Nita Doreen Partridge (27 Nov 1916 - 2 July 1981) and Harry William Hendrie (10 Jul 1916 - 18 May 2000)
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| Nita and Harry Hendrie in 1978 |
Let's start with Nita.
Nita Doreen Partridge was born on 27 November 1916 at Mayfair Street, Maylands, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia at the home of her Auntie Gwen to parents Lilla Mary Partridge (nee Debney) and Wilfrid Henry Partridge.
Nita's mother Lilla had come to the mainland from Brownlow Beach on Kangaroo Island where they lived, to stay with her sister, Gwen, till the new baby was born. She had left behind Nita's sisters and brothers Ione, Howard, Edith and Fred with father Wilf, short for Wilfrid.
Lilla and Gwen were very close sisters and Lilla had already named a child, her second, after Gwendoline. Sadly, this baby had died.
Nita was named from "Juanita" in a song that her father enjoyed and later sang to her.
Lilla and new born Nita headed back to Kangaroo Island soon after the birth. Older brother Howard often told the story that he could still see his Mother coming home through the side gate at Brownlow with Nita in her arm and Nita had "a pink face".
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| Nita Doreen Partridge in 1917 aged 10 months |
The house at Brownlow was still stands today, neat and renovated.
As happened in those days, it was often left to someone else to register the latest birth when they were going to the city and this was the case with Nita's birth. Herb Bail, the husband of Lilla's sister, Gwen, was given the task and set off later to the Registry Office. Herb was a practical joker and much loved in the family, but what he was about to do was not known for 60 years when Nita applied for a copy of her birth certificate so that she could be granted the Age Pension.
Herb Bail knew well that Lilla hated the name Ada, so he added that to Nita's name and she became registered as Ada Nita Doreen (Partridge). To us, she was just Nita Doreen. That her Uncle Herb had done this as a practical joke was the only explanation Nita could come up with when confronted with the facts. She was devastated because she knew that her Mother had a real aversion to the name (there were "Ada's" in her Mother's wider family from second marriages). Nita was even more distraught when told that she would have difficulty proving that she was the same person on legal forms, and so for the princely sum of $8 in 1976 - she had it altered by deed poll - and within the week too! In reality, "Ada" still shows on her birth certificate, but has an accompanying note to say it is officially removed!
When Nita was about 21 months, her youngest brother Phillip Haydn arrived, born at Brownlow on Sunday 4 August, 1918. Haydn was named in honour of his Uncle Phil, a musician and missionary on the west coast of South Australia and Haydn Davis, a childhood friend of Howard and Ione in Chico, California, USA.
1919-23 - Lives at Cheltenham
In 1919 when Nita was 3 years old, the family moved to the mainland to live at Cheltenham facing the railway line and across the rail-line was the Cheltenham Racecourse where they collected mushrooms with Grandma Mary Partridge (nee Strawbridge) who lived with them. Nita never knew her Grandfather Partridge, who died 3 years before her birth.
Ione was attending Woodville High School and had become firm friends with Daisy. She also studied music pianoforte and then taught piano to a variety of students.
Howard began high school at Adelaide Technical High School on North Terrace, Adelaide, and later attended Adelaide University (the only one then) with the help of money from a relative of his father, we believe. He went on to become an electrical engineer.
Extracts of Nita's memories:
"My earliest memories - Cheltenham 1919-23
Our house at Cheltenham faced the train line, and the other side of the line was Cheltenham Racecourse. Sometimes we would go across to the racecourse with Grandma Partridge looking for mushrooms.
No electricity - only kerosene lamps. No hot water bags - only a brick warmed in the oven and wrapped in material, put into the bed to warm our feet.
Sitting in my high chair beside Uncle Phil Partridge while he read, learning my head on his chest - just happy to stay there.
Being taken to the shops, seated on a seat across Haydn's pram, being sometimes made to get off and walk by older members of family, so Fred could have a ride!
Playing in the Lucerne on the block at the back of our house.
Lady-finger grapes on the trellis at Mrs Gericke's.
Going to Mavis Stidston's one day after Easter, when she and Lester showed me their large jars of pieces of their Easter eggs, and didn't even offer me a piece! We didn't have such luxuries, and I was very envious. No doubt I complained to Mother.
Having a ride in Lester's rocker.
Having family photo taken in front of our house.
Haydn and I wanting every time to go to Mrs Young's when Howard delivered her milk, only because she always gave us a fancy cake or a piece of fruit. Howard being ashamed of us, and not always being allowed to go.
The boys bringing home huge lumps of coal which had dropped off the trains going by, which were good for our fires. These were dropped so often that Father suspected a certain neighbor may have been having them dumped for his benefit by his workmates! Anyway, he didn't get them all, by any means.
The boys having to try and sells bundles of shallots from our garden to neighbours.
One hot evening playing with Fred and Cecil Bail at the front, I tripped on the garden border and fell onto a large brick step, breaking a blood vessel over my eye. Mother took me to Alberton by train to Dr Bollen to be "patched up", and after we returned, Fred got some icecream in our billy can and we all "celebrated" with icecream, a rare delicacy. Cecil had his shirt all spattered with blood from my cut when I fell!
Going to Mavis S's birthday party, and, instead of asking anyone to pass me something, I ate all the scones with hundreds and thousands which were in front of me and were very pretty. I was very young, about 3, and still remember enjoying them, also I remember Edith who was there, being disgusted! Mrs Stidston thought it amusing, and said "Let her go", but Edith was furious. After that party, I remember deciding that when I grew up I was going to be a cook and make lots and lots of lovely cakes!!
Reading "Tom and the Water Babies" aloud to Mother while she was working in the kitchen. She helped me with the long words, of course. I remember the grocer, Mr Tapp, being very surprised that I could read.
Ross and Keith Smith (aviators) landing at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Being isolated in the "parlour" with the measles. Playing on the window-sill with Mother's "hen and chicken" shells. In the evenings when Father came home he would come in to see me, and would sing "Juanita" to me. I really believed that song was written just for me!!
Juanita (E Flat)
Soft o'er the fountain,
Lingering falls the southern moon,
Far o'er the mountain
Breaks the day too soon!
In thy dark eye's splendor,
Where the warm-light loves to dwell
Weary looks, yet tender,
Speak their fond farewell!
CHORUS
Nita, Juanita,
Ask thy soul if we should part!
Nita, Juanita,
Lean thou on my heart.
When in thy dreaming,
Moons like these shall shine again;
And day-light beaming
Prove thy dreams are vain,
Wilt thou not, relenting,
For thine absent lover sigh,
In thy heart consenting
To a pray'r gone by?
CHORUS
Nita, Juanita,
Let me linger by thy side!
Nita, Juanita,
Be my own fair bride."
1923-1930 - Lives at Ascot Park (Zante Grove)
"March 1923 - Leaving Cheltenham to go to a 'new' house on Marion Road, Ascot Park. I remember being told by Father to get out of the way, when they were moving furniture out of the Cheltenham house, and feeling very upset about leaving my home. I got behind a door to keep out of the way, hugging my rag doll. After arriving at Ascot Park, I found my doll had been left behind at Cheltenham, and was more upset then ever. Of course, no one went back to get the doll!"
