From Melbourne (Dad) : 25.6.83

From Melbourne

25.6.83

Dear Alan

                                Your letter with photographs arrived safely. Seems you are in an interesting if rugged place. Presumably you work for the Dept of Health.  How is the salary? In line with the conditions by way of compensation?

                There has been a fair bit of news in the local press about South Africa; mostly the recent bombings and possible repercussions. Some surprise that there was little violence on the anniversary of the Soweto riots but there is a great deal of talk about the inevitability of violence. A woman member of the ANC has been in Melbourne recently and she got a deal of publicity. She predicts violence in the future as unavoidable.    

     

                Other news about South Africa seems to be about sport and efforts to entice Australian sportsmen over there, particularity cricketers. After the Australians performance in the world Cup they would be foolish to go to South Africa – they would get a hiding. Fancy getting beaten by Zimbabwe! The final between West Indies and India is on tonight and I have been watching snippets in between a Humphrey Bogart movie that Lois and Pamela are watching.

                We were going to Trentham today but decided it was too cold. It was just as well as the weather report said it was snowing up there as well as in the Dandenongs. A great contrast to the scene of the bushfires just a few months ago.

                 It is fascinating to watch the regeneration of the bush although growth has slowed down in winter. Total rehabilitation is going to take years. One aftermath of the fires was that we had to bury a big kangaroo only a few weeks ago. He inevitably got burnt in the fires and hobbled around for several months before coming onto our property after the new grass but he died just close to the house.

                I don’t know whether Australia figures much in the South African news but I imagine Mr Hawke has received some notice. His recent world trip upset some of his supporters. He is behaving very much like a good Liberal Prime Minister; at least on foreign policy issues. On the home front the policy seems to be to move slowly and not repeat the mistakes of the Whitlam years. Try and be good economic managers and introduce reforms slowly is the goal. However all the rhetoric is not going to make much impact on unemployment for some time. There will be a major change in the health field with the introduction of Medicare early next year. This means a levy on all salaries to pay for free public hospitals and most of the medical bills. In other words a return to Medibank of the previous Labor Govt. I don’t know that there will be any effect on the dentistry profession although the Vic Govt has promised a big extension of the school dental service which should help some young dentists.

                Overall the economy is still sluggish but the printing industry is reasonably buoyant and we are continuing at much the same level.

                Your mother met Geoffrey Patterson’s mother the other day and learnt he was about to be married although he hasn’t managed to get a permanent job since returning from overseas.

                We have dug out some notes and text books and have already forwarded some of the books but there are quite a few notes and it might be a good idea to tell us specifically which ones you want.

                 Your mother has just finished a book by Andre Brink and she rather liked it. You might comment in another letter.

                South African literature has a special quality; you might say it’s colored by the colour question.

                                                                                                Regards Dad

From Melbourne (Mum) : 20.6.83

From Melbourne

20.6.83

Dear Alan,

                                We received your letter last week. I have found your books and notes. I am just sorting out the books. Your range of reading is from one extreme to the other. I won’t send them all in one parcel. Just a few books at a time by airmail. Other way takes too long. I will send all your text books then could you tell me which notes. They will take some sorting out.

                By the look of the news you must have some water by now. What kinds of natives are the ones in the photos. In all the old books on Africa the natives in the south were called Hottentots but you never seem to see that word now. They are not supposed to be as dark as the other natives they are more like the bushmen.

                Beverley and Pamela both went to weddings this weekend. Beverley went to a girls from the Uni but Pamela went to Jenny Doubleday’s wedding. She married an American who has been over here building oil rigs and leaves now for Indonesia and doesn’t know whether she will be ever back to live in Australia.

                Did I tell you Geoffrey Patterson is getting married in July can’t remember whether I did or not. Still hasn’t found a job since he came back from Europe.  Since Labour came to power there has been no improvement at all in the economy if anything it is still getting worse. Mr Roper the minister for Health in Victoria has been getting a lot of flak from the medical students because he said he cannot guarantee them all an internship when their studies are finished. In all the letters @ articles in the paper the medical students are not getting any sympathy because too many people are finding it hard to get job. There was a letter in the paper today from a science PhD graduate who has to go overseas for a position. He thought it was about time doctors had to compete in the market place like everybody else.

