My English born uncle, Jimmy, ended up in the Australian army as a transport driver during the war. One of the famous Rats of Tobruk, he was very unhealthy. He was also very deaf and wore a huge hearing aid strapped around his torso, under his shirt, which didn’t seem to work very well. Jim was 'classified' as a T.P.I. (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated). He survived.
To make a living his wife Aunty Eileen, known for her great cooking, bought a café and milk bar business at Half Moon Bay which kept our family very busy. Of course that was not Jim's type of work. I guess these days he would be called a 'petrol head', so he procured work driving taxis for a while, working for Black Rock Taxis, meeting lots of local lads that drove taxis casually as a second job. Jim brought some of these lads home to visit with the family where many friends were made. They became drivers for him, and husbands of a few of the lasses they met through the cafe side of voluntary workers! Me included.
Eily was great fun to be with. Much laughter, love and concern for all family, near and far, emanated from her in her cafe kitchen. Everyone seemed to have fun whilst helping her out. Some called her The Queen of Black Rock!
Jim and Eily made the big decision to go into the taxi business themselves. I know money was scarce, however two cars were bought--I guess they raised finance somehow. A radio was set up on a desk, in the dining room, just off the kitchen door, so we kitchen workers could hear the radio at all times and answer accordingly. When there was a job for the taxis, anyone running around doing the work of the shop, passing by the radio to get things from the huge 'fridge, (also in a corner of the dining room) could inform the drivers of their latest jobs. It was a crazy, lovely, place. Lovely because of the people in it and because there was never a dull moment. That dining room was never used for meals, we didn't have time for that, when we did eat, it was on a corner of one of the kitchen work tables, but occasionally excess customers, waiting for a table in the cafe were put in there to wait until one was free.
Jimmy loved to 'do' weddings, but thought his unmatched cars were not grand enough for special occasions. Another big decision was made, to buy two brand new Ford Customlines. Big, black and beautiful, they were his pride and joy. When the cars were only a few days on the road, one of the drivers called on the radio that he had had an accident. Going down the Punt Rd hill, the brakes had failed and he almost ended up in the Yarra. Oh what a dreadful shock, mayhem, and, disappoint-ment. The car was damaged and the driver so upset because he knew how Jimmy felt about his new cars. Thankfully no one was hurt. I guess Mr Ford had a bit of explaining and fixing to do.
Soon the car was ready to 'do' weddings. Those cars were always cleaned and spot on, but on the days a wedding was booked in, they were given extra treatment, washed and dried with a shammy so no water marks remained and they were absolutely spotless. White wedding ribbons were tied onto the bonnet up to the top of the windscreen, those ribbons always signify a wedding. Flowers were put in the little vases beside the windows-- it all looked a treat.
Jimmy and the chosen driver of the second car, both clean and polished, dressed to the nines and with highly polished black shoes, gauntlets and a peak cap would go off to work, proud as Punch. The confetti in the cars afterwards, was never a worry, they just vacuumed it up.
I don't know how old the cars were in 1962, but Jimmy did the whole procedure for me when we were married. Yes, I married one of the boys he had met whilst working at Black Rock Taxis--he had become a much loved member of the family, the son Jim and Eily never had.
A few years ago, when visiting the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, I saw one of the trucks that was used in Tobruk. I 'd love to think our Uncle Jimmy once was the driver!
To make a living his wife Aunty Eileen, known for her great cooking, bought a café and milk bar business at Half Moon Bay which kept our family very busy. Of course that was not Jim's type of work. I guess these days he would be called a 'petrol head', so he procured work driving taxis for a while, working for Black Rock Taxis, meeting lots of local lads that drove taxis casually as a second job. Jim brought some of these lads home to visit with the family where many friends were made. They became drivers for him, and husbands of a few of the lasses they met through the cafe side of voluntary workers! Me included.
Eily was great fun to be with. Much laughter, love and concern for all family, near and far, emanated from her in her cafe kitchen. Everyone seemed to have fun whilst helping her out. Some called her The Queen of Black Rock!
Jim and Eily made the big decision to go into the taxi business themselves. I know money was scarce, however two cars were bought--I guess they raised finance somehow. A radio was set up on a desk, in the dining room, just off the kitchen door, so we kitchen workers could hear the radio at all times and answer accordingly. When there was a job for the taxis, anyone running around doing the work of the shop, passing by the radio to get things from the huge 'fridge, (also in a corner of the dining room) could inform the drivers of their latest jobs. It was a crazy, lovely, place. Lovely because of the people in it and because there was never a dull moment. That dining room was never used for meals, we didn't have time for that, when we did eat, it was on a corner of one of the kitchen work tables, but occasionally excess customers, waiting for a table in the cafe were put in there to wait until one was free.
Jimmy loved to 'do' weddings, but thought his unmatched cars were not grand enough for special occasions. Another big decision was made, to buy two brand new Ford Customlines. Big, black and beautiful, they were his pride and joy. When the cars were only a few days on the road, one of the drivers called on the radio that he had had an accident. Going down the Punt Rd hill, the brakes had failed and he almost ended up in the Yarra. Oh what a dreadful shock, mayhem, and, disappoint-ment. The car was damaged and the driver so upset because he knew how Jimmy felt about his new cars. Thankfully no one was hurt. I guess Mr Ford had a bit of explaining and fixing to do.
Soon the car was ready to 'do' weddings. Those cars were always cleaned and spot on, but on the days a wedding was booked in, they were given extra treatment, washed and dried with a shammy so no water marks remained and they were absolutely spotless. White wedding ribbons were tied onto the bonnet up to the top of the windscreen, those ribbons always signify a wedding. Flowers were put in the little vases beside the windows-- it all looked a treat.
Jimmy and the chosen driver of the second car, both clean and polished, dressed to the nines and with highly polished black shoes, gauntlets and a peak cap would go off to work, proud as Punch. The confetti in the cars afterwards, was never a worry, they just vacuumed it up.
I don't know how old the cars were in 1962, but Jimmy did the whole procedure for me when we were married. Yes, I married one of the boys he had met whilst working at Black Rock Taxis--he had become a much loved member of the family, the son Jim and Eily never had.
A few years ago, when visiting the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, I saw one of the trucks that was used in Tobruk. I 'd love to think our Uncle Jimmy once was the driver!