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| 9 January 1926 - Ascot Park - Left to Right - Fred, Haydn, Ione, Lois on Lilla's lap, Lilla, Edith, Nita, Wilfrid and Grandma Mary (nee Strawbridge) |
Nita was six and a half years old when the family moved from Cheltenham to Marion Road, Ascot Park.
"Ascot Park - 1923 - 1930 - There was excitement among the young ones on arriving at our "new" house, on Marion Road, Ascot Park (near where Parkholme Shopping Centre now stands - it is in fact in one corner of the property). The house was one of three in a 50 acre vineyard and orchard, owned by Mother's cousin, Frank Edwards, or "Uncle Frank", as we called him. Father was going to work in the vineyard and milk the cow. We had half the milk. Wonder of wonders - electric light!!! We had only had kerosene lamps before this. Of course, outside Father used the faithful kero lantern. We had three good-sized bedrooms, large dining room, kitchen and breakfast room. Also a verandah across the front, and an enclosed one at the back. The house stood well back from Marion Road, behind a solid stone wall with a fancy iron gate. Each side of the gate was a beautiful English lilac bush, which flowered profusely each spring - the perfume delightful. Then there was 6 or 8 orange trees, flower garden, and near the north front corner of house, a large peach tree, and on the south a shadehouse covered in dolichus and other creepers, which made a good playhouse. At the back, to the north, was the cow-shed, with several hay bales for feeding the cows when milked. Sometimes there were more than one. Many wild cats and kittens lived around. At the western end of the cow-shed was the fowl-run and behind there the "little house", a long way from the house! Then the cow yard and a large barn, where hay and chaff were stored, with a loft running the full length of this up above. This loft was our play space, where we loved to go, and we were allowed to WRITE on the walls here and we didn't have to keep it tidy. To reach the loft, we had to climb a division in the barn, dash across the stable, and quickly clamber up before the cow came to see who was there. The boys weren't afraid of her, but I was, and really had to be quick!
When we tired of playing in the loft, often the boys would hop out the window, climb down the sloping iron roof, slide down the drainpipe and race off somewhere else, maybe to climb trees, or play in the creek, and I always followed, so soon became a real tomboy! When we played in the creek, we always came home smelling of fennel, which grew wild there.
Saturday night - bath night! No bathroom, so water was heated on the wood stove in large kettles, saucepans or buckets, A big oval galvanized tub was brought into our bedroom for the bath routine, and when small Haydn and I were in it together, one each end, with Father scrubbing Haydn, and Mother seeing to me!
Mother doing the washing in tubs by hand with the help of a washboard, and with a copper in the backyard. It often took her the whole day to wash for so many of us, and she was really exhausted afterwards. I remember one day she washed Father's trousers with his pay in the pocket, and had the one pound notes pegged out on the line to dry - all three of them! (How would you like to keep a big family on that!). Somehow, with chooks and plenty of fresh milk, and a vegetable garden she managed to cope.
Sunday nights - Family hymn singing and prayers - a lovely memory, when we all gathered around the organ, and later, the piano, for singing together. Father, who had an excellent tenor voice, led us, and even the youngest joined in. Ione played for us. Then Father would read a passage from the Bible, or the older ones would take a turn to read, after which we'd all kneel for prayers, led by Father. Grandma Partridge [Mary Partridge (nee Strawbridge] would visit us at times and play hymns and other music, much our delight. One of Haydn and my favourites she played was "The Advance of Colin Campbell", and she used to play it so hard, that the piano would shake, and we would keep saying "Play harder, Grandma!!
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| Ascot Park - Top - Ione, Howard, Edith with Lois, Front - Nita and Haydn. |
Haydn was four and half when we came to Ascot Park and he slept in a cot. I had a cot with the end let down for my feet, as I'd outgrown it. Later, I was very lucky to have wooden based bed (homemade). As we were short of blankets, Mother had to manufacture covers - usually discarded coats etc, cut and pieced and covered with cretonne or shadow tissue, and they were a very good substitute.
Fred walked to Sturt to school, and used to tell us how they waded across the Sturt Creek to save going so far, and as the creek was very curly at this point, had to wade several times, and often leeches would cling to their legs.
Most travel then was done by horse drawn vehicles, and Father's Uncle Jim, who lived at Mount Malvern, Clarendon, regularly drove to our place with his horse and dray, loaded with wattle bark from the Partridge property. He would stay with us, and after breakfast next day, take his load into the tanners in King William Street. [Perhaps you could indicate somewhere on your Mother's notes that Uncle Jim used to take his load of wattle bark to the tannery at Hindmarsh; he never took his express wagon into King William Street - Uncle Howard]. He was quite fond of reciting, and used plenty of expression, but somehow never seemed to get "wound up" till after we younger ones were in bed, so we rarely heard him. I can remember sneaking out to listen sometimes. His favourite piece used to end each verse with - "Man may work from sun to sun, but woman's work is never done" (with much emphasis on "never").
When we had a new calf, I often had the job of giving it the milk from a bucket, and was always sad to see the calf go, especially if it was a "billy" calf, as I knew it would be killed for meat.
There were many tadpoles in the local creek and ditch, and I used to keep them in a jar of water - was most interested watch them change into frogs, but many times didn't take them out of the water, and they died, so I would bury them under the orange trees. I also would bury any dead birds I found and put flowers on their graves!!
Having much fun playing among the vines and almond trees - making chains with soursob flowers.
Soon after coming to Ascot Park, we started going to the little wood and iron Methodist Church in 5th Avenue, which then was many years old, and is still standing. Ione was the organist there for years, and, if the minister didn't arrive, perhaps due to bad weather, Father was usually ready to step into the pulpit and take the service. His Father had been a minister, and so he was well schooled in this.
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| Taken after 1926 - Top - Howard, Uncle Herb, Uncle Tom, Middle - Fred, Ione, Mother Lilla, Edith, Father Wilfrid, Front - Haydn, Grandma Mary Partridge (nee Strawbridge), Nita, Lois. |
We often had concerts and Father would sing solos. I clearly remember him singing "The Holy City", also "Off to Philadephia", and "Riding Down to Bangor". At times there would be community singing evenings, 3d entrance (if you could spare it), 1d for children. We enjoyed these very much.
My first Sunday School Anniversary [special annual concerts when all the children would assemble on raised, stepped platforms and sing to the congregation] - Edith had lent me her long string of pearls, as I had none. When we got to Sunday School, Mrs Easterbrooks took off my coat hastily, for me to go up on the platform, and Edith's pearls broke and flew all over the Church floor. Naturally, I was upset. Don't know if they were all recovered! Edith wasn't happy either!!!
Remember eating too many figs - and always too many mulberries! Eating a dessert spoonful of marmalade out of a jar of Mother's freshly made batch, when she wasn't looking, and getting a horrible shock to find it was bitter!
Nita attended Brighton School until the new one, Ascot Park School was opened in 1926. This was within a stone's throw of their house and it was here that Nita met her lifelong friend, Thelma Murray (later Sweeney) who, years later, was able to tell Doreen, Nita's daughter, all sorts of wonderful truths about the family, she having spent so much time amongst them, both at school and in their home.