                Pamela is gradually improving with her driving lessons. Last time we left the car park and went around the streets in the middle of Sunshine. It was Sunday afternoon and hardly anyone was around.

                Saw a program on religion about odd sects that some of the Zulus have in their own lands. There were people who worked in Durban who had nothing to think of except what their religion offered them. They were dressed in long white robes with a blue sash or cross. There was another group who dressed in traditional clothes.  They had some odd ideas but when they sang as a group it sounded much better than our singing. I also saw a program on Lucia lakes in Zululand. We seem to have seen lots about Sth Africa lately but not about apartheid.

                                Love from Mum                                                                                                                                                

               

From Melbourne (Mum) : 1.6.83

From Melbourne

1.6.83

Dear Alan,

                Nothing much has been happening here. We saw a bit more about Sth Africa on the news with the bomb blast in Pretoria. All the news here says that is just what is expected and it will get worse. Did you read much in the paper or is it censored.

                The only exciting thing happening here is that Footscray is still winning. They have already won more games this year than the previous two years combined. They are 6^th on the list.

                Haven’t heard from Beverley since the last letter. She called in one afternoon took some blankets, left a note, but couldn’t stay. Pamela is still learning to drive. We haven’t got out of the car parks yet but I think she should next week. We went over to High Point to practice in the carpark and so were about 10 other people. It was a bit dangerous  a bit like dodgem car but with real cars and not very good drivers.

                Lois hasn’t shifted into the house that they bought because there is still quite a lot of work to do.

                Haven’t seen Anne lately. Just heard this week that Sharene is going to have another baby not till the end of the year. Glenn and Jennie went to England for the May school holidays. They still haven’t had any luck with having any children. The place they are staying is called Butterworth. I wouldn’t be surprised if the place you are at and the place in Malaya are both named after the same person – an English soldier or something like that.

                Is it right that each homeland is just for one particular tribe? If that is so what is the tribe or race that lives in the Transkei.

                Evelyn and Bill are going to New Zealand in November because Ian is getting married to a girl Julie. He has been in New Zealand over a year now but he met the girl in Australia & went back there with her. I was thinking the other day when I was watching the children playing if you could take some photos over there just playing.

                Specifically if they played the same games as these. It would be good for the children here to see ordinary photos (not books) of other children playing. If you could take them I could make use of them.

                                                                                Love from mum

                 

Photos 1983

From Transkei : 1.6.83

From Transkei

1.6.83

Dear Mum,

                                I just received your letter and there is some stuff I need. I don’t know what it is called but it slices chops vegetables and I need it. If there are any other quality cooking utensils could you please send them over. Also I had a cardboard box full of notes and a few books. If you know where this is I would appreciate it. I am going to get a house or flat (free accommodation) so I need to fill it full of something.

                Proteas grow down in the Cape.

                 The rock group you talk of must be Jaluka. If there is a future for the white man in Africa it has to be along such lines.  

                Andre Brink would be the first to admit that his writing is not realistic/naturalistic. I forget the word to describe it but all the characters are either completely good or bad. I don’t like his writing and a lot of it seems very laboured   and his intended message hits you on the head with great power on page 1. If you take his books out of RSA and the 1980s then I don’t think they have any intrinsic value though that is debatable.

                Another photo of some of the locals. I went with a couple of med students for a drive to these falls. The natives chased after the car calling for money and sweets. When we went to take some photos they put their fists up. I don’t know why this was.

                Last Sunday afternoon for excitement I watched some MOs perform a caesar.  They get plenty of practice.

                                Alan

                                  

From Melbourne (Mum) : 20.5.93

From Melbourne

20.5.93

Dear Alan,

                Your letter arrived this week. What an experience you are having. I am not sure whether it is good or bad but it is certainly different from a lot of young dentists here who might have god equipment & plenty of water but not many patients. The older more established dentists seem to be doing very well. But one day they will be too old to keep going.

