Coronation Primary A Lae, Deirdre Whitton

Other than that, our houseboy would bring our lunch up to school to us every day, as Mum was working in the shop in 7th Street. He was employed just to squeeze our orange juice and bring us our lunch - Mum did all her own housework and cooking and ran the store for Dad, who would go to Japan regularly for his Noritake and Mikimoto pearl jewellery.

Some of the people I remember: Raelene Farrelly (the Farrellys were family friends). Gordon was the town plumber, and did the plumbing work for the new Lae Hospital, where my younger brother was born. Johnny and Geoff Hall: she was a midwife at Lae hospital from '57 until the late 60's and delivered most of the babies born in Lae during that period. Geoff ran a local ship up to Finschafen each week. I am friends with their daughter, Libby, have been ever since Grade 1. Terry Barnes, who lived behind the school, at the oval end, and David Blackman. The Birrells: they had Century Motors near the Commonwealth bank, and opposite was the Fruit bowl, which was originally in Fourth Street near Worrals Chemist. It was run by Eileen Emery, who had two sons, Michael and Marcus. I used to play with Marcus. He was full of adventure and would gather up a pile of native kids and take them on a patrol to catch wild pigs etc. He would be gone for weeks on end, and his mum never worried about him; she had all the faith in the world that he would be ok, and he was! Denis Crowley, who was killed on Markham road when the motor bike he used to ride went under a logging truck…that was awful…

Then there was Mr Strachan, who was in the drama club, and Mrs Strachan with her dress shop in 4th street. Her garden was pristine; she had the most beautiful gardenias. When we were invited to her garden parties I would climb trees while the ladies drank tea, then, later, gin. I remember her boys - they were a lot older than me. Betty and Dan Lawrence lived opposite, he was a pilot and they had three kids, then the Cornishes, Anthony and Denise. Their parents were Shirley (an absolutely darling woman), and Arthur, who was with Ansett. They opened their house to Judy Stone and Col Joy when they arrived for a concert, and I have a photo of Denise, myself and Judy Stone outside the Cornish's house. I was eight at the time, and absolutely fascinated with Judy Stone, I thought she was gorgeous, and lovely to go with it, and remember she wore this pink chiffon dress.

I loved my childhood. Running around barefoot or in thongs; sliding down Niall Hill on banana leaves; catching fruit bats that were nesting in our house; Lae theatre - along with everyone else I went to the matinee every Saturday morning; I never missed it. I only had sixpence to spend and would buy rainbow balls (today they are called gobstoppers) and cherry-ripes from the milkbar. Like Wendy, I was in Brownies until Mrs Zimmerman said I was too naughty. I would not conform - a bit wild, I think it went with living where we did…I just wanted to run around with my dogs, walk to BP's with my parrot on my shoulder and be just what I thought was an ordinary kid.

There is something about us New Guinea kids…I can't explain it, but we are definitely different. I think it was the freedom we had and how we made our own fun. When I had to leave Lae to come to boarding school in 1969, I was so homesick! Up to then the only footwear I owned was a pair of thongs, and now I had to conform to strict boarding school regulations - uniforms, stockings and heavy lace-up shoes…so hard for me…I still love kicking off my shoes, and even when out at a restaurant will do the same…must be the New Guinea in me.

I went to a PNG reunion at Southport in June 2004, which was great, it was almost like going "home"…there were 650 people there and I came across many old friends. I think the next one is in June 2006, and plan to be there again…

Note from Wendy Phillips: Speaking of running around barefoot, come on, 'fess up: how many of you still pick up things with your toes? I impressed my aqua aerobics class no end recently when another gym member dropped her sunglasses in neck-deep water and I picked them up with my toes and "handed" them back to her :-) I hope you enjoyed Deirdre's reminiscences as much as I did - just about everyone in Lae was at that '64 concert, and we were especially lucky entertainment-wise that year. Elaine Fifield, former principal dancer at Sadler's Wells, who married PNG plantation owner Les Farley, danced part of Giselle, also at the RSL Club. I don't know about you guys, but I've been rapt in the ballet ever since!