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| Ascot Park Primary School - Grade 7? - Nita and Thelma - Nita has clip |
Nita probably began school there at about year 5 level. Thelma walked past Nita's home each day to reach the school. Nita and Thelma were friendly with Kath from early days too. Kath, a kind hearted girl from a poorer home nearby who, incidentally, also married a Hendrie. No close Hendrie family connection was ever established between the two. (Kath was sent to Kangaroo Island in later years to support Edith when her first baby arrived).
Most travel was done in those days by horse-drawn vehicles, and father Wilfrid's Uncle Jim, who lived at Mt Malvern, Clarendon, regulary drove to Nita's home to see the family with his horse and dray, loaded with wattle bark from the Partridge property at Mount Malvern. (This was later discovered to be at the current Mitchell Road, Mount Malvern, with the Partridge mine being on the north west hill away from the road where it takes a definite left hand turn).
Ione, meanwhile, much older and dominated by the strictness of her grandparents Partridge, particularly grandmother Mary (Wilf's mother) had become a governess at Eudunda and Broken Hill. She talked fondly of those times to Doreen, Nita's daughter, who still has some of her lesson texts. The Partridges were always keen English students, great spellers and wonderful poets. Ione also talked of Moolooloo Station. Doreen is not sure if this is the Moolooloo of today in the Flinders Ranges, or not.
Then in 1927 at Loxton, Grandma Mary Partridge, Wilf's mother, died. It was the 5th of October and so Nita was nearly 11. Grandma had been at the home of her son, Harold, Wilf's brother. She had been a colonist of 76 years apart from 5 in the USA.
Nita began high school at Unley High, doing very well in French. She was intelligent and always enjoyed learning but after three years needed to leave to find work as most students did unless they were expected to progress and become a teacher or such. Nita's friend, Thelma, who also attended Unley High, said Nita would have been a good teacher.
Nita became a Girl Guide and continued in the Trefoil Guild for many years as an "adult" Guide.
Collins Avenue, Edwardstown
At 14 years, in 1930, Nita and family had left 'the vineyard' at Ascot Park and moved to Lindsay Avenue, Woodlands Park (later Collins Avenue) into a house they could call their own. Lilla had some shares in Rapson Rubber left her from a distant relation (Stanley, son of her Grandfather Debney and his second wife Ellie. Stanley had been a surveyor with the Raub Mining Company which surveyed a gold mine on the Malay Peninsula). She had held onto these shares and they finally came good and so this money was put into buying the house.
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| "Monkira" - 6 Collins Avenue, Woodlands Park |
It was decided, maybe after the war, that the rail line from Adelaide which cut this street into two should have different names either side and so the section in which they lived was renamed Collins Avenue. The property at Number 6, was wide and ran to the back street, and Wilfrid was able to plant a variety of fruit trees and vegetables, and run fowls, making the family fairly self supportive. Fred and Howard actually owned the block next door at number 8 where Logan's later lived. This land was used by Wilfrid who put glasshouses on it, thus growing even better veggies. Wilfid also tended the land of a few widows during his years. He did this to follow the Bible teachings - "care for the widows amongst you". Later, of course, Nita and Harry built next door to Lilla and Wilf.
Lois related to Doreen, Joan and Bronwen in June 2002, that Ione tried to teach this youngest family member, Lois, how to play the piano. Lois was not the least impressed with the classical and religious stuff that Ione knew. She and Ione, so many years apart, didn't really get on very well, in fact, Lois said, they constantly argued. So Father allowed Lois to give up learning. Then Lois discovered jazz and loved it. She would sit at the table "playing" jazz. Father who was deaf could see her and said "If you really want to play again, then we'll get another piano". He searched second hand piano shops in the city (there were plenty) and he found one and Ione started to teach her again but Lois wanted jazz. Eventually it was decided after all the arguments to get rid of it. Lois came home one night off the train and could hear 'thump!', 'thump!" across the paddocks (no houses much then in the street). Haydn was breaking up the piano. He'd been told to smash it up and make a cupboard of it - which he did! Lois has said that Ione was a very good pianist.
Howard was smart, recalled Lois. He bought a wireless about 1.5 metres high and would squat in front of it every night and 'twiddle the knobs', always 'twiddling the knobs!'. Lilla missed Howard when he was interstate and they would correspond regularly. Lilla enjoyed Howard's sharp mind and they would exchange newspaper cuttings, poems and their witty ideas.
Ione, a gentle, devoted sister and daughter, learned comparatively late in life comptometry (early office machinery) and then worked in offices. She retired earlier than normal to care for her parents and Haydn. It was a sad fact to discover that she had a male companion whom she was not permitted to marry. Wilfrid was strict according to Thelma, Nita's good friend. Thelma lived just by the Ascot Park Station and spent many years as Nita's friend in and around the Partridge home. She related to Doreen in July 1985, that Ione used to walk home from the station at Ascot Park with a guy called "Russ?" and Wilfrid saw her one day and said "No go. You can't marry him - your place is looking after Mother".
And so she became a governess on Moolooloo Station in the north east of South Australia from 1939 onwards, it was felt by some to avoid the pressure at home. Wilf was glad to see Ione earning as a governess and took Howard aside for a serious talk one day at the side of the block to tell him he had no need of thoughts of marriage or such because he should work, maintain himself and help "keep the pot boiling at home".
Howard always felt that possibly Nita was a lucky one being a child in the middle of the pack, she was not "put upon" by the Grandparents.
Howard married later a Scottish dear that we knew as Auntie Chris who suffered chronically from rheumatoid arthritis. She would come to visit Howard's parents with him and take so long to alight from the car and shuffle into the house. Ultimately, she would remain in the car and some of the family would go out to see her. This condition caused her demise, but not before they had been to Scotland several times to visit her family. A disastrous second marriage for Howard years later was very short lived and "forgotten".
Nita's brother Haydn never married. He had a slight condition of epilepsy. He was a lovely, gentle man who became a close "Unca" to Nita's daughter Doreen and Nita's other children. He spent time as a carpenter, in his own shed or at Furness. He helped build three yachts and took to sailing with a thrill. He had travelled overseas with Howard.
When Edith had her first child, a son Charles on Kangaroo Island, she wanted Nita to go across and help her. Charles was the first of Lilla and Wilf's grandchildren and Edith needed some support. Lilla decided that Nita should remain at her training course and so her friend, Kath who never went to high school, and was often called upon, went across instead to stay with Edith. Kath remained there, helping, for quite a while. Edith and Charlie later had daughters Margaret and Anne.
Fred bought the first car. Haydn and he used to go for rides up to Mount Lofty obelisk on a really skinny road. They'd look outside the side car windows to see where they were going in the fog. Sometimes Lois was allowed to go with them and she'd jump onto the running board. When Fred started dating Beryl, Lois wasn't allowed to go anymore.
Fred married Beryl at a difficult time because of the war. He and Nita, close by age and in friendship from loving childhood, corresponded throughout the harsh time. Nita kept his war mail till she died. Fred and Beryl's daughter is Anne.
After Nita had left High School, she went to Charters Business College and then trained in ledger work, becoming a comptometriste at Eudunda Farmers, North Terrace, Adelaide.
