I looked around at my fellow students sitting with pens at the ready to tackle the next exam. We were in St. Mary’s hall in Geelong. Of course I knew all the Geelong High Year 12s – we called it Form 6 in those days. The remainder was dozens of private school girls and boys, all strangers to me. In those days, High School students sat external exams in their final year while private schoolers had to sit externally for years 10, 11 and 12. One girl in a Morongo uniform stood out. She was tallish with a long black plait almost to her waist.
The next March I went to live at University Women’s college to start my science degree. The year went by and, before I knew it, I was back ready to start my second year. When the ‘freshers’ came along, here among them was the same girl from Morongo, still with her long plait. I recognised her straight away even though I had no idea of her name. It turned out to be Olive and Olive and I became quite good friends. I finished my degree a year before her but I was aware that she had become a Presbyterian deaconess after she finished hers.
Twenty years went by which included, for us, several moves. Now, with four children in tow, we were to move to Tallangatta where Don had a position at the local high school. We had sold our Cobram house so drove over in the September holidays to buy something in our new town. Not a house to buy anywhere! ‘They all sell at the funeral,’ the real estate agent told us.
But the Methodists in Tallangatta had recently joined forces with the Presbyterians so the Methodist parsonage just might be available. We found out where the Presbyterian manse was so we could enquire about the situation. We rang the doorbell and the minister’s wife answered – and yes, it was Olive! She had married a minister with a pilot’s licence and they had spent some time in the north of Western Australia when John was a frontier services chaplain. They had four girls, just a little younger than our children.
We didn’t find a house to buy and rented a school house for ten years before one became available. But we did find a friend to spend two or three years with before they moved on.
Forty years on and I moved to Benalla. One day I was sitting in church and someone a sat down beside me. I knew that face! Olive is hoping to sell her Melbourne home and come to Benalla to live. One of her daughters lives nearby and it turns out that Olive grew up on a farm at Badaginnie. We’re looking forward to resuming our friendship.
Carmyl Winkler
April 2022
The next March I went to live at University Women’s college to start my science degree. The year went by and, before I knew it, I was back ready to start my second year. When the ‘freshers’ came along, here among them was the same girl from Morongo, still with her long plait. I recognised her straight away even though I had no idea of her name. It turned out to be Olive and Olive and I became quite good friends. I finished my degree a year before her but I was aware that she had become a Presbyterian deaconess after she finished hers.
Twenty years went by which included, for us, several moves. Now, with four children in tow, we were to move to Tallangatta where Don had a position at the local high school. We had sold our Cobram house so drove over in the September holidays to buy something in our new town. Not a house to buy anywhere! ‘They all sell at the funeral,’ the real estate agent told us.
But the Methodists in Tallangatta had recently joined forces with the Presbyterians so the Methodist parsonage just might be available. We found out where the Presbyterian manse was so we could enquire about the situation. We rang the doorbell and the minister’s wife answered – and yes, it was Olive! She had married a minister with a pilot’s licence and they had spent some time in the north of Western Australia when John was a frontier services chaplain. They had four girls, just a little younger than our children.
We didn’t find a house to buy and rented a school house for ten years before one became available. But we did find a friend to spend two or three years with before they moved on.
Forty years on and I moved to Benalla. One day I was sitting in church and someone a sat down beside me. I knew that face! Olive is hoping to sell her Melbourne home and come to Benalla to live. One of her daughters lives nearby and it turns out that Olive grew up on a farm at Badaginnie. We’re looking forward to resuming our friendship.
Carmyl Winkler
April 2022
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