Memories - Ida Franks

IDA FRANKS (nee BELLAMY) was born on 7th March 1894, the youngest of 13 children. Ida attended the school from about 1899 to 1908. Although she remembers Headmaster Henry, she particularly recalls the next headmaster, Mr. Thacker, and his fondness and enthusiasm for gardening and concerts.

Ida remembers the building of the 1902 extensions and says a fernery was built nearby. Each pupil was encouraged to bring along a pot plant, keep it in the fernery and look after it. As far as concerts were concerned, Ida recalls having play and song performances, we would even sometimes have them on the verandah of the residence ... the room would be opened up and Mrs. Thacker would play the piano".

I remember Mr. Thacker asking did anybody know the song Little Yellow Bird. I knew it, so I had to teach it to two other girls so we could sing it in a concert. Our parents came along to listen to us."

"At home my sister would play the piano and some of our neighbours would come and we would have a singsong. I remember home chores also. There was sweeping - we used to sweep the yards as well as the house in those days - and washing. We would get water from our well. At first we dipped it out with a bucket but later we had a hand pump. We heated it in a copper outside with a fire under it. For our bathwater we even stood the tub of water in the sun to warm it. We also had to help in the orchard, packing fruit in cases and taking them to the station for market on horse drawn carts. There were apricots, peaches, plums, pears ... and we would make jams and pickles."

Living in Pennant Parade in Hazeldene, Ida and her brothers and sisters didn't have very far to walk to school. 'We would have to walk down Carlingford Road, where Keeler Street is now, go through some bush, and just where Rickard Street is now, it wasn't there then, we would have to cut up there, through a little bit of bush, to the back of the old school ground." School started at 9.30 a.m. and finished at 3.30 p.m. and there were play and lunch breaks, much the same as there are now. I remember having homework, oh yes, sums mainly. If we didn't do it we had to stay in until we had finished."

"I remember the first basketball game at school. The bell post was right near the school gate. The basket was put up there. We had a tennis court further down in the school grounds and further down again was where the boys used to play cricket and football (soccer). We also played rounders and similar games. We used to go to Ryde baths to learn to swim."

Ida recalls teachers Mr. John Main and Mr. Smythe, but she cannot remember the ladies' names. 'We had exercise books to write in and we used pencils as well as pen and ink. When I first went there we had long seats but later we mostly sat in two seat desks. There were also prizes and awards at school for our work; these were mostly books. I think we had a small library in my later years at the school, but not when 1 first went there.

：I remember Earl Gorman as well as anything. He was always in a higher class than me, of course, because he was older."

Ida recalls with excitement the first time she saw a car, I can remember it coming along Pennant Hills Road, from Parramatta I suppose, and everybody was looking at it and were excited about it".

Most people didn't have a car then, so walking was the most common means of getting about. "There was a horse drawn bus between Parramatta and Carlingford and also to Epping, but we walked about the district. When we went on excursions to the Art Gallery or Museum and places like that we would walk to the station and go by train into Sydney."

One of the main events of the year, as far as Carlingford was concerned, was the Castle Hill Show. Ida and her family went every year. ：We would all go in our horse and cart. There would be horse jumping and racing, fruit displays, sewing and fancy work exhibits. There were also merry-go-rounds and I remember childrens' running races. Oh goodness, that's a long, long time ago!"

：I was married in 1919 in St. John's Church, Parramatta. St. Paul's Church at Carlingford was closed because of the pneumonic 'flu. Everybody, at that time, had to wear masks because of the 'flu and when we were married we were supposed to as well. However, when I got to the church door the minister was waiting, he said, 'I don't care, I'm not going to let you have that on' and he took it off."

Ida now lives at Pennant Hills and hopes to come to the celebrations in July. ：I wish the present students the very best for the centenary, I certainly do."

：IDA FRANKS - We sadly note that Ida passed away on the 13th June, 1983".