General News
8 August, 2025
GOOD MEMORIES: Times of long ago with Brian Lennen
The latest storytelling and recollection with Maryborough's own Brian Lennen.
On a cold autumn morning three lads were sitting on a fence watching as a truck loaded with firewood pulled up opposite.
A man with a mop of black curly hair and a pair of well-worn overalls alighted from the truck and rolled a cigarette in a casual way.
He sat on the dashboard of the truck and with hands cuffed, lit his smoke.
Although he ignored us we were aware that we had caught his eye.
After a short while he sidled across the road towards us.
He acknowledge us and then said “Do you wanna earn a few bob?”
He offered us three shillings to deliver the firewood into Mrs Lill’s wood shed.
I’ve agreed and after a hours solid work we completed the task.
Mrs Lill came out and paid him ten shillings, a profit of seven shillings without lifting a finger
Anyway as I recall our lesson in fiscal matters I am reminded of the way things were.
Deliveries were a way of life for most people. Apart from firewood and briquettes we had the milman delivering milk in bottles, the baker with his hot loaves (Benny the baker’s especially).
The fruiter (and sometimes SP), the butcher and the ice man were regulars.
Often a circus would set up in a vacant paddock and we were attracted to the sideshows.
At night the lions could be heard roaring although they spent all day sleeping.
Those that didn’t have their goods delivered would visit the individual producers.
Everyone had their favourites. Remember, there were no supermarkets.
If you sit and watch the hordes coming and going from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA and their variety of produce, you wondered how they catered.
Many of the condiments on the shelves today were produced in the home.
With produce from their backyards and the addition of salt and sugar and few spices, jams, jellies, tomato and plum sauce, chutneys, relishes, pickles and preserved fruit were in abundance.
As the popular became more diverse yoghurt and ginger plants became very popular.
It’s hard to imagine that the family gathered around their radio to listen in hushed silence to the “Mercury Theatre” or “Dad and Dave”.
Early television was both limited in quantity and quality but was viewed in awe.
The picture was dominated by static.
Those unable to afford a set took advantage of electrical shops that had a set operating in their windows.
Large crowds of people brought their seating and a thermos to watch the television in the street.
Country viewers were particularly at a disadvantage.
Turgenevs and Malones had large antennaes to try and pick up the TAV.
Auntie Pat was one of the first to buy a television even though she couldn’t afford it.
She didn’t fear “hire purchase”. Pat’s penchant for her favourite “I Love Lucy” wasn’t shared by the rest of the family.
In many ways the bumbling and chaotic Lucy was stereotypical of my aunt. Lill and Flo, Pat’s two best friends, supported her taste in television.
Apart from the vegetable garden and fruit trees the backyard featured a wood shed where logs were split and kindling splintered.
The incinerator burnt freely pouring layers of pollution into the air.
On Saturday night if Pat or Jim or Uncle Tom had found a winner with the starting price bookie, a visit to Lou’s chinese restaurant for a pot of barbecued pork and noodles was on the menu.
Tea was the most popular hot drink. Only one coffee shop in Carlton was available.
A popular drink in those times was coffee and chicory served with condensed milk.
Betsy the dog was an important part of the family and occupied pride of place in front of the fire on cold nights.
Mischa the cat was equally as privileged.
Auntie May had a conversant parrot to make up the trio.
Budgerigars, canaries and pigeons which resided in the eaves and lofts of buildings and grazed on the street were common.
Many discovered that rabbits are prolific breeders. Johnno’s sister was given a female rabbit as a pet. It was with kittens within a year, they interbred, and she had dozens of kittens. Rabbits in particular have a short gestation period.
Skipping ropes were an inexpensive and efficient form of exercise.
Individual ropes and long ropes were popular. They have been revived in many schools and the skills of the skippers are remarkable.
Yoyos were recurrent although they don’t seem to have returned to popularity. Spinning tops have suffered the same drop in popularity.
Games involving no equipment were “hidey and touchy”, “tiggy touch wood” meant you were “he!”.
Adults in particular were occupied with darts, hookey and quoits.
Footpaths were outlined with chalked hopscotch ladders.
It was an era when people always found time to stop and talk.
Although we had few possess they were happy times.