Living in Brisbane.

From Wynnum West, we moved to White St, Wavell Heights (northside again) and attended Nundah State School.  I really enjoyed this school, which had a great music programme and our Tuck Shop orders were delivered hot to our class room.  This is when I discovered there was no Santa Clause.  Mum had given me a note for the shop and told me specifically not to open it.  This was so unusual that I opened it to discover an order for craft beads and a message to the shopkeeper to keep the items hidden from me.

My sister and I always woke early on Xmas morning, but this time we had beaten Santa to our stockings ... they were empty.  We went back to sleep disappointed but woke later to find our stocking contained dolls, with those beads around their necks and wrists.  Apparently Mum and Dad's big night had made them sleep in a bit later than normal.  Although upset about the Santa myth, I still thought the Easter Bunny must exist. ☺

We next moved to Arrowsmith St, Camp Hill (southside again) and attended Camp Hill State School.  Our teacher was so old and her skin so crepey, that she'd scream at you if you even brushed past her (Look what you've done, you stupid girl!), because she would get another blood blister.  Our class was picked to go up to Mt Coot-tha for the taping of the Channel Niners, hosted by Jim Iliffe.  We spent the entire day in the studio taping a week's worth of programmes.  My sister and I made sure to sit on the floor at his feet, so our faces were always on screen when the camera cut back to him.  We were picked for some competitions and won some prizes, including our first ice-cream cake (packed in dry ice).

One Friday night, a large portion of the school including our classroom burnt down.  A teacher had forgotten to turn off the urn in the kitchen, it boiled dry and the fire took out the Admin block and one wing.  Our classroom became the shady spot under a large Poinciana tree and our class had its photo in the paper under the title "The Tree of Knowledge".

I should mention that although we were fraternal twins, Mum always made our clothes the same ... she was a fantastic dressmaker.  This photo was one of the rare occasions that we ever allowed ourselves to appear in the same clothes, at least until we wore High School uniforms.

Here is also where Dad decided to teach me how to ride a bicycle.  He stood at the top of the sloping back yard and started pushing my bike.  I made him promise he wouldn't let go ... he lied!  I slammed into the back wall of the house and stormed off in tears as he was bent over, laughing hysterically.

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