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Now Harry.
Harry William Hendrie was born on the 10 July 1916 at his parents’ home at 1 Albert Street, Edwardstown, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia to parents George Hendrie and Jane Hendrie (nee Bain).
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| Harry on his mothers knee |
His two grandfathers gave him the name Harry William. He already had an older sister, Dulcie Gladys who was three. George and Jane, also known as Jinny, were to go on and have two more daughters, Ida Joyce and Margaret May.
At just one month old, Harry became a member of the Church Cradle Roll. At almost two years old, Joyce was born and the family would visit old grandfather Harry Robert who lived closer into the city and had tennis courts at the back of his home. Harry remembers visiting there when about three years old and the men who were playing on the courts called him “Jammy face”. A short time later this Grandfather died, young Harry too small to remember any details for himself. He did remember though, that the widow, known to the family as Mater, went to live in a “bedsitting flat” at 112 South Terrace, Adelaide where they must have visited at times because Harry remembered her offering him sixpence at times. He was not supposed to take it but presumes that he did. She was believed to have squandered all the Hendrie money.
Harry could recall as a “little fella” seeing his father George, come home with his wages in the form of handful of sovereigns - a little like our one dollar coin, he said.
At about 4 or 5 years old, Harry had to help his dad cut a hole in the boxthorn bushes and olive trees that became the entrance to their street from the Main South Road. He had to cart the greenery away on a little wooden wheelbarrow that George made for him. The hole was big enough for the meat-man’s horse and cart to go through.
At about 4 or 5 years old, Harry had to help his dad cut a hole in the boxthorn bushes and olive trees that became the entrance to their street from the Main South Road. He had to cart the greenery away on a little wooden wheelbarrow that George made for him. The hole was big enough for the meat-man’s horse and cart to go through.
George bought the Hendrie house from Mr Pyman, the builder, and paid him off at 10 shillings a week, then built a shed, a “dunny” down the back and a bird aviary.
At 6 years old, Harry began school at Edwardstown Primary, beginning in Miss Fewster’s class and said that he could read quite well after a while.
He would often relate ditties that he remembered from school days... such as...
Don’t ask questions
You’ll hear no lies
Don’t open your mouth
You’ll catch no flies.
Up until 6 or 8 in age, they used kerosene lamps, one in the centre of the table. For going to bed they used candles to see. But then electricity was connected. The electrician put little wooden boxes in the ceiling rafters and ran the wire through those. The wires were covered in rubber, not plastic. His mother always had a gas stove.
Then the deep drainage was put through. As the men dug the trenches for the drains, Harry and his mates would wander along and kick the dirt back onto the workers’ heads. They also had bets as to how many lights they could knock out with stones.
The family was fairly well self-sufficient, living on eggs, chooks, ducks and rabbits. Harry was allowed to pick mulberries, damson plums and sultanas from the neighbours’ trees. He also enjoyed fishing. He used a bent hairpin on string to fish with a bamboo handle attached.
He had to walk to Brighton, a distance of some miles, across the potholes and the wood paddock. On the way home he would cut wood and drag it home for firewood and for the stove.
Often he would relate the story of the “lopping off his tongue”. He would poke his tongue out at sister Joyce, and once after she had warned him, he faced her with tongue out stretched. She whipped the scissors out from behind her back and snipped the end off his tongue. “Did it bleed!” and “It hurt like blazes”.
Harry’s job was to chop the wood, then bring it inside and set the fire going in the wood stove before feeding the fowls. If the lucerne was not cut, the night before, then an early start the next day was the go. 20 or more ducks needed feeding as well. The wood came from the other side of Sellick’s Hill on a trolley.
His Grade 5 teacher always picked on him so he would be sent often to the Headmaster who became quite a good friend. Harry had no favourite subjects but he did enjoy an occasional fight at school - “they didn’t mean much”.
To make more money he would collect beer bottles and bones and sell them to the bottlo who travelled the district with his cart.
As a boy if he and his mates wanted to go to the Goodwood Cinema or the Speedway Royale, they would gather in sets of three and depend on “sparrow tickets”. One set of three boys would jump the fence and run. As the attendant was chasing them, the other sets would jump the fence as well or go in the side door.
Harry played in the school band in Grade 6. He played flute, drums (both kettle and bass) and was band master briefly. He and Joyce played a duet in the school concert one time, then he was in the “1000 Voices Choir” in the old Exhibition Building near the hospital on North Terrace in the city.
Father George, was the Secretary of the Edwardstown Institute from 1921 to 1949 inclusive and Harry’s job was to lug a box of books to the Edwardstown train station, then bring back another box for the Library which opened every Tuesday and Friday night. Harry was paid three pence for this each time. When George retired from this position, he was given a gold pocket watch which is held in the family still.
At school they could buy from the tuck shop across the road - pies and pasties for threepence each, rolls and sandwiches twopence, and Harry would ask for pickles as well which cost another penny. The lunches were laid out on a big table and the students walked along this table to find their lunch. If anyone “pinched” another’s food, they “would get a good hidin’.”
Harry helped the food supplies at home by picking the monkey nuts out of the pine seeds at Mr Manning’s house (with permission), the mulberries at Mrs Bromley’s and the Damson plums at Mrs Moody’s. He would fill a 44 gallon drum with the plums, then cart them home to his mother on a trolley that he made. Nanna would make jam of course. Then there were sultanas and plenty of fishing to be done. He collected beer bottles worth a half-penny each and bones for the bottlo who would give him 3 pence a 4 gallon kerosene tin. The rabbito, baker and ragman as well as the greengrocer all frequented the streets to sell their wares.
At school it cost a penny to go on the bus to the next school for woodwork lessons. Harry was always in trouble “Got the cane plenty of times”. The lady teachers used the ruler edge but the men had a proper cane about a metre long. Once the kids hid the cane inside the rolled map of Australia. He didn’t find it for a month.
He had worked from the age of 11 after school and Saturday mornings at a local bran and pollard shop where he had to weigh up the goods, get the orders, deliver the gear with a horse and trolley, then repeat the process. Once he broke his arm when the cart tipped. Dr Clayton fixed it with a wooden splint and tied it up. Mr Bottroff paid him 4 shillings a week and finally he was able to buy a Super Elliott Special racing bike, which, if he did not obey his father, would be put up in the rafters in the shed for a month.
When he was 14 his Grandmother Bain died and his Grandfather came to live with the family. He shared Harry’s bedroom.
At 14 he was playing football for Edwardstown and they would travel as far away as Reynella. To travel together, they would all hop on the back of a charabang. At Tapley’s Hill, a steep incline, the boys all hopped off and pushed it up the hill. Harry’s parents paid 6 pence to go on the charabang to watch the game.
At 14 he left school and being 1930 and the Great Depression making its mark, work was not to be found, so others things were done. He and his Uncle Jim dug out all the boxthorn bushes from the bottom of the yard, Harry and his mates devised a system to back the horses on No. 4., and he went apple picking at Forreston in the Adelaide Hills for a guy named Crowhurst. This man began Crowhurst Paints which became Solver Paints later.
