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80 Years young
Celebrating Irene’s 80th Click here
Celebrating Irene’s 80th Click here
When our Island was smaller
Irene Bould (nee Haylock)
We asked Irene to write about her early days. She was reluctant at first but we convinced her that her story is part of the Islands history.
This is her part of the Island :
My family lived at Gravelly Point when I was born, the youngest of five children.
My older brothers and sisters were lucky enough to attend the Raymond Island School to which they were able to walk each day.
Unfortunately the school closed in 1934, two years before I started school and my brother Dan and my sister Doris had to attend Paynesville school, my eldest sister Edith and brother Fred having already left at the age of fourteen.
DThey used to drive the horse and cart to the ferry where they left the cart under the leaning gum which is still on the corner of Seventh Parade and Fourth Avenue.
Our horse ‘Kate’ was left in the Klemtz’s two acre paddock opposite the current ferry park.
One day they rode to the ferry on our pretty stock pony called ‘Biddy’.
Our horse ‘Kate’ was left in the Klemtz’s two acre paddock opposite the current ferry park.
One day they rode to the ferry on our pretty stock pony called ‘Biddy’.
When they were late arriving home late afternoon, my father decided to go to meet them.
He found them walking slowly and looking very unhappy carrying the bridle and saddle.
“What’s wrong?” asked my father.
“Biddy’s dead” they both sobbed, “She just lay down and wouldn’t get up!”.
“Well who’s that following you?” my father Fred Snr replied.
There was Biddy slowly walking several yards behind them down the track which is now known as Centre Road.
It appeared she had a touch of colic and must have recovered after she had a roll in the sand.
My own memories of going to school are of the cold hard frosty mornings which made the bracken fern look like white sugar-coated lace sparkling in the early morning sun; warming our our cold hands one morning by the fire in the ferryman’s
He found them walking slowly and looking very unhappy carrying the bridle and saddle.
“What’s wrong?” asked my father.
“Biddy’s dead” they both sobbed, “She just lay down and wouldn’t get up!”.
“Well who’s that following you?” my father Fred Snr replied.
There was Biddy slowly walking several yards behind them down the track which is now known as Centre Road.
It appeared she had a touch of colic and must have recovered after she had a roll in the sand.
My own memories of going to school are of the cold hard frosty mornings which made the bracken fern look like white sugar-coated lace sparkling in the early morning sun; warming our our cold hands one morning by the fire in the ferryman’s
cottage, where Ron Maskiell now lives, when the ferryman Ernie Klemtz took pity on us; the windy days when being very small, I could see only the ferryman’s head and shoulders above the waves as he rowed the ferry boat to Paynesville (it always seemed to blow in the afternoon); later when we rode bikes we didn’t mind the tail-wind home and I just loved the wet days when we stayed home!
One morning when I had a flat tyre I left just as ‘Advance Australia Fair’ was playing on the radio - it was the theme for the ABC news and our dog always howled when he heard it.
That meant I only had about fifteen minutes to get to the ferry to catch the school bus to the Bairnsdale High School.
I pedalled like mad and managed to make it as Ernie Howard the bus driver waited when they saw me arrive at the ferry.t
That meant I only had about fifteen minutes to get to the ferry to catch the school bus to the Bairnsdale High School.
I pedalled like mad and managed to make it as Ernie Howard the bus driver waited when they saw me arrive at the ferry.t
Early in 1945 due to my father’s illness, and being the only child left at home, we moved to live in the township and I could walk to the ferry in five minutes.
The wooden punt which had been mainly used to ferry horse-drawn vehicles or to take cattle to market by truck only began to be used more frequently after World War 2 and the Island became the holiday resort for visitors from the Maffra and Sale area.
The wooden punt which had been mainly used to ferry horse-drawn vehicles or to take cattle to market by truck only began to be used more frequently after World War 2 and the Island became the holiday resort for visitors from the Maffra and Sale area.
My School Days
“In 1936 I started school at Paynesville State School and for the next 8 years had grammar, spelling and arithmetic and reading thoroughly drummed into me by Mr Doug Brown for one year and Mr Leo Dineen for the next seven years.