                It was a coincidence but we g got your letter one day and on the next night on the news there was an item on South Africa. It showed how bad the drought was and then went to hospital in a homeland (this one in Transvaal) where there so many children sick often from malnutrition that most of the cots had three children in them. The commentary implied that all this sickness and lack of facilities in the hospital was caused by the drought. It didn’t say – but I wonder if the white children are filling up their hospital because of the drought.

                You say the conditions are very bad and I know the Government should supply everything but sometimes they are not interested. I wonder if we could buy some things you need there and end them over to you Think about it and see if there is anyway we could help.

                I have seen two other items from South Africa lately. One was a program on Proteas. It was filmed in hilly country but I don’t know where. The other program was about a rock or pop group that has black and white performers. They are going to London but this was a film of them performing in South Africa. It was a bit wild much more than is usual on Countdown. I didn’t catch their name and I don’t know whether their sort of act is common in Sth Africa or they were on the news because they were so uncommon.

                We were a bit late but on Tuesday night we went out to tea for Dad’s birthday. It was the first chance we could get together. We went to a steak house. It is supposed to be best in Victoria and supposed to be the best in Aust. All they have is steaks. One table next to us had 3 Japanese business men and one Aust and another table near us had a group of American business men. I suppose you would say it was a man’s restaurant but I noticed that Bev, Lois and Pamela didn’t leave one small piece of meat on their plates. I think that Dad enjoyed the tea but the next couple of nights we had vegetarian meals. You can only eat so much steak.

                I am not sure whether I mentioned it before but Beverley has a boyfriend who comes from Canberra. This weekend she is going up there. He is quite but seems good for Beverley. She comes home most weekends.

                Lois and Ken have spent the last two week (the school holidays) cleaning up the old house they have bought in Moonie Ponds. The house is 97 years old and there was 97 years of junk and sheds etc. in the back yard. Everynight Lois has come home filthy and tired but most of the cleaning up should be finished before the end of the holidays.

                Pamela is going on a holiday to Canada in October with her friend Clare. She just rang this morning to say the latest of Andre Brink’s books has just arrived at the library and I do I want to read it. Have you had a chance to read any of his books. I’d like to know what you think of them. They make very good reading.

                The drought has certainly broken in Eastern Australia in the last few weeks there have been local floods. Last Saturday some friends from the church – Ralph, the Costas, Rowbottoms @ Whitley came up to Trentham to help us replant trees where they were burnt out. It rained the whole day. We all wrapped ourselves up and planted 80 trees. We were muddy and wet but I think everyone enjoyed themselves with the heaters on inside we soon dried dried out. Max Costa fixed a fence but it was too heavy (the rain) to fix it all.

                Anne came one night to see Dad for his birthday. She seems to be getting on alright. Benjamin was there he is a friendly little boy. It is a pity we don’t see more of him.

                I didn’t do all the things that I wanted to in the holidays but I did get new curtains made for the lounge and dining room. It took me several days to buy the trees and guards & sticks etc. necessary for Trentham but it was worth it to get all those trees planted. I just hope nothing happens to this lot.

                Don’t forget what I said at the beginning of the letter if there is any way we can help from here let us know and we will do it.

                                Love from Mum and the rest of the family

               

               

From Melbourne (Mum) : 17.4.83

From Melbourne

17.4.83

Dear Alan,

                                I hope you are alright. Are you running much still. We watched Robert De Castella win the marathon last Sunday in Rottendam. I don’t know whether you had much chance to watch it. It really was a good race with the first 6 running together for most of the race. He really is a wonderful runner. I heard him interviewed after and he said he would never run more than 3 marathons in a year (I mean races). We were almost late for church because we couldn’t leave until the race was finished. 

                I see that the film Gandhi is starting in Sth Africa this week. Both Lois and Pamela has seen it. They both said it was worth seeing but Pamela said the film had a few mistakes.              How could they put all of Gandhi’s story into just 4 hours. Pamela has also seen the other films that were in the contest for the best film – The Verdict, Tootsie and Sophie’s Choice. She found Tootsie good fun – we are going to see it soon – didn’t like The Verdict and thought Sophie’s Choice a very good film but depressing.

