Stories on the Tenants in our District

Below is a series of interviews undertaken for our community Newsletter on some of the residents who live in our complex. Each tenant had their picture taken at the conclusion of the interview.To view click on each story in the pannel on the right for April. To see the images in larger size click on the image and it will open in a new page. To go back to the story use the back button in your browser.

Mr Peter Sheen was born in Koroit, Victoria in 1955. He is the second of 7 siblings born into a large catholic family. Peter grew up on a dairy farm at Hopkins Point and was there for 18 years. Life was a struggle as the family where poor with little amenities but family life was full of love and warmth. Peter only went out to school and to church on Sundays. At school Peter was a made keen cricketer, a passion that has stayed with him all his life. He was an  opening batsman and his highest score was 134 not out,  a vivid memory still. He retired at age 49. Peter moved to Melbourne at 18 and worked for 10 years at Repco in the spare parts division. He did have extensive travels and prolonged stays in India and Europe during this time. At age 30 Peter decided to go to university and over a 10 year period obtained two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Social Studies. When 45 years old Peter realised a life long love of music and started playing guitar. Since moving to Ballarat with his partner two years ago Peter has furthered his interest and is in the process of starting a band here. His area of interest is folk blues.

Peter now works at PACT as the tenant participation officer here in Ballarat and the surrounding areas and assists tenants to form and utilize their facilities.

He and his partner enjoy living here in Ballarat. They like the old  architecture, the weather and the friendly people here. Peter has one child, a son, now 20 years old who is attending university.

Sister Connie Walsh was born in 1932 at Bolton, near Manangatang in the Mallee. She was the middle child of 11 siblings. Both her parents where of Irish decent and settled in the Manangatang area from the Wycheproof district. Her father first in 1915, he married in 1921. Connie attended school in Bolton just over the road from her home as did all her siblings. In 1945 Connie won a scholarship to Sacred Heart Collage in Ballarat where she boarded whilst completing her education. In 1949 she left  to become a student teacher in Manangatang. In 1951 Connie entered The Sisters of Mercy as a postulant. By 1956 Connie was professed as a Sister of Mercy. In 1956 Connie was sent to the western districts to teach and from then on moved round the Ballarat diocese teaching till retiring in 1993.She retired to Robinvale as a parish worker. In 2006 she moved to Sebastopol and became involved in the local church but “my heart is still in the Mallee” said Connie.  Connie has enjoyed her teaching  career but particularly enjoyed her stay at Wycheproof. In the early sisies the Vatican 2 paper was released and that meant for the first time sisters could attend family funerals, weddings and visit family in general. This was a big milestone in Connie's life as her parents died shortly after this.

Looking back on her life Connie enjoyed her trip overseas to Ireland on religious studies and the 2 months she spent at the Mother House for the sisters of Mercy as a volunteer. Sister Connie Walsh has been a good teacher all her life and still gets grateful comments from former students.

Post Script: Sister Connie Walsh has become ill in recent months (May 2011) and has recently move out from the units to a hostel. We wish her all the best.

Tess Fry from the Vale street units was born in Ballarat in 1921. She was the youngest of 3, her brothers Tom and Harry where in their twenties when Tess was born. Nonetheless Tess had a happy childhood with plenty of friends and a good collection of toys to play with. Tess and her parents lived in Darling street Redan. She started school at the Redan State School in 1927. At the completion of state school Tess went to the girls school for two  years. At 15 Tess left school and went to work at the Lucas factory for 3 years. She was not keen on the work as it was mostly hemming garments. Tess found work with a bank managers wife assisting with entertainment and the running of the house till the effects of the great depression caused the bank manager to make Tess redundant. She found work at a guest house but her mother took Tess out from there as Tess was being unfairly treated.

World War II was underway and Tess’s  farther had just died. Her mother died in 1964. On a whim Tess approached Craigs Royal Hotel on Lydiard street for work and was successful. They were long work days, she started a 7:30am and did not finish till 9pm or later. She was just 21 years old. She worked there for 42 years until her retirement aged 65 years. Tess never married and lived at Craigs until her retirement. She lived upstairs  beside the Centrelink Offices for 20 years after retirement before moving here to the Vale street units. She is a long time member of Senior Citizens Club and  loves the  activities they undertake. Tess enjoys living here at the units with the bus at her door.

