NOW AND THEN or The Wonders of Blogging

Last year I wrote a post on 'My Story' series about where I lived when I went to Teachers' College in Sydney. You can read it here. Due to the wonders of blogging, I have an interesting story to tell.
Some months ago I received an email from a guy I didn't know and I almost deleted it until I saw the first sentence where he said he had found a post on my blog with a photo of the property that he had purchased. So I went on to read his letter. He explained that he is searching for the history of the house and stories of the previous owners and he asked me if I had any stories about the house and the time that I lived there. There were four bedrooms upstairs and they were rented out to two girls in each. The owners/landlords lived down stairs.
I replied to his email and told him how it was when I lived there. He was very friendly. He said that I was welcome to visit the house when I was next in Sydney. So guess what? I was in Sydney last week and took him up on his offer. My daughter and Bill came too.

This is the photo of my digs in 1963. My friend, Val, and I shared the top right room.

This is the house today with the owners cars. It  was quite an eerie feeling walking up those stairs 52 years since the last time that I did it.The owner was very kind and offered to show us around the house so I could tell him how it used to be because he wants to make changes and try to take it back to how it was when it was first built back in c1910. It is Arts and Crafts Federation architecture. It has returned to being a family home and is no longer converted into bedsits. 

 This was the beautiful view of the Sydney Harbour/Port Jackson from our room in 1963. It is in Middle Head Rd, Mosman. 

The view from our old bedroom today. Isn't it amazing how trees can be beautiful and shady but also they can block the fabulous view of the harbour. The room now is a lovely big bedroom with an ensuite.  We had to share the big bathroom which was next door with all the other girls. It has now been modified into two bathrooms, an ensuite and a bathroom for the other bedrooms.

I took pics of inside this beautiful house but I don't want to publish them here and invade their privacy any more. However, there are some beautiful photos of the inside here on the real estate site from when it was sold for $7.5m.

The owner chatting to Carol about how he wants to change the roof back to slate tiles and paint the woodwork white. Carol being and interior designer/architect was interested.

I found this an exciting visit to my old digs and was so impressed with the kindness of the owner and the house itself. There were quite a few changes. The carport didn't exist. There was a garage at the back entrance from a lane. It is still there. The back yard has been landscaped beautifully with a swimming pool and outside living area. The kitchen is huge with a family room next to it. When we were there that area was divided into kitchenette cubicles for each pair of girls. You can see it all on the real estate site above.

NEW DIGS AND FLAT MATE

In January 1963 I was starting my second year at ASOPA (Australian School of Pacific Administration) where I was studying to be a teacher for the Territory of Papua/New Guinea. I had shared a flat with my brother and SIL during 1962 but they were returning to TPNG in1963 so I needed to find new digs and a new flat mate. My friend Val, who I met at ASOPA, was also needing a new place. However, she had returned home to Broken Hill for Christmas and the end of year break so I went hunting for a place for us to live close to ASOPA.

I found this lovely old house which had been converted into 5 flats inside for 10 girls. It was a girls only place. The landlord and his wife lived downstairs. I shouldn't call them flats. We had one big room  with two beds and a dressing table and a small desk to share. We shared a bathroom and the kitchen downstairs was divided into 5 cubicles where we could cook and eat our meals. It sounds pretty awful when I describe it now but back then when young and first years away from home we rather enjoyed it. Luckily, Val and I got on well and we are still friends today even though she lives in South Australia. The big advantage was it was only a few bus stops away from ASOPA and it was a fairly easy walk too. Our room was upstairs on the right with the window open. Val is waving from the window.

This is the view we had of Sydney Harbour. The street was Middle Head Road, Mosman.

Sydney Cove and Circular Quay in 1963. The AMP building was the tallest tower then

Every Friday evening I would go home to Loftus a southern suburb of Sydney for the weekend. It took me two hours on public transport. I would stuff an overnight bag full of my dirty washing for the week, and squeeze in any books that I needed for assignments and catch a bus to the ferry station. Then it was a pleasant glide across the harbour to Circular Quay, where I would catch a train to Sutherland and either change trains for Loftus or ring my Dad to come and pick me up. No mobiles then. I would use a public telephone and hoped that it hadn't been vandalised. If I didn't have change I would yell down the ear piece and my Dad could hear me. Later I used a code of three rings and then Dad knew to come and get me. My darling Mum did my washing for me while I either studied or went out playing hockey, or having fun with my friends and going dancing with my Italian boyfriend.

 In hockey, we won the North Sydney B Grade competition.

 One weekend my brother and his family came to visit to say goodbye as they had to return to work in TPNG. I had one last cuddle of my little nephew Michael.

 I also got to meet Ann's other two children (from a previous marriage) Liz and David. Today, Michael lives in the Caribbean, David lives in Victoria, Aus. and Liz lives in England.

My brother, David, Ann and Michael returned to TPNG by ship. Liz and David lived with their father during school term and with David and Ann during school holidays.