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| Corner of Cochrane and Craig Streets, Red Hill |
While her husband William was away, in Darwin then New Guinea and Borneo, Grandma worked towards the idea of a home of their own with their daughter, Violet, my mother.
You have heard of girls putting together a Glory Box ready for their marriage?
Well my Grandmother put together a Glory House!
While William was away, Myrtle gradually put on lay-by furniture, and utensils ready for their new home. She used a firm, Trittons, which was well known in Brisbane, but which sadly no longer exists
Among the treasures Mum and I have inherited were lots of lay-by receipts like the one below.
Grandma made regular payments off items for their future: a bedroom suite, a kitchen dresser and table and more.
Ready for time after the war when they could be a family together in their own home.
It took time after the war. Getting yourself back into civilian life was not easy. Granddad was trying to find out if he could take over the payments of the house which had been lost when his father had an accident but that was not successful. (This is a whole other story that I still need to do further research upon.)
In 1949, this deposit was paid on 1 James Street, Fortitude Valley. The house was owned by William’s uncle Edward Courtenay and it was to become William and Myrtle’s family home for the rest of their lives.
3 Responses to “H is for Home”
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I love that your grandma was putting together a 'glory house'. Good on her. And you're lucky to have so much ephemera that records the history.
Yes I am hugely lucky Grandma was a hoarder! There are so many lovely bits that have a story behind them. And to the average person they are just scrap paper!
Helen I have visions of your family and mine crossing paths around Kelvin Grove/Red Hill. Somehow it's funny the overlap…six degrees of separation.