Mr Ray Maher from the Vale Street units has lived here at the units for over twelve months now. Ray was born in Kyabram Victoria in February 1940. He is the first born of twin boys. He and his brother Alan where named by their father after he went outside and saw the street name, Alan and Ray was a ray of sunshine. Ray has an older brother and a sister. The family moved to Ballarat when Ray was 9 years old. Ray got married here in Ballarat at age 21 and had two children, Steven and Jenny. Ray now has 8 grandchildren, 5 boys and 3 girls. All the family lives here in Ballarat although Ray sees more of his son than the rest of the family.

Ray worked at the Ballarat Base Hospital for 22 years until he was made redundant at age 54. He enjoyed the job very much. After the redundancy Ray started  bus driving for special events like race meetings and concerts etc. He still makes the odd bus trip for special events and attended the Avoca races recently plus a concert in Melbourne.  He likes to stay occupied and keeps busy with his cars and particularly enjoys detailing his cars. Ray was married for 46 years but is now happily divorced. 

He was living in private accommodation near the Lake but found the cost prohibitive. Since moving to Vale street Ray has found life much easier to take and really enjoys the atmosphere here plus he has more disposable funds for living expenses. He finds it restrained and well organised and the neighbours  friendly.

Mrs Cynthia Dodson from the Vale Street units has lived here at the units for nearly 20 years. Cynthia started life as the youngest of four siblings in Nhill, Victoria in 1931. Her father died before she was born from a lung  disease. The family moved to nearby Kiata to live with the grandparents. When Cynthia was 3 they moved to Ballarat but her mother, who was struggling to manage, sent Cynthia to live with an aunty in Kiata for 6 months each year. She moved back to Ballarat permanently when she was 12 but her mother died a year later in 1945 and she was sent back to Kiata to live for 12 months before finally returning to Ballarat to live with her married sister and family. Cynthia found work as a refreshment worker on the railways until she was married at 18.

Cynthia had 6 children and continued to work to support her family for many years at the Myer Mill until she was retrenched when the mill closed. Tragedy struck her family in 1974 when her second son, Barry died suddenly from an infection in 4 days. In 1976 her eldest son John was killed at the Hines Lane railway crossing here in Ballarat. Cynthia has 2 sons living in Melbourne and 2 daughters  living in Ballarat. She has 9 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Cynthia has battled all her life with an inherited condition called Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome. It is a degenerative condition that causes Cynthia’s limbs, hands and feet to loose their function and the muscles to waste away. Mobility is very difficult now and Cynthia has constant  pain to cope with. Despite these burdens Cynthia continues to live at the units and retains the ability to smile and delights in company.

Mrs Joan De Carteret from the Spencer Street units, started life in an orphanage in Geelong when she was one week old in January 1952. She was placed there by her grandfather.  She spent the next 16 years there and whilst not the happiest place to live she was treated fairly by the nuns. At 16 Joan was sent to live at Marellac House Hostel in Brighton. She found a job in a factory and worked there for a while till she found work as an orderly at ST. Vincent's Hospital, a job that Joan enjoyed. Joan married in 1980, had 3 children and lived happily in Melbourne until her husband passed away from lung cancer in 2000. Joan wanted a fresh start so moved to Gippsland  later that year. The move was not as successful as Joan had hoped so at the urging of her son in Ballarat she applied to move here, arriving in September last year. Joan has two sons, a   daughter plus nine grandchildren though she only gets to see her son and his family living here in Ballarat.

Joan was able to trace her natural mother with the help of the Aboriginal Health Service and in 1991 met her mother, sister and brother along with stepfather at the Morwell  station.   Although Joan was  nervous the reunion was a happy event and Joan kept in touch with her family. Her mother died in 1995 and her sister died in 2007. She did manage to trace her father but he was not keen to meet so Joan has no contact with him.

Joan is enjoying the move to Ballarat and the extended opportunities Ballarat provides. Joan loves doing jigsaw puzzles and has a fine collection of completed works at her unit. She also likes to knit when the mood strikes her.

After completion of this story I did a project for the ABC Open local Ballarat area and Joan was the subject. The final video can be seen here. http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2010/09/21/3017882.htm?site=ballarat&section=open/change&date=(none)