Finally he began work at Julius Cohn’s in Torrensville, a factory where they made floor and shoe polish. He worked there until he was sacked on the spot for playing a joke on someone which backfired and spattered broken glass and polish all over the boss.
At 16 Harry taught himself to drive. His father, George, never did drive at all. Harry then had his licence at 16. They were available over the counter. “That’s how it was done in those days”. He later bought himself a Rugby car.
At this age, he was also in the Dramatic Club at the Edwardstown Methodist Church with Arthur Kronn. Harry had the leading role in “John Skinflint”, had a “real good encore. Not prompted once”. 55 years later he recited some of the lines to Doreen and his grand-daughter, Natalie. He was in a few other productions too, like “Hobs, Dobs and Knobs”.
It was whilst 16 that he first went looking for an apprenticeship. He began at John Laughton’s on North Terrace doing motor body building work. Mr John, the boss, had been a good friend of Harry Robert Hendrie. The apprenticeship was completed there and on the day Harry turned 21, he was given one hour’s notice and lost his job. He had started on 15 shillings and ended on 2 pounds 10 shillings. Depression days meant that it was cheaper to employ another apprentice. Whilst he had been working there, Harry met Reg Ansett who was about 27 years of age and announced that he would be making planes to travel commercially throughout Victoria. He had owned buses before that and they were made by Laughton’s.
When 17, Harry’s Grandfather Bain had died and was buried at Brighton with his wife.
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1933 - When Harry met Nita
Nita met Harry Hendrie at a dance in the RSL Hall (a square tin building in grounds of the Edwardstown Station) and continued a very proper courtship till she married him in 1940.
Jimmy Dodd fancied Nita. Jimmy Dodd lived near Nita across the railway line in Lindsay Avenue and also went to her Methodist Church in Fifth Avenue, Ascot Park.
He took his mate Harry Hendrie to look out for her one time as she came out of Church. The boys were squatting behind some bushes watching for her and this where Harry first "spotted" Nita.
His first opportunity to speak to her came at a "do" at the Edwardstown Church. It wasn't a dance as these were not allowed in Methodist Churches, but a games night. Harry had gone with Jimmy Dodd, and Nita with friends Thelma and Kath. It was about 1933.
Harry sighted up Nita's legs, liked the look of them and told Jimmy that he wanted to go out with her. Jimmy bet Harry a shilling that he couldn't get a "dance" with her. Jimmy was confident. Musical chairs was all the go. The music stopped and Harry took Nita's arm and asked if he could escort her to the station. He liked her in the red dress she was wearing. When they were supposed to exchange partners from then on, it didn't happen. She was keen, but was going home by train, so he accompanied her to the Edwardstown Station down a "dark street" (beside Bones Timber Merchants in 2008) and went with her on the train to Woodlands Park.
Bare in mind that Harry was virtually at his house because his home and this Church shared fences, but he travelled with her on the train to Woodlands Park where she was to alight and be met by her older brother, Fred, who would walk her home. He returned, unseen by Fred, to Edwardstown.
From then on, Harry and Nita would walk from Edwardstown to the Ascot Park Station, catch the train back to Woodlands Park where Fred would meet Nita, and Harry would either stay on the train back to Edwardstown or he would also alight, unnoticed and walk home from there.
She continued to meet him and after a while he was given the distinct impression that her mother, Lilla, did not like him. Her brothers watched out for her and knew what was going on.
So, having sensed that Lilla was "blocking the romance off” Harry, who wanted to take Nita to a dance in town, decided to confront the head of the house. ‘Where can I find your Father?” Nita was quick to tell him that he would be milking the cows at Edwards (cousins who let Wilfrid keep half the milk). Harry rode off to find him, and because Wilf was hard of hearing, Harry bellowed, “What objections do you have of me going out with your daughter?” He said there were none.
Lilla had told him that they had broken up. So Wilf had a yarn with his wife and after 2 years or so, Lilla “came around”.
He remembered vividly the first occasion when he was invited to share a meal with the family because when he sank his knife into a tomato, it squirted a stream of red juice right across the table into Fred’s eye.
This was Nita’s dearest brother, next oldest in the chain to herself, the one who she had “shadowed “ all her childhood and the one who she lost just a month before her own death. Harry looked up to see Fred’s piercing stare from across the table. Never daunted, Harry continued to court Nita and according to Thelma Sweeney, he was there just about every evening at 7.30pm at the Partridge home to visit Nita.
Harry, although a bit of a larrilkin, was an honourable admirer and never took advantage of Nita, so when one night Haydn, Nita’s young brother, arrived at the door at 1 Albert Street, Edwardstown and said breathlessly, “Mother wants to see you straight away”, Harry was quite puzzled. He hopped on the bike and took off to 6 Collins Avenue, Woodlands Park and asked a very angry Lilla what did she want. Nita was vomitting badly. Harry asked Lilla if she had rung the Doctor. “No, that’s your job!” she said. He didn’t know why, but he rang Dr Goode at Brighton who arrived very quickly and announced that Nita had a badly inflamed appendix. She was put in the car and taken to Brighton Hospital to operate. The appendix had burst at Sturt Creek. Harry looked at Gran who looked away. She had thought Nita was pregnant!
Harry called to see Lilla the next night on the way to the hospital. “I have a great deal of respect for your daughter: in fact one day I hope she will be my wife! - and I have not and will not interfere with her in any way!”
Nita was always upset that Lois, her youngest sister was allowed to go off on holiday with George, yet she herself was never given such freedom. Lois says that George had organized for them to go away and told Lois to tell her mother (Lilla). Lois couldn't get enough pluck up to tell her mother till the last day when she blurted it out as she left for work. Mother was left open-mouthed. Only after such stressful arguments etc. did Lilla say 'yes' as they were leaving. Lois married her George, went to live in Mount Gambier, had three children (Bronwen, Robin and Trevor).
Sometimes Nita would go on the "Karatta" to visit sister Edith married to Charlie Bell and settled in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island. On one occasion, Harry and his mate Bert Burnard went across to the island as well on the same boat as Nita and her friend Kath, and on the way back on the boat, it happened that older brother Howard was also on board. He saw Harry and Bert chatting up Nita and Kath and confronted Bert, thinking that it was he who was onto Nita. When Howard asked Bert what were his intentions with Nita, Bert said "What's it to you. Move off, or I'll feed you to the sharks!". When they arrived back at the mainland, Howard rushed home to his Mother and told her that Nita has been on board with his fellow! "Nita's going with a boy!"
Lilla was heard to say more than once in later years. "I don't know. These son-in-law's of mine. One's a drinker (George), one's a smoker (Charlie) and one swears too much (Harry)".
Engaged
In 1937 Harry and Nita became engaged. When the first birth date of Nita’s birthday came around after her death, Harry told Doreen that he thinks they were engaged on her 21st, “probably” 27.11.1937.
He said, “Mum was working at Eudunda Farmers and she went in the lunch hour with her friend, Florrie Rickard, to Claude Sarre’s Jewellers and selected, and fitted her choice of engagement ring. On the Friday night she took me in there and said “Hello, Mr Sarre, here I am”. He put the ring on her finger and I paid him 12 pounds 10 shillings. I put it on her finger to stay at 1 Albert Street, probably on her 21st.
