“I was born in Lismore and I spent my first 15 years in Bexhill. We then moved to Girards Hill in Lismore. I remember when I was little and going with my mother and father to visit Grandpa Virtue. He lived on the corner of John and Keith St but the little car we had at the time wouldn’t go up that steep hill. It wasn’t bitumen back then.
Virtue St was named after my Grandpa Virtue, John St was named after Uncle Jack and Keith St was named after Uncle Keith Virtue. That was my surname too but now it’s Crowther. I think Uncle Keith started the airport here. He has a book, Virtue in Flying. He was a very famous pioneering aviator. He and a colleague flew in formation with Charles Kingsford Smith for the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
I went to Lismore High School and I worked in Insurance. When that closed down I applied for a job in the Library at Lismore High School and I worked in that position for 22 years.
I had 3 children but I’ve lost both my sons. I lost my son in May and I lost my other son 22 years ago.
I have my daughter Eva. She is married to Dr Kelly and she lives in Lennox Head so not too far away.
I turned 84 yesterday which was 1/3. I always wanted to be 2 days younger so I would have been born on 3/3/33. The 3/3 was my mothers birthday as well. It’s got a good ring to it.
You know there were 22 corner shops in Lismore but there’s only a couple left now. There were 17 hotels too at one stage. I’ve lived through some big floods here. We have the signs on the telephone poles showing how high the water rose and people can’t believe it. You know, I was cover girl once on New Idea. I was working at Trevan Ford at the time. That was a long time ago my dear.”