Monday 18 August 2014

Policeman's Daughter at Queenstown.

When I was about 11 years of age, my father was transferred to Queenstown on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.

Queenstown was a mining town with a lot of people, now the mine is closed and there are nearly 2,000 people with much unemployment due to the recent closure of the mine.

My mum, dad and myself lived in Queenstown for 4 years when times were good.  I had such fun attending the Catholic School, it's there I was taught by the nuns how to touch type, began my singing career, my modeling career, became interest in the law, looking after people, and much more.
I remember in the fairly new Town Hall how I danced ballet, Irish dancing, Spanish dancing, also I did tap dancing at concerts. Many people had never seen this done only in the movies - all due to Queenstowns isolation.
Scottish dancing I did at the main intersection of the town when someone important came to the town which was often. I would march behind the pipe band in full costume, and one of the bandsmen would carry my swords if I was going to do the sword dance, as I sometimes did for a change from the highland fling.  Again not many people had seen Scottish dancing.

Below are two photos of the marching team at that time - I am the first person on the right.
I don't have many photos of when I was at Queenstown or any other place for that matter.




Here we were practicing, again I am in the front on the right.

22 comments:

  1. Oh M I would have loved to have seen you dance I am sure your Mum and Dad were so very proud of you. Your outfit is beautiful as are you. You were a very lucky girl to gotten to do so many things you love and enjoyed and so many skills that have lasted to this very day. I am sure you could still Scottish dance if you were asked. Oh I loved this. Wonderful priceless memories and the photos are priceless. HUGS xoxoxosxo G

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    1. Thank you G. :)
      Being the only child my parents could easily afford to have me taught all those things, and I like each and everything I did, inculcating the piano. I appreciated all and still do and count my blessings to this day that I was able to do all those things, which I can still do :) Hugs M xox

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  2. You had many interests as a young girl and I enjoyed these photos so much. I know your parents were proud of you and that you were a very good daughter.

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    1. Thanks. They were indeed proud, I was lucky to have them as my parents :)

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  3. I like the second picture. Very formal.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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    1. Oh Yes, Filip and Kristel, we had to stand still or else :)

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  4. Wow, you were a gifted person as a child with many pastimes. I would to see you in you modelling career. It is very interesting. The photos are lovely.Greetings,

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    1. Thank you...I did ok for I also went in competitions before living in Queenstown and after living there.

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  5. How wonderful! I love these photos. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  6. These are great old photos ~ love them.
    Must have been fun to march.
    Thanks for sharing .

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    1. You are welcome.
      I did like marching and we used to travel for ages to compete with other marching groups, we were boarded out as well.

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  7. I always wanted to be a marching girl but never was. The boots cost too much. You did lots of things in Queenstown. Your parents must have been proud of you.

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    1. Did you really! I have no idea how much they cost.....yes I did do many lovely things in Queenstown, but also in many places I lived with my parents...

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  8. I really enjoy your posts about growing up in Australia. I did some of the same activities growing up.
    The verandas on the stores are interesting. They remind me of stores in the American West in the 1800s and early 1900s. I want to hear more about your singing career!

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  9. After all these years, I would sense those picture brings some emotion every time you see them.

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  10. Sounds like you had a fun childhood! Very neat to see the old photos!

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