Harry played footy for Edwardstown Football Club.
Things were getting pretty tough in the workforce. The world was unsettled and Harry, at 21, was turfed out of his job. He found another for a year or so, then with the Depression making things really tough, he began in 1938 a fruit and veg shop in Duthy Street, Unley where Nita worked every Saturday morning. Competition along the street made it unsuccessful. Harry tried anything he could to find work, but ultimately decided to go to Melbourne looking for employment. Living opposite the Hendrie family had been a couple called Jean and Wilf Wilkinson who were now living in Melbourne and Jean reckoned she could help Harry find work. Harry’s Mother, Jinny (Jane) was devastated that he was going so far away. Harry was her only son, a superb support for his parents, and she was afraid for him. But go he did in November 1938, and Jean’s friend gave Harry a job which he kept for ages. He boarded with a Miss Lilian Hockley at 44 Swan Street, Richmond (house no longer there). She would steam open Harry and Nita’s letters to read them. So it was then a romance with Nita from afar. He came home in 1939 for a break and finished up fighting huge fires at Meadows with Bert Burnard.
He had become a keen supporter and member of Melbourne Football Club.
Before they were married, Harry bought Nita a large framed picture of a ship. Doreen has this. For Christmas of 1939, he gave Nita a beautiful crystal lamp which she kept on the dressing table for the rest of her life. It cost Harry 12 pounds from Dunkley’s in Swanston or Elizabeth Street in Melbourne and he “carted it all the way home from Melbourne to Nita’s place”.
War had erupted. Harry had approached every force to join up but after being declared fit and ready by each area of the Forces, he was proclaimed a “reserved occupation” person because he had what was called a “Boilermaker’s Certificate”. He had earned his "Boilermaker's Ticket" at Adelaide Motor Metal Company. This meant that he had the skills to work in the factories creating artillery and other implements needed in the field. He designed some sort of an oven used by our army during the war. The Australian Defence Forces Services had sent him a letter to say he was exempt from all military services. Needless to say, he became very bitter over the years for being restrained from the call-up and suffered much indignity from people who believed that he was a cad or a cheat for not enrolling. People would point a white feather at you to say “Coward”. Nita was, of course, thrilled that he didn’t have to go to battle.
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| This is a photo of Nita's diamond engagement ring. It is not as it was when she first married - remodeled some time later. |
The accident
As told to Doreen, Harry's daughter on 21 July 1991.
I was working in Melbourne, Victoria at Kenworth Rubber Mills in Lennox Street, Richmond (originally Stirling Rubber Mills, Shelley Street, West Richmond ??) . I was Foreman of the Boiler house (rubber products), and was in charge of preparing the liquid to fix rubber tyres. It had to be strained, then residue was taken outside where it was thrown onto the ground, dried and finally burnt. This day, I was carrying residue past a door where the boiler was kept and the boy who worked in this room threw a “clinker” of lighted coke across the room towards the door as I passed by. My hands caught alight immediately as the residue was flammable. The clothing on my chest was also on fire. I ran outside to high grass and rolled in it to put out fire on my clothes. My hands were still alight so I ran back in and thrust my hands into a barrel of French chalk powder. Then Shirley (“Plonko”) the office girl, who saw me run in, rang Mr Reedy, the local chemist and he came with ether to put on my hands. They took me to St Vincent’s Hospital, just out of Melbourne (in plenty of pain). I had no-one over there in Victoria to give consent to operate to amputate my hands. The left hand was the worst. Dr Hadley, a woman, wanted to operate. I don’t know how long I was there, probably 2 days or so, and I wasn’t about to have my hands chopped off, so I got off the bed and grabbed a bottle of dope (medicine) that was on the table beside me and I “knicked orf” from the hospital. There was a silver topped taxi outside and I told the bloke to take me to the factory.
Nita married Harry Hendrie
The wedding went ahead.
On 23 March 1940, Nita married Harry William Hendrie at Edwardstown Methodist Church, South Road, Edwardstown. Nita was 23.
Edwardstown Methodist Church, South Road, Edwardstown at 3 p.m.by Rev. James C.Richmond. Harry was listed as a motor body builder and Nita as a comptometriste. Attendants were Wally and Joyce Fagg (Joyce was Harry’s sister). No reception was held. Harry was too ill. Besides it was war time and things were done in very limited fashion.
The war was still on when the wedding time approached - a marriage to be solemnised on March 23, 1940 at the Edwardstown Methodist Church on South Road, Edwardstown, just diagonally behind Harry’s home in Albert St. Doreen and siblings attended here for years in later times. But disaster struck.
(He said this was about 6 days before the wedding) .
I was in a hospital gown. At the factory, I asked the bloke to go and get Shirley. She took me back to where I was boarding in Swan Street with Mrs Hockley and got me bathed and dressed, bandaged my hands, packed my gear and took me to Spencer Street Station where she put me on the train so I came home to Nanna (his mother). I was in agony coming home in the train. There was a fellow on the train sitting nearby (he lived at Brighton, South Australia) and I told him to keep giving me a swig of this bottle of dope when I stirred - I drank it all. Noone knew anything about the accident until I met Dad and Nita at the Adelaide Station. I guess Shirley must have rung them - I don’t know how else they would have been there. Dad had to carry the cases. When I got home to Albert Street, Mum, Marg and Joyce all fed me this medicine while trying to get hold of the Doctor. Charlie Bell (Nita’s sister Edith’s husband) took Nita to the pub to give her some brandies but she would only drink soda water. They got old Dr Cyril Downing to come because they couldn’t find young Bob. I ran out of medicine at home and Dad went to the Chemist, where Burge’s was (slightly south of Maid of Aukland Hotel, Edwardstown), but then it was Miss Quincy’s shop and she refused to make any more solution without a prescription. So he went to the Doctor’s on the corner of South Road and the Bay Road (Anzac Highway) and Downing came and put me out. I dunno what he gimme - an injection. I was screaming for a needle. He could have put it in with a pick-axe! It would’na worried me. Gawd help us!
The Doc told Dad to give him a ring when I woke up. I was out for 3 hours. When Dad rang Doc Downing he said, “He can’t be awake. I gave him enough morphia to last all day!” He came anyway and said I was used to the drug after drinking all that stuff from the bottle so his shot hadn’t had the effect. When I came to next, I’d got over the pain - was the third day. I was groggy but told the Doc I was getting married tomorrow and when Dad confirmed it, Downing laughed, then put some oily stuff on my hands and wound them up as you see in my wedding photo. Downing had come again on the Saturday morning, bandaged me up and gave me an injection. Downing was a pilot - we called him the “Flying Doctor” - he did loop-the-loops. Ken some-one was the poor lad who threw the gear. And so I married your Mother at the end of that week.”
Harry’s hands peeled and bled for ages. Finally glycerine soap helped. His hands always bled easily after that.
