Archivist, Maie Barrow, guest speaker, D.A.C.C., A.G.M..... ( and the Estonian connection ).

For me this talk contained more links than just the connections between the Dutch-Australian and Estonian-Australian shared experiences.

I am currently looking after a website, set up to bring together all ex-students of Maroubra Bay High School.
When Maroubra Bay High School was opened, in March 1959, I was one of many students from South Sydney Boys Junior High, in Avoca Street, Randwick, who along with the teaching staff from that school, transferred into Years 2 to 5, at Maroubra Bay.
Today, before the A.G.M. of the D.A.C.C., I had lunch with an old school friend, from those years in Avoca St, Randwick, followed by Maroubra Bay High School, around the corner, from the Dutch Consulate General, where the A.G.M. was held.
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After General Business, our guest speaker spoke about the experiences of the Estonians, who have come to Australia, through the years.
I am very familiar with one of those stories. I still have a copy of it somewhere. It was in the Sydney Morning Herald, many years ago.
It was about how my doctor, and her mother and sister, came to Australia, during the times when Estonia was taken over.
My doctor married another Estonian-born doctor and my mother came to work for them as house-keeper, which really involved some light housekeeping and mainly looking after the little son and daughter, after school, while the parents held surgery.
I’ve explained abut my mother and children, here, on Redbubble, already.
In this way, the doctors’ children had three grandmothers. Two of them Estonian and one (not a real grandmother) who taught them Dutch nursery rhymes, and Dutch children’s songs.
I’m happy to report that as the doctors’ son and daughter no longer needed minding, my daughter and son came along and they learnt Dutch songs.
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After her talk and during coffee, my conversation, with our guest speaker, turned to schools and the schools, in Avoca Street Randwick, became a topic.
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After the usual desparate search for my car, under the Westfield Shops, in Bondi Junction, (running into two pairs _of fellow Dutch-Australians, desperately searching for their cars!!!) I found it and escaped out the nearest exit.
It turned out that I was facing the direction of Queens Park (where we used to have sport, in 1957 and 1958).
If there had not been No Parking all the way along the left-hand-side of Avoca Street, in this …....... spot, there would now have been a photo of the building, in Avoca Street, beside the Randwick Town Hall and Library, that once was our school, where I first got to know the school friend I had lunch with and, just down the street where Maie Barrow had been the president of the P.&C., of the primary school, in Randwick!!!