Gordon James North
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My life as a child in that period consisted of many activities: collecting birds eggs, all types, cigarette and tobacco packets, hundreds of different brands - because of the second world war many military personnel from overseas were here and smoking was common among The Forces. To celebrate Empire Day on the 24th May, most people built large bonfires, so for weeks on end we, the children in the area, dragged trees and bushes and on the afternoon of Empire night we built our bonfire. All the neighbours attended and many fireworks were lit. |
 Girraween Public School |
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While at school, I was in the Army Cadets and reached the rank of Staff Sargent. During the war years, a lot of families built air raid shelters. We built one down the backyard, about six feet deep. One rainy day, the shelter filled with water, Leslie fell in and I had to pull him out. |
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After school I had chores to do, like collecting twigs and chopping wood for the fuel stove. In the winter time, we all sat around the stove while mum tried to cook the evening meal. I left school at the age of sixteen and joined the Railways in 1947, following the tradition of my dad and grandfather. I started as an apprentice Coach Painter and Sign Writer, studied hard and in my fourth year gained The Commissioners Prize, the highest marks in my group. I became a tradesman and worked in all the workshops located in the Sydney area. More study and I passed the Foremanship examination. |
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Life away from the railway: I went dancing three nights a week, played tennis two or three nights, plus Saturday and Sunday. At the age of nineteen I stepped up from a push bike to a motor bike (a Triumph), had an odd spill or two and got booked from speeding twice in ten minutes, 50 mph and 55 mph. |
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It was at 'The Rivole', a dance hall in Parramatta, that I met Marjorie. I told her that I could easily fall in love with her, but she had a boyfriend at the time and I had to be patient. The next time we met we did fall in love, so on 5th March 1955 we were married at All Saints Church at North Parramatta. We lived in a two room unit at Merrylands (a converted shop) where we were blessed with our first child, Karenn Marie, born on 11th February 1956 at Poplars Private Hospital at Epping.
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We bought a block of land at 91 Burnett Street Merrylands, where we built a two bedroom fibro house and lived there for eleven years. On the 13th November 1963 our second child, Paul Gary, was born at Parramatta Hospital. In 1968, we sold our house at Merrylands for $11000 and bought a new brick house in Baulkham Hills for $16000. Paul started school across the road at Baulkham Hills North Primary School. I worked many years at Clyde Waggon Works and made many friends and to this day still keep in touch with a reunion each year. In the late '70s, I became a supervisor at the carriage works, Eveleigh (Redfern). In 1972 we had our third child, another son, named Jason Gordon. He was born on the 30th April at Hornsby hospital. My dad was a very good saver. He went without many things. He always said, he was saving for his sons. He gave us each $4000 and we used this to pay off our home. He retired from the railways when he was 70 years of age, after 47 years service, and continued to save until his death at 98. 1983 was not a year that was kind to me but as I look back, maybe it was. I had open heart surgery, a quadruple bypass at Wahroonga Adventist Hospital. Promotion time in the railways saw me elevated to senior foreman, schedule programmer, acting superintendent and acting manager. In 1989 , my 43 years in the railways come to an end and left me with the job of selling off and closing the workshop down. I retired in March of that year. When I and Marjorie look back, how lucky we have been. Blessed with a loving daughter, Karenn, and her husband, Maurie, and two beautiful granddaughters, a son Paul, and his new wife Judy, with two grandsons and a granddaughter from his first wife Rhonda, and our youngest son Jason, settled with his partner, Nadine, all well educated, some with university degrees. |
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 Paul & Judy 2003 |
 Jason & Nadine 1999 |
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Summing up, how fortunate for me to go through life with a beautiful loving wife well educated, always there for me in sickness and in health and for the children. How lucky I have been. As this journey of my life continues, I am in retirement of nearly 14 years. We've had many a relaxing holiday. Marjorie and I have travelled overseas to the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland) made many short trips to Queensland, Cairns, Tasmania and all other states except the Northern Territory. Marjorie and Jason went to New Zealand and Marjorie and Paul went to Singapore. Each time I stayed home and looked after the dog! All travelling ceased when I had a bad accident. I was playing with the dog, when I slipped on the driveway and fractured my right thigh. Now, nearly three years on, I am finally nearly recovered. 2003, life's journey continues. |