Nita wore a below the knee length dress with long sleeves and a matching coat with cuffed half sleeves. Both dress and coat had diagonal pintucking on them, the pintucks were on the whole of the lapels down the length of the coat front and on the dress they met in a V at the centre front seam. The dress had some vertical pleating in groups of 3 pleats that ran from a seam around the skirt about 30 cms up from the hem. A bulky roulette rose of the same material was attached to the right shoulder. A small posy of flowers and a single horeshoe adorned her outfit and a wide brimmed hat sat jauntily atop her head. No hymns were allowed as Harry couldn’t cope and because he couldn’t sign the marriage register, the Minister signed for him in the presence of a Justice of the Peace. Only one photo was taken. They returned immediately to his parents’ home (across the back of the Church). He ate a little, tried to give a speech but said “Thank you”, then promptly fainted and was put back to bed.
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| The only wedding photo ever taken of Nita and Harry due to Harry's injuries. 1940 |
When Harry had sufficiently recovered, he moved back to Melbourne taking Nita with him in 1940. They lived in Binnie Street, Brighton, moving over time to another house in the street - these were number 32 and 36, so there were each time, next neighbours with the Morgan family who became wonderful friends. No. 32 was a weatherboard place owned by Dents of Bendigo. Harry loved the big verandah over the back. Number 36 was owned by Miss Stone and they paid 30 shillings a week to rent it.
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| 36 Binnie Street, Brighton when they lived there |
The Morgan sons (3) were all at war, so Harry did any tasks to help them in need and Nita had support from Mrs Morgan.
Harry built a dug-out with a trap door in the backyard of 32 Binnie Street. Nita had a cat called Bimbo.
On 28 January 1942, Harry and Nita had official portraits done in their wedding outfits (no hat) and were done by Raeburn at Easternwick.
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| Official portraits in 1942 |
On 5 June 1943, Leslie (Keith) Hendrie was born. This was during war time. His name was Leslie after Les Morgan, a son of the Morgans. They were living at No 36 Binnie Street, Brighton when he was born. His name "Keith" means wind.
Mrs Morgan was known as Mor-Mor, a name given to her by Keith who couldn't say her name.
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| Outside number 36 Binnie Street, Brighton - Jinny (Harry's mother), Jean and Harry |
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| Nita and Harry's Mother Jinny outside number 36. |
1944 - Move to 4 Collins Avenue, Ascot Park
Nita, Harry and Keith returned to Adelaide in 1944 and built a house on land next to Lilla.
This had been Lilla’s land and she allowed Harry and Nita to use it (and later purchase it) because to build a house at that time after the war was only possible if one had land. Harry had been offered work back in SA and Nita was keen to return “Home”.
Harry was working at Wiles. He also "fathered" young men like Edith's son, Charles, who came to stay with his Granny Lilla and Wilf whilst completing schooling here in Adelaide.
He was quick to go back to Edwardstown Football Club, but decided now to umpire instead of playing.
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| 4 Collins Avenue, Woodlands Park house that Nita and Harry built. Nita's parents lived next door on the chimney side. |
On 23 June 1946, Doreen Margaret Smith (nee Hendrie) is born. Harry borrowed “Stumpy” Sellar’s car to take Nita to Ashford Hospital when Doreen was born. She was almost born in the car. The nurse said Nita would have to walk to her bed!
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| 1947 - Nita with Doreen as a baby |
On 11 November 1948, Raymond Harry Hendrie is born at Mile End Private Hospital (maybe Lurline Street?). The family thrived, being involved in sport with South Adelaide Football Club, scouting at Ascot Park, Church Sunday School and school activities such as Gala days where Nita and Harry worked very hard to help raise funds.
Harold Hams who lived next door to Hendries in Albert Street, had an ice round. Harry thought this was a good idea. So in 1951, Harry left Wiles, created his own business delivering ice and wood, then Woodlands Wedding Cars which he had for six years. Before the wedding cars business, he opened a furniture shop on South Road at St Marys. He employed a chap and Nita would go sometimes to try and sell items. Doreen can remember going with her on the bus and sitting on the back step of the shop. Jumping over the furniture was not allowed! The business didn't pay and after about 12 months Harry hired an auctioneer to sell all - he just covered costs.
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| 1953 - Nita on a boat trip - River Murray on the "Merle" |
With all of those commitments Harry had to give up umpiring for the SA National Football League as a central and boundary umpire. Harry’s photo appeared in the Kangaroo island Courier in January 1955. He was umpiring Kangaroo Island and got in trouble because he shouldn't have been doing that without permission from Umpires Association. Keith is watching at fence.
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| Harry, umpiring in January 1955. |
He and Nita enjoyed two cruises on the River Murray, then opened a furniture shop to assist costs for the family but ultimately gave all that away to go and work at Chryslers. He was Foreman in the Small Machine Shop and continued there as it became Mitsubishi, ending his days as Inspector. He had been there just shy of 25 years and finished up to care for Nita who had serious heart disease.
He had worked for community in various ways such as helping build the local Scout hall, then run the dances to pay for it and would also assist his parents-in-law next door with tasks of a heavy nature and so on. He had also helped his parents, George and Jinny, move to 11 Price Street, Edwardstown in about 1957.
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| Harry and his sisters and mother |
On 7 February 1958, Heather (Joan) Lynch (nee Hendrie) is born.
Keith marries Margaret Rose Rushworth at Glenelg on 19 August 1964 and later had three children.
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| 1965 - On a holiday |
On 26 August 1967, their daughter Doreen marries Graham Rowlinson Smith at Black Forest Baptist Church, South Australia.
Son Ray marries Kerena Wright at Edwardstown on 26 October 1968.
Moves to 26 Carolyn Avenue, Morphett Vale
In 30 November 1969 they move to 26 Carolyn Avenue, Morphett Vale because the Government was due to create an overpass across their Collins Avenue home. This never eventuated but they are paid $12,856.31 for the property.
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| 26 Carolyn Avenue, Morphett Vale |
When he was 52 years of age, Jinny, Harry's mother died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Harry and Nita had been on a Pacific cruise, one of three they enjoyed, and came home to find Jinny ill. After this for some time, George lived with them in their home at Morphett Vale where they had relocated in the late 60s. George passed away in December 1971, having been the last months of his life in a nursing home in Hawthorn.
Nita suffered another heart attack in April 1975 and was in RAH.
On 30 October 1976 they see their youngest Joan, marry Robert Lynch in Adelaide at the Registry Office.
1976 saw them travel in a group to New Zealand to join in the Asian-Pacific Regional Convention of former Guides and Scouts.
Harry, who loved good china, bought another dinner set there.
Nita suffered another heart attack in April 1975 and was in RAH.
On 30 October 1976 they see their youngest Joan, marry Robert Lynch in Adelaide at the Registry Office.
1976 saw them travel in a group to New Zealand to join in the Asian-Pacific Regional Convention of former Guides and Scouts.
Harry, who loved good china, bought another dinner set there.
In October 1977, Nita started writing her memories. Doreen, her daughter, currently holds the book. It reads:
"The following are some of the memories we both have, either of our childhood, or later, during our marriage. Some are happy, some sad, some humorous, others quite serious. It seems that it may be of interest to put these on paper. Different readers will recall many of these incidents, having also been present at the time of their happening. May you all enjoy reading them. N."
Nita enjoyed learning crafts in CWA.