                We could be doing something for Dad’s birthday. He will be 60 on May 9^th. We are getting old! I am not sure what we will do. You can be sure whatever happens we will not be able to please everybody! I am not going to worry whether I please everybody I am just going to do what I think Dad would like best. The trouble is I am not quite sure yet.

                It is very quiet here now. Only Lois is home now and she isn’t here very much. I find myself often here by myself as I am now. I keep buying too much food but he place is still not very tidy.

                I think I mentioned in the last letter that Footscray had won a football match. Well they have also won the last two matches as well. They are 6^th on the list which is the highest they have been for years. They have some new recruits from Western Australia who are laying well. (Next day) I was interrupted last night am finishing at kinder. It is a beautiful day sun shining but not too hot and no wind. Everything is beginning to look green again soon you will not know that we have had a drought. The farmers say they haven’t had enough rain yet but we have had a lot. Even in the burnt out forests the trees, grasses @ ferns are beginning to grow again. We saw a wombat walking through the forest on Saturday. Normally you would never see one but it had nowhere to hide. I do hope you are looking after yourself and not trying to do too much.

                                                                Love from Mum.    

Photos mainly Swaziland 1983

From Transkei : 7.4.83

From Transkei

7.4.83

Dear Mum,

                                I’m just visiting the Kingdom of Swaziland. I’m staying on a sugar estate and the workers on the estate have it pretty good materially. 

                I want to try @ work in the homelands so it might be best if you don’t write until I know where I’m staying.

                                Regards Alan

Photos from Melbourne

From Melbourne (Mum) : 7.4.83

From Melbourne

7.4.83

Dear Alan,

                                It is a little while since I have written but nothing much has happened and I have been feeling tired and not so good but seem better now.

                The most unexpected thing that has happened is that Footscray won last week at the football. Nobody picked them to win but they won by a few goals. That is the best thing about barracking for Footscray you never know what is going to happen.

                We spent most of Easter at Trentham. We were going to continue with cleaning up all the rubbish that has showed up now that all the blackberries have been burnt but we had visitors on Saturday @ Sunday and on Monday it rained. Audrey and Joe came up Saturday. We just talked and had a walk – not very far as Joe has a bad knee. Sunday Eddie, Marilyn @ Elaine @ David came. We went into the forest and do you know the fire was still smoldering in some parts. David put his hand near the smoke to feel the heat. That is 5 1/2 weeks since the fire. The rain on Monday would have put it out now.

                There has been rain all over Victoria and most of Eastern Australia. There is talk that the drought has broken but we still need more. The countryside is beginning to look green but there is no water lying around yet. It still soaks straight into the ground and none has flowed into the reservoirs yet.

                After Easter Beverley some of her belongings to a house in St Kilda to share with three other people. I don’t know how she is going to get on but she wanted to leave home and it wasn’t going to matter what we said. She hasn’t been home since she shifted so I don’t know how she feels about it. 

                 Pamela was home for Easter and Lois was around some of the time. Pamela and Lois have gone out tonight to a lecture by a English children’s author who is in Melbourne on a tour.

                I haven’t seen Anne since Christmas. She goes to another church now and we seem to have been scrubbed which is a pity.

                There has been a change in the Dental Health Service in Victoria. All children are going to be inspected now when they start school. I don’t know whether this will be more work for Dentists or Dental Therapists. I thought the government has stopped training Dental Therapists but hey keep changing their mind.    If all children have fixed in primary school this should mean their second teeth are better placed and should last longer which in the long term is more work for dentists. There hasn’t been much in the papers about Sth Africa lately. There is more news everywhere in the world.

                                                                                Love from mum.

From Melbourne (Dad): 21.3.83

From Melbourne

21.3.83

Dear Alan

                                The big news here in recent weeks has been the election and the bushfires. The election result was fairly predictable; it was apparent the Liberals had run out of steam and they seemed bereft of new ideas. Not that there are going to be many dramatic changes under a Labor government. Australia hasn’t moved to the left, it’s more that the Labor party has moved to the right. The essence of Australian politics is to capture the middle ground and that is what the Labor party has done. There’s not the euphoria and desire for swift change of 1972. Just as well, they won’t make the same blunders in their haste to bring in the new society.

