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C-BERSS EX-PRESS
June 1999
Issue 2, Vol 2
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All Newsletters : June 1999 : A Pinch of Salt
A Pinch of Salt
The cleansing influence of the sea air, nutritional supplements through the tropics ... or to be taken with a grain ... the following article has been contributed to C-BERSS Express by Margaret Ryan formerly Margaret Dennis more commonly known as 'Miss'.
Most trips are planned, but this one just seemed to happen, and the memory lingers after so many years.
In the post-war years, I joined the exodus of young Australians on an overseas working holiday. Our base, England was often referred to as 'home' by older Australians in those days.
One day, at work, a fellow Australian asked me to accompany her to Australia House to inquire about bringing children to Australia. When she lost her voice, I ended up doing all the talking as well as filling out the forms.
The idea captured my imagination, momentarily at least, until I told my flat mates, who dryly asked how I would cope when children were seasick. The bubble burst instantaneously.
Fifteen months later, when I was actually trying to return, and considering the options - too expensive to fly; no dressy clothes for first class; no appeal for third class - I remembered Australia House and rang.
I was told that there was a possibility, with the proviso, "don't call us ... we'll call you!" I let two normal paying berths go, and waited patiently, because I felt it would happen. And so it did.
It was 3.00pm, under the clock at Waterloo Station in London. Ten little boys were standing, waiting to be handed over to two escorts who would accompany them on the long journey to Australia.
I still remember the emotions I felt on the train to Southampton, and wondered what thoughts and feelings the quiet little boys were experiencing.
Whatever emotions we all felt gave way to the excitement when we arrived and saw a big white liner and explored the two spactious 6-berth cabins, with bathrooms attached.
Then began our settling-in with the laying down of ground rules for safety. Two important rules no leaning over the railings on deck and no sticking your head out of the portholes both of which were enormously tempting to curious small boys, and both were broken from time to time during the journey.
Trying to make it a happy holiday, we decided to give the boys choices from the menu. Not a good idea, we discovered. Everyone wanted what the other boy had! The steward raised his eyes repeatedly. The one boy asked "When are the fish and chips coming?" Everyone from then on ordered the same, as close to fish and chips as possible and the steward and the children were happy.
Staff Commander told us to make sure the children were given salt when going through the tropics. The Steward's eyebrows were raised yet again, as meal after meal was rejected, because of a dousing of salt on it. So it was decided to put a little salt into the drinking water. If we forgot the children would call out "You forgot to the salt, Miss". Now the other passengers raised their eyebrows with audible "tut-tuts", as if we were doing something mean to the children.
It was a shock to my system to find that the boys awoke, and woke me, regularly at 5.00am each morning. The boys themselves offered the solution: "set us some sums".
True to their word, the cabin became a hive of early morning industry with young children working hard at the sums "Miss" had set them!
Lying still in bed one morning, I overheard one lad announce that he was going to marry "Miss" when he grew up. This was greeted with "I'm not! I'm going to marry Keyhole Kate." Consumed with curiosity, I had to find out about my rival. She turned out to be a comic strip character!
The notice read -- Children's Fancy Dress on Friday. How were we going to dress up ten young boys? With a lot of help from the crew, and a bit of inspiration stemming from some cannibalistic-style meal-times, the boys made a grand entrance.
The youngest child, five years old, was dressed in a sailor's cap and placed in a big pot covered with black crepe paper to resemble a cauldron, with red flames licking the sides. It was pulled into view on a trolley by the remaining nine boys, who were coated with cocoa paste and wearing grass skirts (made with straw used to keep the champagne cool) with earings in their noses and brandishing spears and batons. The caption read MISSION STEW. They won first prize, and each child received a gold pen and pencil. The mothers on board told us there was not a dry eye in the lounge, and sang our praises.
As we settled into a routine in the cabin, I used to leave the boys when they were going to sleep. One night after some fun and games, I hesitated at the door and gave the command, followed by:
Good night to you all
And sweet be your dreams.
May angels around you
Their silent watch keep.
This was greeted with: "Say it again, Miss! That was beautiful! Where did you learn it?" Without thinking I said "My mother used to say it to me each night". In the darkness, a small, unidentified voice said "What's it like to have a mother?"
Soon afterwards, when small pox was diagnosed on board, the Health Department banned the ship from berthing in the port of Fremantle.
That meant the boys due to disembark at Fremantle had to leave the ship in a launch, unaccompanied, to go into quarantine. Anne and I offered to pay our own fares to be allowed to go ashore with the boys, but our offer was refused.
It was heartbreaking for us to see them go off in this way, as we had become very attached to them over the time of the voyage.
The rules and regulations differed for each state. When we arrived in Melbourne, the wharfies agreed to unload the ship and finally it was allowed to berth.
I was told someone wanted to see me at Hold 4. Intrigued, I went down to find a distant relative who was working there. Over a cup of tea I told him about the children and their antics, and thought no more about it.
Next morning he was at my cabin door, holding a brown paper bag. He thrust it towards me saying, "I told the blokes in the pub about last night and they took the hat around. Here's £300 for the little fellows." As I gathered the parcel from the wharfies for the boys, to me, I felt it contained the great spirit of Australia for the underdog -- and I was glad and proud to be home.
Margaret Ryan
In 1999, Margaret Ryan (formerly Margaret Dennis) may bear some (small) testimony to the passage of time, but at this stage in her life she is more interested in retracing the steps of a very different passage -- half way across the globe and with a very huge responsibility resting on her young shoulders. It was a journey which brought with it consequences that, as a young woman seeking to make this passage as enjoyable as possible for her even younger charges, she could not possibly have envisaged at the time.
Forty-five years after Margaret, who was only ever known of as "Miss", set out from Southampton with 10 young child migrants, she is seeking to re-establish contact with the children who travelled with her, and nurse Anne, from England to Australia.
What happened to the young boys she took such care of on the journey from England to Australia? Have they married, had children, are they happy with their lives?
Margaret has already made contact with four of the 1954 Strathaird passengers. She is planning to come to Perth later in the year and would dearly love to contact the others. If your name is listed below and you would like to meet up with "Miss" Margaret again, or if you know of where the person listed below can be contacted, please contact us at C-BERS Services.
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Wanting
to Contact
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Contacted
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| Frank Kelly |
Michael Smith |
| Clifford Walsh |
Gabriel Morrow |
| John Flanigan |
David Barnard |
| Terry Smith |
David Quill |
| Eddie Brown |
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| Michael Simpson |
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