Harry was still working for Mitsubishi and continued till 11 February 1978 when he retired to care for Nita who was soon to undergo serious heart surgery. Not expected to survive this, she did and lived another three more years. Harry was given $1,000 known as a "golden handshake".
In 1 June 1978, Nita had a five times bypass heart operation.
3 months later, Nita was instructing groups in ribbon art and macramé at Chat 'N' Choose, a community program based in Morphett Vale, where over 200 would attend every Friday. Harry made hundreds of frames to support her pupils. Two craft shops wanted him to supply them.
"The following are some of the memories we both have, either of our childhood, or later, during our marriage. Some are happy, some sad, some humorous, others quite serious. It seems that it may be of interest to put these on paper. Different readers will recall many of these incidents, having also been present at the time of their happening. May you all enjoy reading them. N."
Nita enjoyed learning crafts in CWA.
Harry was still working for Mitsubishi and continued till 11 February 1978 when he retired to care for Nita who was soon to undergo serious heart surgery. Not expected to survive this, she did and lived another three more years. Harry was given $1,000 known as a "golden handshake".
In 1 June 1978, Nita had a five times bypass heart operation.
3 months later, Nita was instructing groups in ribbon art and macramé at Chat 'N' Choose, a community program based in Morphett Vale, where over 200 would attend every Friday. Harry made hundreds of frames to support her pupils. Two craft shops wanted him to supply them.
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| Mother's Day 1978. Just before Nita's heart operation. |
In 1980, Nita and Harry celebrated their Ruby Wedding Anniversary. The below photo has their grandchildren Warren and Natalie Smith and their daughter Doreen with Doreen's husband Graham.
On 2 July 1981, Nita died at 7.00am at Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Adelaide from a fatal heart attack. She died of her heart complications..
Nita was cremated and her ashes spread under the roses at Centennial Park.
Harry remarried to Hilda Duffy.
You must wear a collar and a tie
He would say
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| 1980 - Nita and Harry's Ruby Wedding Anniversary |
On 2 July 1981, Nita died at 7.00am at Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Adelaide from a fatal heart attack. She died of her heart complications..
Nita was cremated and her ashes spread under the roses at Centennial Park.
Harry remarried to Hilda Duffy.
When Harry was admitted to care in January 2000, at The Vales, Morphett Vale, he sang a song to Doreen one day when she visited - she had never heard him sing this before - he told her it was from Kindergarten (Church)
You must wear a collar and a tie
Or you won’t go to Heaven when you die
All our sins were washed away
Jesus cleans them every day
You’re a happy lot of juniors, yes you are He died in May 2000. For Harry, as his father before him , the two most important things in life were family and home. He provided well for his family, loving them all, and kept his home well maintained till the end.He would say
Life is mostly froth and bubble
Two things stand like stone
Kindness in another’s trouble
And courage in your own.
Harry was transferred to the Care Home at Christies Beach on Gulfview Road where he died on 18 May 2000 after a serious stroke.
OTHER NITA FACTS
Other Medical Facts: Had five bypass heart operation. Heart disease.
Right handed
Great cake maker, decorator and home cook
Good at leather work, macramé and crochet
Excellent scholar in geography and French
Decorated cakes
Served on committees - school and church
Nita had Diphtheria
Lacked acid in system so for years needed 1 teaspoon of acid to cordial with meal
Bunions.
Extract from Nita Hendrie's memories - "Told me by my Mother and Father, Lilla (Debney) and Wilfrid Partridge
Reported in the Advertiser 28/2/1860 (Tuesday)
"On Sunday 26 February 1860, in a boating accident off Glenelg, several people drowned after their boat capsized, caused by too much weight on one side, and the people not moving across when they should. My great-grandma and her daughter were drowned, in spite of efforts by her son, Frederick Debney, aged about 10, to save them. He had kept his mother floating, clinging to an oar for half an hour, when she fainted and was lost. They had been drifting shorewards. Great Grandpa (George Robert Debney 1817-1897) had his hair turn white overnight as a result of the shock. Sometime later he married the children's governess, Ellie, who wrote "Poems by Ellie". She later died in childbirth. Prior to her death, Grandpa Frederick D. aged 14 left home, following a heated argument with his father, ran away to sea as a cabin boy. When he returned years later, he was a Master Mariner. (His certificate of this are now in the possession of his cousin, Ron Debney of West Beach). Captain Debney was reputedly much like by the boys at various ports, as he would toss coins into the water for them. Grandma (Emily Harriet Stanford) and Grandpa Debney were married 18/8/1875, and lived at Point Morrison, KI. Grandpa 1891 helped some people who were shipwrecked off the Island, and as a result had pneumonia, after his TB developed, and he died 16/9/1891, leaving a large family, his age at death being 41. Soon after this, Grandma, being unable to cope, had to send Uncle Alf and Aunt Rennie, the 2 very young ones, to "Monkira" station to their Aunt and Uncle. Uncle Fred, aged about 14, went away also to Queensland to station life, later to Arrabury Q. Grandma died November 1937. (In 1960, I was able to go to Point Morrison, KI, and see where my mother had spent her earliest years. This pleased me very much)."
OTHER HARRY FACTS
Harry would go “willying” - he did it all the time. You jumped onto the back of a moving horse and buggy or cart and hung loose onto the ground, dragging the feet . The driver would come to the door and report it to George.
Harry had an ice round before fridges became an item and until the ice was not required by many any more. He had several rounds at same time and Tilly would work one but when Harry chose to get out (because of Tilly) he sold the round to a guy he went to school with (? Brown).
He leased it for 12 months first at one penny a block? He also had a wood round and this meant driving to the SE to collect the wood . The ice and wood rounds became too big so he sold the wood round too.
Partner with Ray T............. When Tilly took off from his wife, he would still come round
He leased it for 12 months first at one penny a block? He also had a wood round and this meant driving to the SE to collect the wood . The ice and wood rounds became too big so he sold the wood round too.
Partner with Ray T............. When Tilly took off from his wife, he would still come round
and want to work on Saturdays but he had let dad down one day, so Harry didn’t call on him any more.
Instead he called on Roly Gillespie (Pam Churchett’s brother) to help him and when they needed an extra car, Murray Churchett would help out.
He didn’t go into partnership with Roly but when he wanted to sell the business, Harry sold it to Roly.
Harry suffered from rosacea in later life (skin blood vessel disorder) on his forehead.
Can be genetic?
Harry’s Dad had a prize rooster. Harry threw a stone at it , broke its leg and rushed to hide it in the outside dunny. George said he would wait outside for Harry to come out - and he did! George had enormous patience.
Harry had to chop wood. It came as a “cord’ of woo (about a ton) in 6 foot lengths. He had to cut it into 1 foot lengths. He had to light fire in stove, feed fowls.
Operations - in 1 year (69-72?) he had
*haemmoroids, St Andrews, Sth Tce - Dr Downing
* leg varicose veinfixed , Ashford Hosp - Mark Shepherd
*cartilege - Wakefield St a surgeon who played League for Norwood
Nita and Harry went 3 x on the “Merle” on the R. Murray
and Pacific cruises ‘Arcadia”
“Oriana” next year
“Orcades”
then “Murray Explorer” from Renmark
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