                 Despite Hawkes glorious image and popularity I doubt that there will anything but gradual change. That means they’ll have to be in for some time for there to be any significant changes to Australian society. Just a nibbling of the edges. The next year or so unemployment will remain high, taxation won’t be cut (despite election promises) and inflation will probably drop only marginally. There won’t be any great improvement until the Australian economy gets a full head of steam.

                Still the average Australian who has a job is doing fairly well. And for those who aren’t doing so well there will probably be an improvement in social services to some extent.

                South African politics must look rather different for Australians. I don’t see that the majority of SA voters would be in the middle. From this distance it appears that there would be more polarization over there but how left is left over there? I saw a recent gallop poll that showed South African blacks to be basically conservative but that the majority believed their society would only improve through revolution.

                The election result was more or less expected but the devastation of the bushfires surprised most people. We should have expected it due to the length of the drought but too many people were complacent. When the temperature reaches 43 with a howling gale and low humidity it’s a very explosive situation and that’s what happened on Ash Wednesday. The fires which ultimately destroyed over 400 houses at Macedon actually started only about half a mile wide of our house just past the poultry farm.

                The open ground   round the poultry farm divided the fire and it passed down both sides of the house. It was travelling towards the Lederberg gorge when the wind changed and bought it back across our land. Most of the trees we’ve been nurturing for about five years were burnt, the long blackberry hedges just disappeared and the timber lying about finished as piles of ashes. The CFA men did a great job and saved pour house but couldn’t suppress the fire. From the time the fire got into the forest it took only fifteen minutes to get to Macedon. Apart from all the buildings that were destroyed, six people lost their lives. The wonder is that the loss of life wasn’t greater.

                The sight of miles of burnt out forest is very depressing but it is amazing to see the trees starting to throw out new shoots already. We were at Trentham last weekend and t looks as though we night save about 50% of our trees. Heavy rain started falling today (the first for months) should help greatly.

                We have been restricted in getting about for weeks as we had our car stolen from our driveway early in February. It was recovered a couple of days later near the Maribynong river but without a gearbox. Apparently the gear-box of the Commodore is attractive for drag racers.

                The car wasn’t damaged much apart from the gear-box but it took about four weeks for it to be repaired. Thankfully the Mini is still chugging along and it proved very useful.

                Everybody is well at present and life goes on much the same. The football season starts this Saturday (too early) so Melbourne returns to “normality”. Football, like lost sports, seems to be concerned only with money and we could see a waning of interest.

                                Kindest regards Dad

From Melbourne (Mum) : 18.2.83

From Melbourne

18.2.83

Dear Alan,

                I don’t forget anyone living in Victoria will forget what has happened in the last two weeks. Poor Bob Hawke! He has just taken over from Hayden and is all set to beat Fraser in elections next month. He still could. He gave his policy speech on Wednesday this week and at the same time fires were burning all over South Australia & Victoria. Politics has been pushed off the front pages and from most of the papers. You might remember people talking about Black Friday in 1937 when about 70 people were burnt well it looks as if this is worse. I think I mentioned before how dry everything was well on Wednesday 9^th Feb we were out in the playground of the kindergarten when we saw huge black clouds coming over everyone thought it was smoke. We quickly came inside the kindergarten and closed the doors. Some children cried and it became so black we couldn’t see & had to turn on the lights. The street lights went on. It was about 2.30. In about 15 mins it has passed over & we could see. A lot of people thought it was the end of the world. When we could see again @ saw al the dust we knew we had been through a dust storm. I have never been in anything like it all my life. Lois said she was in a few last year.

                Everybody knew the state was dry but I don’t think anyone could has seen what happened this week. We are going to send a paper so you will know a little about what happened. Whole towns were wiped out. Nobody knows yet how many people have died.

