The Ellenis 1964
I was 12 when my parents decided to return to The UK from Australia. It was a decision that they would come to regret not very long after we arrived, and our return would take nearly five years to complete. Another story for another time.
I don't think my Mum was well, not that us kids were let in on the fact, nor were we let in on how the trip was financed. We were very smart poor kids and that is not an easy thing to be. It turned out that we were on the run. Dad informed us of this once we were clear of Australian Territorial waters. At that time there were four of us siblings. Jackie 16, George 14, me 12 and David 8 and Mum and Dad of course.
We had originally lived in Main Beach, on the Gold Coast and had travelled to Mount Martha in Victoria where my oldest brother, Ian, was stationed at Balcombe Army barracks. We weren't in Mount Martha for very long. Adelaide was out next destination, God Knows why. I remember that Jackie had to drive one of the cars we had with no licence. She was told to follow Dad in his old Humber Super Snipe and not to stop. So she did. In Adelaide it was a relief to have the heat after the coldness of Victoria. My parents had live there before and Dad seemed to be relieved that we were there.
Mum was not well, she was a depressive and slept a lot of the time, turning her face from the world. We kids managed as best we could, there was always someone to talk to or lean on and we muddled on. Dad was great, never letting on that there was anything seriously wrong with Mum. She slept in the cool bedroom, one eye open always, fooling us into thinking she was awake but she never was.
One day Dad came home and said we were going to England, he had booked us on a Greek Liner, The Ellinis, but we had to go back to Victoria and catch the ship from there. We all had to get vaccinated before we left, for smallpox amongst other diseases. The innoculations left marks in our arms that didn't hurt that much. The doctor said we might get a slight fever as a reaction to the needles, but we weren't worried. Us kids were Scots and made of stern stuff.We left on the overnight bus for Melbourne. We found out later that Dad had sold everything that was on hire purchase which wasand , the cars, the furniture. He really felt that the federal authorities would find out and arrest him, that is why we left so hastily.
My parents moved a lot, a lot. I myself went to 17 different schools. They had arrived as emigrants in the 50's. They lost a son, my brother James, aged 11 in a tragic accident 3 years after they arrived, by then my younger brother David had been born, the first Australian. After Jamie died Mum had a nervous breakdown, the first of many. I remember her being in hospital before Jamies death for "Nervous exhaustion"
After James death we began a nomadic journey across several states, always with a moving van following closely behind our Humber Super Snipe and at times we were towing a caravan.
Mum would go along with anything Dad said. He was good, my Dad, a dreamer and a muso and a bit of what the brits call a "Wide Boy" or con man. But he was a great Dad and when Times were tough he was always there. When we had money we lived high off the hog, salmon paste for sandwichesand lemonade to drink and when we were poor we were literally starving.
Mum was an upper class Brit who had gone through Grammar School. This was a class distinction for a daughter of a Yorkshire miner. She had been in the RAF during the second world war and suffered from what would be known these days as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We were only ever told she was "Highly Strung"
We duly arrived in Melbourne and Mum and Dad took us to the big stores to kill time before our sailing that night. Going up in the lift in Myers George started to feel ill and vomited, then I did and so did David. Jackie was not too bad. Dad was able to get us to a day hotel in St Kilda Road and I remember passing out on the bed and having the most vivid hallucinations. I can still remember them to this day. Gerard Scarfe type figures looming up in my heated head. Terrifying. We all went down like nine pins. This was the slight reaction we were getting to the innoculatins and there was nothing slight about them.
Sick and sorry for ourselves we boarded the ship that night and slid into crisp white linen sheeted beds almost as soon as we sailed. Ian had come to wave us off, he had tried everything to get out of the Army to come with us. But he was at Officer Training School at Portsea by then and there was no way they would let him leave.He said the Army was daft, telling us of one drill where the men fully dressed had to march off the end of Portsea Pier. Crazy !
Ian gave Dad an electric shaver as a going away present that was to be stolen within days.
God knows how but Dad had managed to get us a suite on a higher deck, so we were at a certain sitting for Dinner and mixed with all the really rich kids which was a wonder and delight for us. Mum was still not well and stayed in the suite a lot. George, David and I were in our element and went to all the movie and fancy dresses and parties. The Ellenis was a luxury Liner, mainly staffed by Greeks, who took a shine to us kids. Dad and Jackie entertained on the trip. Dad playing his 24 string hawaiian guitar that stood on four legs and went everywhere with him.
We were so proud of our Dad and Sister, Jackie singing her lungs out and Dad too. Strangely my Mother hated Dad entertaining and refused to most of the time to watch him play. Where she came from, Men had real jobs like down the "Pit" in Yorkshire.