The school consisted of only two rooms, the building having been built in 1915.
“In 1936 I started school at Paynesville State School and for the next 8 years had grammar, spelling and arithmetic and reading thoroughly drummed into me by Mr Doug Brown for one year and Mr Leo Dineen for the next seven years.
The school consisted of only two rooms, the building having been built in 1915.
The entire school consisted of 36 pupils all being taught in the same room.
Sporting equipment consisted of only one bat and one ball used for cricket by the boys or rounders by the girls or the occasional football which was frequently flat.
So there was great competition to see who would get the equipment first at playtime.
We also played other games like kick the tin and tip the fingers or played on the swing near the oak tree.
We had a sewing mistress for five half days a week, the first one being Miss May Fleischer, followed by Mary Quirk who filled in while I was in grade 1, until Miss Dulcie Stanway was appointed.
When war broke out in 1939 we learnt to knit hot water bottle covers for the Red Cross and graduated to socks for the soldiers when we were in grade 8.
During the war years we collected tooth-paste tubes and old clothing which was stored in bags in the girls’ shelter shed and took up a lot of room before being taken to another depot.
The school committee members dug a zigzag air raid trench about ten yards on the eastern side of oak tree near the school’s main entrance.
The trench was designed to provide shelter for all the pupils and staff and was about 4 feet deep and 3 feet wide.
For an air raid drill, Mr Dineen would blow a whistle at any time without warning and we knew to file out in an orderly fashion with little ones first to shelter in the trench. He would then blow the whistle to signal an all-clear.
I remember being huddled down watching red-back spiders crawling along the sides of the trench waiting for them to come near enough to be squashed. Fortunately that was the only danger we encountered for the duration of the war.
Sporting equipment consisted of only one bat and one ball used for cricket by the boys or rounders by the girls or the occasional football which was frequently flat.
So there was great competition to see who would get the equipment first at playtime.
We also played other games like kick the tin and tip the fingers or played on the swing near the oak tree.
We had a sewing mistress for five half days a week, the first one being Miss May Fleischer, followed by Mary Quirk who filled in while I was in grade 1, until Miss Dulcie Stanway was appointed.
When war broke out in 1939 we learnt to knit hot water bottle covers for the Red Cross and graduated to socks for the soldiers when we were in grade 8.
During the war years we collected tooth-paste tubes and old clothing which was stored in bags in the girls’ shelter shed and took up a lot of room before being taken to another depot.
The school committee members dug a zigzag air raid trench about ten yards on the eastern side of oak tree near the school’s main entrance.
The trench was designed to provide shelter for all the pupils and staff and was about 4 feet deep and 3 feet wide.
For an air raid drill, Mr Dineen would blow a whistle at any time without warning and we knew to file out in an orderly fashion with little ones first to shelter in the trench. He would then blow the whistle to signal an all-clear.
I remember being huddled down watching red-back spiders crawling along the sides of the trench waiting for them to come near enough to be squashed. Fortunately that was the only danger we encountered for the duration of the war.
The only other occasion was when one of the RAAF planes from Bairnsdale Aerodrome was having engine problems and passed over the school crashing nearby at Mcleod’s Morass killing all crew on board.
When I was 14, I joined the Volunteer Air Observers Corp at Paynesville and went with my friend Pearl Smith every Sunday afternoon to the spotting tower on the hill opposite the old school site in Newlands Drive.
The Paynesville VAOC was the first Volunteer Air Observer Corp group in Australia.
When I was 14, I joined the Volunteer Air Observers Corp at Paynesville and went with my friend Pearl Smith every Sunday afternoon to the spotting tower on the hill opposite the old school site in Newlands Drive.
The Paynesville VAOC was the first Volunteer Air Observer Corp group in Australia.
We lived on a farm at Gravelly Point on the Island and every night we could see the search lights at Bairnsdale Aerodrome trying to pin point a bomber and a small fighter plane practising over the area.
During the day the Fairy Battles would fly over our farm towing a long target behind them for smaller fighter planes to practice firing and our cattle dog, Nip used to race off barking madly to try and head them off.