                We had a coincidence happen to us. We turned on the TV news early on Wednesday night and the reporter was talking to a very distraught lady. When we had another look we realised it was Aggie the Yugoslav lady who lives in the brick house just around the corner from our place at East Trentham. She was telling the reporter how the fire had just gone past her. Just at that moment the phone rang and it was Aggie (we had given her our phone number before) telling us our place was alright. The house at the end of the road next to the poultry farm was burnt. The fire rushed into the forest before night across the forest and burnt all of Macedon except for 4 homes and some of Bullingarook and Mt Macedon.  That was only a small fire compared with what happened in other places. The temperature was over 40 and the winds were the strongest we could have. The firefighters had no hope of putting any fires out all they could do was get people out of their homes quickly. There might be a little in your paper about it if there is could you tell us how they write it up. I don’t know whether they have bush fires in South Africa

                                                Love mum.

From Transkei ; 15.2.83

From Transkei

15.2.83

Dear Mum,

                Thank you for the newspapers etc. They tell me there is to be an election over there.

                Biltong is definitely 100% Afrikaans. You see pictures from the Boer War of Boers with strips of biltong hanging up in the background.

                Classic Afrikaans cooking is sugar in the vegetables (esp. pumpkin and carrot) and then boiled to a pulp. Large helpings of rice @ potatoes or the national food mealies. 

                You can say that there is no African food in the book but if there was I’m sure you wouldn’t eat it. A long time ago they were saying that the 6 hostages in Zimbabwe were starving because they refused to eat the local food.  Nowadays they say that they are dead. Along with a lot of local blacks @ a few whites.

                                                                                Regards Alan

PS           Anything you read in  Australian newspapers about SA sport reminds me of a high school debate which has gone off the rails and people are starting to take it seriously even though they know one-side of nothing.

                That reminds me Alan Paton was quoted in the local newspaper (owned by R Murdock) saying that SA can be compared to a small dark smoke-filled room full of people. The door opens and into the haze comes a person who says, “It’s stuffy in here.”

                The people present say, “How would you know? You have only just arrived.”

From Melbourne (Mum) : 6.2.83

From Melbourne

6.2.83

Dear Alan,

                                You should have got the papers we sent about the bushfires. We still have had no rains and weather is hot. Today was 32. Yesterday we had elections and Hawke won easily. Fraser resigned today from leader of Liberal party. I don’t suppose it will make much difference to us which party is in.

                We still haven’t got h Commodore back yet so we have only been up to Trentham once since the holidays. Ray took us in his car the first weekend after the fires to see what it was like.

                It was awful. All the forest from Greendale, near Blackwood to Bullingarook to East Trentham then over to Macedon is all burnt. Nothing there but black trunks and scorched leaves on top. The fire started on the dirt road just near the corner where the bitumen turns to dirt.   The only reason our house is still there is because the poultry farm was in the way. The fire was divided and went down Amblers Lane on the other side of the poultry farm and into the forest. By the time the fire reached our place the fire brigades were there and saved the house.

                The tank stand has gone all our fences except along the road are gone. All the blackberries along all the roads except along the fence near our house have gone. The firemen put out the fire near to where the hen house was. How the Cypress trees didn’t get burnt we will never know.

                Almost all the trees we have planted are gone. We will have to start again. But when you consider what some other people have lost we are not too badly off.

                   We should get our car this week and since next weekend is Moomba weekend we are going up there to start cleaning up. Seeing as we have no growth anywhere we can easily see all the rubbish so we will clean up first. Do you remember the paddock at the back and the side full of blackberries. Well now it is nothing but black ash. The forest down Amblers is all burnt but no houses. The house were the fire started and the house before the poultry farm were both burnt.

                There was a bit on the wireless today about Zimbabwe.   If it is right it didn’t sound a very good place to be. There is a cricket team going there soon from Australia. I think maybe South Africa is one of the safest African countries at present.

                                                                                Love Mum

From Transkei : 4.1.83

From Transkei

4.1.83

Dear Mum,

                                I just received your last letter. I think you are better off cancelling the return flight from Joberg to Harare. If you do that then you can leave Joberg a few days prior and fly direct to Vic Falls and stop overnight. Then if you want you can stop at Wankie Game Reserve or Zimbabwe Ruins or Harare for a few days.

