Around 1989/1990 I met two friends, Gill and Joan, who shared a flat in Camberwell. At that time my husband and I were living up in the hills near Warburton. We often met in a Camberwell coffee lounge where we had made friends with the owners. Gill was a civilian cataloger in Victoria Barracks, St Kilda Road where I had worked whilst in the RAAF, so we had something in common. Both Gill and Joan loved cats, as I do, so another link assisted the friendship. I was working in Richmond with a haberdashery wholesaler. The three of us became firm friends, visiting each other, getting together for events, and so on.
My husband and I moved around a lot, but eventually we ended up in a house in East Burwood. Joan and Gill had moved into a house a few streets away. The friendship was getting stronger. Then life got in the way. Gill met Andrew, married and moved to Maryborough. Joan also left that house and at about the same time Paul and I purchased a house in Sunbury. We kept in contact with Gill, but lost contact with Joan.
The years rolled on and I changed jobs. I now worked in an office tower in Bourke Street. The fire evacuation alarm went off. My two work colleagues and I went down the fire stairs to the meeting point, got our names checked off, then sneaked into a nearby coffee lounge to grab some morning tea. While waiting for our order, in walked Joan. Wow, what a surprise. She had left the trams, met and married hubby Phil and was now living in Maribyrnong. She too had changed jobs. We exchanged phone numbers before leaving. It had been almost 10 years, I think.
A few weeks later, Joan and Phil met Paul and I and we all got on really well. It was the start of a long and wonderful friendship. Our two husbands shared a hobby. They both loved model trains, joined a club in Sunbury and had boys’ days out. Joan and I were both into crafts, so we would head up to Bendigo Woollen Mills, Maldon Quilting Shop and more for a girl’s day out.
As neither of us had children and family were far away, we would get together at Christmas and dine at a lovely pub in Maldon, or at each other’s houses. We spent many happy hours together. Joan at this time worked at RMH, so she and I would meet for breakfast in Melbourne, often shopping at the Victoria markets before heading to work. Paul worked in Heidelberg and Phil at the airport, so they weren’t able to join us.
Joan and I are still friends and now both live here in Benalla. We’ve had our ups and downs, helped each other through bad times and celebrated the good. Our friendship remains strong. Hopefully it will continue for some years yet.
Heather Hartland
May 2022
My husband and I moved around a lot, but eventually we ended up in a house in East Burwood. Joan and Gill had moved into a house a few streets away. The friendship was getting stronger. Then life got in the way. Gill met Andrew, married and moved to Maryborough. Joan also left that house and at about the same time Paul and I purchased a house in Sunbury. We kept in contact with Gill, but lost contact with Joan.
The years rolled on and I changed jobs. I now worked in an office tower in Bourke Street. The fire evacuation alarm went off. My two work colleagues and I went down the fire stairs to the meeting point, got our names checked off, then sneaked into a nearby coffee lounge to grab some morning tea. While waiting for our order, in walked Joan. Wow, what a surprise. She had left the trams, met and married hubby Phil and was now living in Maribyrnong. She too had changed jobs. We exchanged phone numbers before leaving. It had been almost 10 years, I think.
A few weeks later, Joan and Phil met Paul and I and we all got on really well. It was the start of a long and wonderful friendship. Our two husbands shared a hobby. They both loved model trains, joined a club in Sunbury and had boys’ days out. Joan and I were both into crafts, so we would head up to Bendigo Woollen Mills, Maldon Quilting Shop and more for a girl’s day out.
As neither of us had children and family were far away, we would get together at Christmas and dine at a lovely pub in Maldon, or at each other’s houses. We spent many happy hours together. Joan at this time worked at RMH, so she and I would meet for breakfast in Melbourne, often shopping at the Victoria markets before heading to work. Paul worked in Heidelberg and Phil at the airport, so they weren’t able to join us.
Joan and I are still friends and now both live here in Benalla. We’ve had our ups and downs, helped each other through bad times and celebrated the good. Our friendship remains strong. Hopefully it will continue for some years yet.
Heather Hartland
May 2022
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