afterwards. He had a car named Maud, a Ford. The local girls all knew about Maud and steered clear of her—the doors were the problem. You could get in the passenger side easily enough, but the only door that would open from the inside was the driver’s!

Another of Maud’s features was her faulty bonnet catch. A gust of wind would sometimes send the bonnet flying over the windscreen.

Having most likely failed to make a conquest at the dance, Sprig would prepare to go deer hunting the next day. After midnight in winter, it could get very cold. He would go home, load his four beagle hounds, and drive off to where he planned to start hunting in the morning. I often wondered if he used the dogs as blankets.

My other mate was called Rowdy—even his grandkids called him that. He lived with his widowed mother Myrtle, generally known as 'Myrt'.  Myrt would tell him he had to be home at a certain time, and when that time came, I’d start to worry he’d get into trouble. He solved that by sending me in first, and once she’d run out of steam, he’d come in.

Like all small towns, we had our local characters. One was Trapper MacAlpine, who had a brother who played football for Fitzroy in the 1930s and was captain in 1933.

Trapper once needed to get to Longwarry in a hurry, so he took off on his bike. He fancied himself a good rider. Longwarry is six miles from Drouin, and about three miles out of Drouin is what’s known as the Drouin Hill. It’s roughly two miles downhill toward Longwarry, and by the time the outskirts came into view, he was really flying—no speed limits back then!

As he roared down the main street, he rounded the corner only to find the railway gates closed—they were expecting a train. Thinking quickly, he decided to ride around the war memorial, which had been erected to honour the fallen of World War One. After six circuits of the monument, he finally managed to stop.

On my last visit to my hometown, I noticed the monument had been moved out of town. I found that strange and wondered whether they’d had another fast rider and wanted to spare the monument any damage.

A couple of footy stories... There was one barracker—not a supporter—named Emily McIvor, who used to chastise the players all day. She was louder than a foghorn! Her claim to fame was that her brother, Jack Bissett, played with South Melbourne, being captain-coach from 1933 to 1936.

And one more story—I trust you won’t believe it. In the 1940s and 1950s, the ABC had a popular program called Fifty and Over, where people over that age told their stories—probably it would be called Seventy and Over now. One of the stars was Bumper Gee, who lived in our area. He told the story of going to the dance at Longwarry with a group of friends. They’d “dollied up” the cart he used to take milk to the local factory, and when they arrived at the dance, they were surprised to find that two chooks, which had roosted on the axle, had made the trip with them. The chooks would’ve been guilty of some fancy footwork that night!

Max Tilbury
November 2025
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​In my previous writings I have glossed over my work with the Victorian Producers Co-Operative (Stock and Station Agents), except perhaps my time at Wodonga.  I shouldn’t have done that, as this period truly covered approximately one-third of my working life.  It was where I had received my grounding in book-keeping, or accounting. 

To keep this memoir within limits, I will list the duties, with some reflective comments along the way.

Benalla 1950 – 1955
Regular book-keeping, banking and office duties.
Merchandise sales, including stock medicines, wool-packs and fencing materials.
Booking clerk for auctions at fortnightly sheep and cattle market, quarterly special sales of sheep, covering 6000 to 10000 per head, and occasional clearing sales when farmers had disposed of their property.
Delivery boy of livestock to holding pens, transports and railway trucking yards.  After dinner phoning advice to clients, giving their stock prices and when appropriate, their wool prices.  Friendly interaction with telephonists.
Preparation of invoices and account sales for all transactions.
St Arnaud 1955 – 1958
This branch included a grocery store – I spent an extraordinary amount of time typing grocery accounts.  There were a minimal number of cash transactions in those days, primarily ‘charge’ to accounts.  I didn’t attend livestock sales, but I was responsible for the accounting.  I did attend and act as booking clerk for the frequent clearing sales.
There was no ‘after hours’ involvement.

Wodonga 1958 – 61
Wodonga was an eye-opener.
I worked at markets Monday (pig and calf); Tuesday (cattle); and Wednesday (sheep), every week, as booking and delivery clerk.  I performed the bookwork for the sales every evening from Monday through Thursday until 11.30 pm.  This resulted in ‘nervous debility’, precipitating a transfer to head-office. 

Head-Office Melbourne, 1961 – 1963
Much more relaxed working conditions.  I lived with my brother John and his family in a loving family environment.
Branch Auditor.  There were 14 country branches, and I attended them each three times per year, conducting a ‘surprise’ audit.  There were two of us in the audit department, with me being the main branch auditor, and my senior partner being the Head Office auditor.  I had little involvement with head-office affairs.  Branch personnel generally did not appreciate being checked upon.

Benalla 1963-1966
The Benalla office was experiencing some internal strife and the branch manager requested that I be returned as office administrator.  And so, I was transferred back to my very first job.  Is that advancement?


Benalla Ensign, Thursday 25 June, 1953
​As seems logical to me, I believed that I was not reaching my full potential.  And I was on the look-out for other opportunities.

As a mature aged student in my late 30’s, I studied and qualified as a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA).  I also studied further and became a Fellow in the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA).  I then worked in, then purchased a 50% share in a Chartered Accountancy practice, specialising in taxation.  I also became administrator of a Co-operative Housing Society group which financed 525 homes in Benalla.
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And so, I believe that I eventually achieved my full potential.
 
Ray O’Shannessy
November 2025

Sixty-three years ago this morning we were speeding the five kilometres in to the hospital in a blue and white sedan belonging to Universitas Syiah Kuala.
 
The driver was obviously concerned that the baby might arrive before we got there and dropped me off with relief.
 
After the rush, everything calmed down. The Chinese doctor examined me and thought the baby could arrive that evening or even the next day. She asked if I would like Australian food but I assured her I’d been on a rice diet for a year. She suggested one Australian meal as a special treat so of course I agreed.
 
The patients’ rooms opened off the verandah where the nurse’s desk was stationed. I sat out on the verandah and continued embroidering a little elephant on the corner of a matinee jacket I had made.
 
After lunch everybody was sent off to their rooms for an hour’s rest. I felt very nervous about this as I lay down on my bed, as I thought the baby might not want to wait that long. In a little while I went out to the nurses and tentatively suggested that I thought the baby might be coming soon.
 
They were quite cheerful and walked me up to the end of the verandah to the delivery room. As far as I could see, the room was identical to mine except for a rubber sheet on the mattress.
 
The two doctors in the town both had private practices in the afternoon, so a midwife very capably delivered my baby girl an hour or so later. There were no trolleys, so four nurses took my hands and feet and carried me the short distance back to my bed.

​​After a big day – the main English exam for all Don’s several hundred students had been on that afternoon - he managed to leave early and came back to the hospital to greet his wife and be introduced to his new beautiful daughter.

The midwife came out to visit us a week later to check on Bronwyn’s progress and said that she was a bit concerned because Indonesians usually scream when they are having a baby, but I hadn’t made any noise at all.
 
Incidentally the second night, I did indeed have an ‘Australian’ meal with seventeen pieces of potato round the edge of the plate and a small amount of meat in the middle. When the hospital bill came along the potatoes took up a fair bit of the money required!
 
As far as the records showed, Bronwyn was the first Australian to be born in Aceh.
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Carmyl Winkler   
September 2025