                It may be easiest to book all this in Melbourne. They used to call such touring around Zimbabwe; Flame Lily tours. Ask a travel agent about such things. Air Zimbabwe organizes it.

                Anything else can wait. I’m sure.

                                                                Regards Alan     

From Melbourne (Dad) : 2.2.83

From Melbourne

2.2.83

Dear Alan

                We have not heard from you since before Christmas but presume you are well and still working at the same place. If you have been on holidays we would like to know something about it – where you have been what you have seen etc.

                The holiday period has been fairly quiet for us this year, just a couple of spells at Trentham. Even Lois and Pamela were home most of the time. At Trentham there hasn’t been as much grass cutting as usual owing to the drought – but more caring for trees.

                I notice that there has been a big drought in parts of South Africa; similar to Australia the worst for about 100 years.  Fortunately the summer here has been comparatively cool; we have yet to experience a 100 day in January.

                Whereas last year we had quite a state of them. The absence of rain has meant increased bush-fire danger and a few weeks a ago there was a very serious fire in the Wombat State Forest near Blackwood. We saw the ravages of the fire last weekend and it was a sad sight. As yet there have been no fires around Trentham but the danger is greater than anytime since we have been there.

                South Africa has been rather prominent in the news here because of West Indies cricket tour. There seems to have been general approval of the Govt’s action in banning and of the players from entering Australia. That seems drastic action but I’ve just heard on the news that they have banned two South African journalists who wished to visit Australia and interview former test cricketers. Like it or not politics and sport are inextricably mixed but it is unreal to think that trade between Australia and South Africa has doubled!

                The presents you sent were distributed on Christmas Day and everybody seemed pleased. I enjoyed reading the book you sent. It gave a good picture of a middle-class family of that time and I thought was well written. I enjoy his total recall of earlier events. However the little space given to racial issues was quiet noticeable. No doubt sympathetic of the times and I guess his views are somewhat different today.

                The small “l” liberals in South Africa (have you met any?) must wander if they are ever going to get much help from outside except sporting boycotts. And I wonder if the sporting boycotts do anything but boost our own politicians.

                Uncle Ray spent a pleasant holiday with Glenn at Christmas and they went to Singapore for a few days then spent a week in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. Exotic scenery and interesting place but hardly completely free societies.

                Glenn and his wife then did a tour of Hong Kong, Philippines and Taiwan which means they covered most of South East Asia.

                Lois called at the local dentist yesterday and was examined by a locum who knew you at Uni. He didn’t find out his name but said he was surprised to know you were in SA.

                Your mother has just finished reading a book by Andre Brink, an author you may have come across. She was quite impressed but I haven’t had time yet to read it.

                Despite the recession and increasing unemployment we are still managing to survive in the business at much the same level. We’re not advancing but we are not going backwards at a great speed, just surviving.

                The school teachers went back to work today (somewhat reluctantly) so routine is back to normal. Beverley filling in time before going back to Monash. More or less Dullsville.

                                                                                                                Kindest regards Dad

               

                

From Melbourne (Mum) : 24.1.83

From Melbourne

24.1.83

Dear Alan,

                                Just a short note to pass on a letter to you. I am also enclosing a little of what has been in the papers about the touring cricketers in South Africa. People have strong feelings for or against this but the word often used by all is “hypocrisy”.  What comes up here all the time is that the blacks are made “honorary whites” and not treated as most blacks are. Also we don’t do much against other governments that are not democratic.

                Actually most Australians are not very interested. Yesterday there was a one day match between England and Australia at the MCG and it was a world record crowd for a one day match – over 84 thousand. It was a good game close most of the time with Aust winning.

                This is the last week of the holidays. Spent it mostly cleaning up the house but it will do now for a long time. It has been very cool good weather for working but no rain. We were at Trentham on Saturday and the fire is still burning in the forest. That is two weeks ago! Fortunately we still have water so I could water the smaller trees.

                                                                Love from Mum.

