‘My (Fortunate, Dangerous, Nomadic and Varied!) Life’
A number of words could fill this spot and describe my life, including fortunate, dangerous, nomadic and varied!
My (Fortunate) Life
I consider myself to be very fortunate in having had a very loving family. We had little money but were rich in the things that mattered, such as love and care.
I am also fortunate in never having been unemployed or homeless, never having to claim benefits. My life has been interesting.
My (Dangerous) Life
As a child in the UK, I was in the ocean and was knocked over by a huge wave. I nearly drowned. Strangers pulled me to safety.
During my school years in WA, I had a holiday job at the local stables and got to ride the horses. One year we were taking horses along the road from stables to paddock when some kids lit jumping jacks which hit my horse. He panicked and bolted, right up the middle of the highway heading straight for an oncoming truck. I held up my hands and yelled for it to stop. Crazy but it worked, when it hit me, my outstretched arms caused me to be pushed to the side where the driver found me lying in the mud with two broken wrists.
Even a trip to the local Drive In wasn’t without its dramas. We were watching a movie called The Towering Inferno. Part way through we were feeling a bit warm. Then suddenly EVACUATE NOW came up on the screen and police directed us out through the bottom gate to safety. A huge bushfire was heading straight for the drive in.
I was in a bank which was held up by armed men, gun pointing at me. I obeyed the thieves and survived.
I was a passenger in a car which was T Boned by a drunk driver. After they cut me out, I was taken to hospital, relatively unscathed, for treatment.
In London I was sitting at a railway station talking to an elderly lady who was knitting. She boarded her train and as it left, I realized she had left her bag on the seat. I went to grab it but stopped and froze. I ran to the station master who evacuated the station and called the bomb squad to disarm the device she had left.
Even on the ship home I couldn’t stay out of trouble, between Africa and Australia we got hit by a small cyclone. Lucky it didn’t do any more than make us all seasick!
More recently I have survived three bouts of cancer. These are just the highlights, or should I say low lights, of my life.
My (Nomadic) Life
I have never lived anywhere longer than nine years.
As Dad was badly affected by his experiences in the war, he needed to work outside so got farm work in the UK. A cottage was a part of his wages.
We moved around several farms before the big adventure, we came to Australia to start a new life. We started in the South-West of W.A. in a small mill town, then moved to a nearby regional town. Then up to the hills area North of Perth.
Then, after a brief period in the city my family settled in Mandurah, a coastal town South of Perth. They settled I didn’t.
I had left school and was working, so I moved to the big city. I boarded, I shared flats; I got live in jobs; I moved a lot.
I headed off on a cruise back to the UK to reunite with family. In the UK I lived with one Aunt, then another, then a rooming house whilst I worked and travelled.
Another cruise and I was home in Australia again.
I joined the RAAF which meant, once again, I was off and moving. I lived in all states of Australia, some multiple times and somewhere along the line, got married and moved out of on base rooms to a house.
Even after leaving the RAAF, we just kept moving following new opportunities until settling here in Benalla (for now!!!!!).
My (Varied) Life –
Upon leaving school I got a job as a vet nurse and worked in a racing stable too.
In the UK on my working holiday, I packed seeds in a garden Centre, sold ice cream at the beach, then cosmetics for a wholesale distributor.
My cousin said they need women in the Police force. I laughed saying “No way, I’m just here on a working visa”. He said, “You were born here, they’ll take you”. It was a 10-pound bet, I lost and ended up in the London metropolitan police.
I got homesick and returned to W.A. My sister and I shared a flat, she applied to go into nursing and me into the RAAF. Of course, it was Police and security division.
After the RAAF I got into stock control and reception.
Then went back to Uni and studied for a career in HR and OH&S, which I did until retirement.
Since retiring I have worked in Tourism, Welfare, secretarial and op shops.
Heather Hartland
October 2022
A number of words could fill this spot and describe my life, including fortunate, dangerous, nomadic and varied!
My (Fortunate) Life
I consider myself to be very fortunate in having had a very loving family. We had little money but were rich in the things that mattered, such as love and care.
I am also fortunate in never having been unemployed or homeless, never having to claim benefits. My life has been interesting.
My (Dangerous) Life
As a child in the UK, I was in the ocean and was knocked over by a huge wave. I nearly drowned. Strangers pulled me to safety.
During my school years in WA, I had a holiday job at the local stables and got to ride the horses. One year we were taking horses along the road from stables to paddock when some kids lit jumping jacks which hit my horse. He panicked and bolted, right up the middle of the highway heading straight for an oncoming truck. I held up my hands and yelled for it to stop. Crazy but it worked, when it hit me, my outstretched arms caused me to be pushed to the side where the driver found me lying in the mud with two broken wrists.
Even a trip to the local Drive In wasn’t without its dramas. We were watching a movie called The Towering Inferno. Part way through we were feeling a bit warm. Then suddenly EVACUATE NOW came up on the screen and police directed us out through the bottom gate to safety. A huge bushfire was heading straight for the drive in.
I was in a bank which was held up by armed men, gun pointing at me. I obeyed the thieves and survived.
I was a passenger in a car which was T Boned by a drunk driver. After they cut me out, I was taken to hospital, relatively unscathed, for treatment.
In London I was sitting at a railway station talking to an elderly lady who was knitting. She boarded her train and as it left, I realized she had left her bag on the seat. I went to grab it but stopped and froze. I ran to the station master who evacuated the station and called the bomb squad to disarm the device she had left.
Even on the ship home I couldn’t stay out of trouble, between Africa and Australia we got hit by a small cyclone. Lucky it didn’t do any more than make us all seasick!
More recently I have survived three bouts of cancer. These are just the highlights, or should I say low lights, of my life.
My (Nomadic) Life
I have never lived anywhere longer than nine years.
As Dad was badly affected by his experiences in the war, he needed to work outside so got farm work in the UK. A cottage was a part of his wages.
We moved around several farms before the big adventure, we came to Australia to start a new life. We started in the South-West of W.A. in a small mill town, then moved to a nearby regional town. Then up to the hills area North of Perth.
Then, after a brief period in the city my family settled in Mandurah, a coastal town South of Perth. They settled I didn’t.
I had left school and was working, so I moved to the big city. I boarded, I shared flats; I got live in jobs; I moved a lot.
I headed off on a cruise back to the UK to reunite with family. In the UK I lived with one Aunt, then another, then a rooming house whilst I worked and travelled.
Another cruise and I was home in Australia again.
I joined the RAAF which meant, once again, I was off and moving. I lived in all states of Australia, some multiple times and somewhere along the line, got married and moved out of on base rooms to a house.
Even after leaving the RAAF, we just kept moving following new opportunities until settling here in Benalla (for now!!!!!).
My (Varied) Life –
Upon leaving school I got a job as a vet nurse and worked in a racing stable too.
In the UK on my working holiday, I packed seeds in a garden Centre, sold ice cream at the beach, then cosmetics for a wholesale distributor.
My cousin said they need women in the Police force. I laughed saying “No way, I’m just here on a working visa”. He said, “You were born here, they’ll take you”. It was a 10-pound bet, I lost and ended up in the London metropolitan police.
I got homesick and returned to W.A. My sister and I shared a flat, she applied to go into nursing and me into the RAAF. Of course, it was Police and security division.
After the RAAF I got into stock control and reception.
Then went back to Uni and studied for a career in HR and OH&S, which I did until retirement.
Since retiring I have worked in Tourism, Welfare, secretarial and op shops.
Heather Hartland
October 2022
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