The RAAF provide a rescue team and boat at Paynesville during the war, with the locals referring to the boat as a “crash boat”. Some RAAF crew were stationed at Swansea House, now the Ferry Cafe.
During the day the Fairy Battles would fly over our farm towing a long target behind them for smaller fighter planes to practice firing and our cattle dog, Nip used to race off barking madly to try and head them off.
The RAAF provide a rescue team and boat at Paynesville during the war, with the locals referring to the boat as a “crash boat”. Some RAAF crew were stationed at Swansea House, now the Ferry Cafe.
By this time I was attending the Bairnsdale High School in Dalmahoy Street, travelling from Paynesville together with the Bairnsdale Technical School students on a little square bus painted lime green half way up and white on the top. We called it the ice-block on wheels because it resembled the ice-blocks sold by our local sweet shop (not called a milk bar in those days).
One day while we travelling past the cemetery I was knitting when one of the young lads grabbed the ball of wool and threw it out of the window. By the time we got Ernie Howard,
One day while we travelling past the cemetery I was knitting when one of the young lads grabbed the ball of wool and threw it out of the window. By the time we got Ernie Howard,
the bus driver to stop, we had gone a fair way and the boy was made to go back and wind up the wool. And we were late as usual as the old bus frequently broke down.
On another occasion, we ran out of fuel on the Corner of Paynesville at Waterview Road as it is now known. We all had to wait and Jeff Stanway and I offered to walk to Jeff’s Aunty’s place on the hill to ring the bus lines to ask someone to bring out more fuel. While we were there dear old Mrs Lett gave us each a cup of tea and toast which was very much appreciated as it was a freezing frosty morning. When we returned to the bus we didn’t have very long to wait before the fuel arrived.
“We usually carry extra fuel” said the driver of the second vehicle as he handed over the can of fuel. He then walked around the back of the bus undid a catch to undo a small locker revealing a small can of spare fuel! Of course we were late to school again!
In August 1945, the Principal Mr Gibbs called a full assembly to announce that the Second World War was over and that we could all go home immediately and have the next day off to celebrate.
On the way home we decorated the bus with wattle collected from the river bank arriving at Swansea House cheering loudly and interrupting Mr Gilsenan’s address to the small crowd of locals in the street.
Later in the afternoon many locals helped build a large bonfire on the foreshore (near the current Esplanade boat ramp) and that night we all gathered to hear Mr Gilsenan to address us once again before lighting the bonfire. War was finally over!
On another occasion, we ran out of fuel on the Corner of Paynesville at Waterview Road as it is now known. We all had to wait and Jeff Stanway and I offered to walk to Jeff’s Aunty’s place on the hill to ring the bus lines to ask someone to bring out more fuel. While we were there dear old Mrs Lett gave us each a cup of tea and toast which was very much appreciated as it was a freezing frosty morning. When we returned to the bus we didn’t have very long to wait before the fuel arrived.
“We usually carry extra fuel” said the driver of the second vehicle as he handed over the can of fuel. He then walked around the back of the bus undid a catch to undo a small locker revealing a small can of spare fuel! Of course we were late to school again!
In August 1945, the Principal Mr Gibbs called a full assembly to announce that the Second World War was over and that we could all go home immediately and have the next day off to celebrate.
On the way home we decorated the bus with wattle collected from the river bank arriving at Swansea House cheering loudly and interrupting Mr Gilsenan’s address to the small crowd of locals in the street.
Later in the afternoon many locals helped build a large bonfire on the foreshore (near the current Esplanade boat ramp) and that night we all gathered to hear Mr Gilsenan to address us once again before lighting the bonfire. War was finally over!
In 1946 I completed my secondary education and went on to be a student teacher at Lucknow, then appointed to Combienbar as temporary head teacher in 1948 and trained at Melbourne Teachers College in 1949.
I later went on to teach at Poowong, Sandy Creek, Kiewa Valley Consolidated School, Hazelwood North and returned to teach at Paynesville until retirement in 1989
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Irene's 80th Birthday Click here
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Enjoy Andrew's photos. Over the years he has build up a reputation of being
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(In answer to questions ,Andrew uses a Olympus E300 DSLR)