Sheila – “I was born in England in 1941 and I came out to Australia in 1963 at the age of 21. I’ve never been back.
I came here with my husband and was pregnant at the time. We arrived in May and we had our daughter in July. We were ten pound pommies and Australia was asking for tradesmen back then. My husband was skilled and managed to get a job here. If I couldn’t have got on the boat we came on I would have had to wait till the baby was 3 months old. Luckily we both could come together. The trip took 6 weeks which I spent mostly down below. I wasn’t a good sailor. There was a family on the boat with 10 children, more well behaved kids you couldn’t meet. Mum was at the sink every morning doing all the washing. The older kids would organise the little ones, no problem at all in the whole 6 weeks. They were all so beautiful. I often wonder how they got on.
We all disembarked in Brisbane and went to a hostel at Kangaroo Point. The men then went off to work in the morning with their packed lunch and their salt tablets which you don’t have now. They had to have them for working in the heat. In the hostel we had a bedroom but all other areas were communal. We would look through the papers to find places to rent and people would take you out to see the houses. We ended up in Kangaroo Point and stayed till we got a housing commission in Inala where I had my second baby. We saved a deposit for a house in Brisbane but eventually we divorced. I ended up in Holland Park with my daughter Penny who was about 13 and son Carl who was 10.
I met a man who lived here on the Northern Rivers. I would come down to visit him then go home and eventually we moved in together. I bought a house in Allen St Lismore and we eventually split too.
I did marry again and my second husband Max was marvellous. I didn’t want to marry but he did. I couldn’t see the point but I was his 3rd wife so he reckoned it was 3 times lucky. I literally fell over him. We went out to the Italian Club and I got up to dance with him and I tripped over. He’s passed away so I’m going through the trauma again as this is the time I lost him. It’s been 11 years but it still affects me every year. He died 2 days before my birthday. When he was sick they let me stay in the hospital on a mattress so I was with him at the time he closed his eyes. I’m so glad I had that opportunity.
I have Spastic Paraparesis which I think I was born with so my walking is difficult. Sometimes it was reasonably good and other days I would think I was going to fall over. It never stopped me from walking and luckily there was no pain. As I’ve got older it’s got worse. I am exceptionally lucky because my next door neighbour takes my bins out as I have a steep driveway.
I worked for over 25 years at the Lismore Carboot Market. I started back when the market was only in the lower section, when we had the tables with tablecloths. I had to make sure they were clean and dry. I did a good job. I ended up doing the whole market when the extension came on, all the eating areas were my job. The toilets were over in the park at that stage so I had to make sure they were clean and tidy.
When I left to retire this year they gave me a massive bunch of flowers and cards that everyone had signed. I got to love the stall holders, Ron and Michelle who do coffee. Ron always gave me a discount and he told me it’s forever, such lovely people. When I was leaving the Carboot I walked around the stalls and people were coming out to hug me and kiss me. It made me realise that I was loved and I loved them. That was a massive part of my love for so many years. I’m not a person who socialises so the market people were my life. It’s been a fantastic time. The Carboot was my second family.
When Max was alive he was the traffic controller at The Channon Market. That was his market and Lismore was my market. It was like a big family.
People don’t realise the work involved in a market. I don’t know how Marny does it. She is incredible. I don’t know how she has time to sleep at night. She does so much, absolutely fantastic woman. She rescued seabirds and turtles and has always worked tirelessly and been a good friend to me.
Nowadays I do Red Cross work. I do Tele-cross which is a phone call every morning to 2 people just to check on them… I do Tele-chat with people who need someone to chat to. It’s such a great resource for people who might be lonely or just want to have contact with the world. I also do the Op shop at Caroona sometimes. It’s contact with people which I love.”