I don't think my Mum was well, not that us kids were let in on the fact, nor were we let in on how the trip was financed. We were very smart poor kids and that is not an easy thing to be. It turned out that we were on the run. Dad informed us of this once we were clear of Australian Territorial waters. At that time there were four of us siblings. Jackie 16, George 14, me 12 and David 8 and Mum and Dad of course.
We had originally lived in Main Beach, on the Gold Coast and had travelled to Mount Martha in Victoria where my oldest brother, Ian, was stationed at Balcombe Army barracks. We weren't in Mount Martha for very long. Adelaide was out next destination, God Knows why. I remember that Jackie had to drive one of the cars we had with no licence. She was told to follow Dad in his old Humber Super Snipe and not to stop. So she did. In Adelaide it was a relief to have the heat after the coldness of Victoria. My parents had live there before and Dad seemed to be relieved that we were there.
Mum was not well, she was a depressive and slept a lot of the time, turning her face from the world. We kids managed as best we could, there was always someone to talk to or lean on and we muddled on. Dad was great, never letting on that there was anything seriously wrong with Mum. She slept in the cool bedroom, one eye open always, fooling us into thinking she was awake but she never was.
One day Dad came home and said we were going to England, he had booked us on a Greek Liner, The Ellinis, but we had to go back to Victoria and catch the ship from there. We all had to get vaccinated before we left, for smallpox amongst other diseases. The innoculations left marks in our arms that didn't hurt that much. The doctor said we might get a slight fever as a reaction to the needles, but we weren't worried. Us kids were Scots and made of stern stuff.We left on the overnight bus for Melbourne. We found out later that Dad had sold everything that was on hire purchase which wasand , the cars, the furniture. He really felt that the federal authorities would find out and arrest him, that is why we left so hastily.
My parents moved a lot, a lot. I myself went to 17 different schools. They had arrived as emigrants in the 50's. They lost a son, my brother James, aged 11 in a tragic accident 3 years after they arrived, by then my younger brother David had been born, the first Australian. After Jamie died Mum had a nervous breakdown, the first of many. I remember her being in hospital before Jamies death for "Nervous exhaustion"
After James death we began a nomadic journey across several states, always with a moving van following closely behind our Humber Super Snipe and at times we were towing a caravan.
Mum would go along with anything Dad said. He was good, my Dad, a dreamer and a muso and a bit of what the brits call a "Wide Boy" or con man. But he was a great Dad and when Times were tough he was always there. When we had money we lived high off the hog, salmon paste for sandwichesand lemonade to drink and when we were poor we were literally starving.
Mum was an upper class Brit who had gone through Grammar School. This was a class distinction for a daughter of a Yorkshire miner. She had been in the RAF during the second world war and suffered from what would be known these days as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We were only ever told she was "Highly Strung"
We duly arrived in Melbourne and Mum and Dad took us to the big stores to kill time before our sailing that night. Going up in the lift in Myers George started to feel ill and vomited, then I did and so did David. Jackie was not too bad. Dad was able to get us to a day hotel in St Kilda Road and I remember passing out on the bed and having the most vivid hallucinations. I can still remember them to this day. Gerard Scarfe type figures looming up in my heated head. Terrifying. We all went down like nine pins. This was the slight reaction we were getting to the innoculatins and there was nothing slight about them.
Sick and sorry for ourselves we boarded the ship that night and slid into crisp white linen sheeted beds almost as soon as we sailed. Ian had come to wave us off, he had tried everything to get out of the Army to come with us. But he was at Officer Training School at Portsea by then and there was no way they would let him leave.He said the Army was daft, telling us of one drill where the men fully dressed had to march off the end of Portsea Pier. Crazy !
Ian gave Dad an electric shaver as a going away present that was to be stolen within days.
God knows how but Dad had managed to get us a suite on a higher deck, so we were at a certain sitting for Dinner and mixed with all the really rich kids which was a wonder and delight for us. Mum was still not well and stayed in the suite a lot. George, David and I were in our element and went to all the movie and fancy dresses and parties. The Ellenis was a luxury Liner, mainly staffed by Greeks, who took a shine to us kids. Dad and Jackie entertained on the trip. Dad playing his 24 string hawaiian guitar that stood on four legs and went everywhere with him.
We were so proud of our Dad and Sister, Jackie singing her lungs out and Dad too. Strangely my Mother hated Dad entertaining and refused to most of the time to watch him play. Where she came from, Men had real jobs like down the "Pit" in Yorkshire.
