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Voices of the Hunter

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Jack Delaney

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Voices of the Hunter

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Kurri Kurri, NSW

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Dot Avison - Kurri Kurri Dressmaker. Part 2 of 2. Recorded 8 March 1983

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Ms. Dot Avison shares her childhood memories of Kurri Kurri, including the depression, early picture shows and school. The daughter of a general store owner, Dot later started her won business as a dressmaker in Newcastle.

Summary0:05
1912 (age 16) When Dot worked at Kerr’s in Maitland she caught the train from West Maitland to Kurri. She’d set off at 7 am and returned home at 5.45 pm. There were no street lights and her father would meet her with a hurricane lamp.
The trains had “dog-box” train carriages, reddish brown in colour like the old fashioned trains and thinly upholstered.

She never married.

1921 When she was 24/25 she went to East End, Newcastle where she worked for 3 years at the fashionable shop called Hustlers. Then she started her own sewing business where she hired (Illie George – she married Jack Quickeden (who worked on the pits.) Dot’s sewing business was conducted on a balcony.
Alf Edden.

Dot’s job at school was to clean the kerosene lamps, trim the wicks for the street lamps. She went to church at Buchanan where Rev. Ritchie from Mt. Vincent came once a month. He would have lunch at her Granny’s on Sunday. She was the meeting place for many travellers. The church was built as far back as I can remember.
Clementine Armstrong, the Armstrong property, water storage and use
Jack Brooks lived on land which was a government grant – Brook’s Flat near Oakvale.
Old church at Buchanan, Went to church at Kurri, Rawson Street.
They got their water from a spring-fed dam.

15:30
Early picture shows –Galloway built it.
George Macleod
Pelaw Main was known as “the bag town” – houses were lined with hessian and paper. They were quite comfortable. They were made from bark and bags.

First school in Methodist church – Pelaw Main School
Went to Church of England in Kurri – Rawson St

20:50
The Donnybrook Races near Mulbring. Picnic Races were held here when she was a young girl.

24:03
At Kurri the water was connected in 1903. It was run into one or two taps at the back verandah and carried into the house.
Washing dishes was done on the kitchen table.
It was nearly the Depression time when the bath became a fixture.
As her business grew she had a place in Hunter Street. She could see the Depression coming. People were happier then.

The picture shows took away from family get-togethers. If you didn’t have money they didn’t stop you coming into the picture shows.
Pelaw Main brickworks
Location of brickworks
Tom Clark

34:25
Dot recalls Baker’s Brick Works – it went for many years. Albert Baker was the son who went to school with her.
Harry Cotterill.
Alec Galloway.
Photographic Store, Martin St.
W.H. Macdonald
Her Granny came to Buchanan from New Zealand.

40:18
When Granny was at Buchanan a young man ran away from a ship in Morpeth. Alfred Hope. He wouldn’t leave. She gave him a bed. She discovered he took fits. When he died and was buried at Mulbring. She wrote to his folk in England.
Bob Allen
Ms. Proctor (teacher, Kurri)
Ms. Elseworthy (teacher, Kurri)
Mr. Dobby (Headmaster)
Lewis' Hall

48:42 End (Tape 12/Side B) Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

SubjectButtai (N.S.W.) -- HistoryBuchanan (N.S.W.) -- HistoryAvison, Dorothy 1896-1994 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PersonJack Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorAvison, Dorothy 1896-1994Delaney, Jack, 1919-2010 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CollectionVoices of the HunterPlaceKurri Kurri, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created8th March 1983Location^[1]Buchanan, NSWIdentifier012B

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