From Melbourne (Mum) : 13.1.83

From Melbourne

13.1.83

Dear Alan,

                                Sorry I haven’t written for a few weeks and somehow @ other my routine got all mixed up over Christmas. Your Christmas card arrived on the 24^th Dec. We had a quiet Christmas just Lois Bev @ pam here. Ray went to Malaya and stayed two weeks with Glenn @ Jenny travelling around South East Asia. The week before Christmas @ New Year  we took Auntie Grace and Win to Trentham. We just had a lazy time. A few days before Win had fallen over running for a train (at her age!). She was badly bruised could hardly move @ had a black eye. She mainly rested and by the end of the week was back to normal. We picked a lot of raspberries, the youngberries are doing well to but we are having trouble with birds.

                The next week just Dad and I went by ourselves. We went for several walks into the forest. Just as well we weren’t there this weekend there was a large bush fire went through the forest. All of Melbourne was covered in smoke. You could look at the sun in the middle of the day. It was red. The fire started near Greendale just past Blackwood burnt across the Lederberg Gorge and crossed the road near Lake Merrimur. It was still burning near Bullingarook 3 days later. When we sure it was nearly out Beverley and a girl friend have gone to stay at our place this week and Lois has gone to stay down in Gippsland with a friend so Dad and I are just home by ourselves. Beverley took our car and Lois took the other so I have the chance to do all the things around the house that need doing. Not much fun but they have to be done. The weather is very cool for January so I didn’t mind working with heater on last night.

                All the rest of the family  went on boxing Day to see the first day of the test. Everyone said it was one of the best test matches ever played. Each day one innings was completed and until the very end you couldn’t tell who was going to win. Aust won

                Today in the papers there is a bit about West Indies playing cricket in Sth Africa. But one minute they are playing and the next minute they aren’t. It’s a bit had to tell what is happening

                Dad has just finished reading the book you sent. South Africa is certainly a place to study human behavior there are so many different types of people all trying to live together. It does seem though from here that the government does everything it can to get the worst publicity from the rest of the world. I did see last week something about the colored people getting a vote but the black people still ignored although the economy needs them. Everyone thinks it would be better just to keep the bead work to look at and not use it. With the rug we have they are just nice to have around the house to look at but I will use the cloth because it would not be harmed by use.

                                                                                                                                                Love mum

From Melbourne (Anne) : 5.1.83

From Melbourne

5.1.83

Dear Alan,

                                I would like to thank you very much for your Christmas Card. I have just received it because we have been on holidays. It is very “African” not the junky Christmas cards we get here.

                Dennis and I and Benjamin went down to Point Leo (near Hastings) on the backside of the Mornington Peninsular for 6 days.

                We have bought an old caravan off Dennis’s aunt and uncle and towed it all the way there. It is a very comfortable and a quite big caravan. It has a stove fridge etc.

                I have been carrying this aerogram around in my bag for about a month always intending to write and never finding the time. This is partly because I was so busy before Christmas – there was plenty of shopping to do and running around. Benjamin also had an operation to fix up an undescended right testicle. He was in the Sunshine Private hospital for a few days before Christmas.

                He didn’t miss Dennis or I at all. He was thoroughly spoilt by al the sisters and the other patients. He used to “visit” all the patients who really loved him. He was also allowed to go to the kitchen whenever he felt the urge for a drink or some food. He wasn’t sore at all which I think one of the reasons why he enjoyed himself so much.

                He is already 3 years 3 months – time flies. He is quite tall now, and still a bit blond.

                The cricket this summer has been great Australia leads in the struggle for the ashes 2-1. They should win the last test which finishes this week.  Every test has been full of interest, close and including many moments of great cricket. Much better than the “One-day Wack-ups” as Dennis calls them. An ex-South African has been doing quite well for Australia – Kepler Wessels.

                On February the First I start work again at Tottenham Tech. I will be teaching Year 11 Maths @ General Science Year 7 maths (2 groups) and Year 8 Science. Hope all is well with you,

                                                                                                Love Anne, Dennis @ Benjamin

Photos : Christmas 1982