E02 – Shirley and George got married
Produced by David Ward on July 20, 2017
Tags - Eudunda Farmers - Gawler - George Lucas - Interviewed by Maureen McKenzie - Shirley Lucas - Timer Fashions
In the early 1930’s South Gawler won 3 premierships in 5 years, you could buy bacon for 1 shilling a pound, and a young Shirley Davidson and her family moved to town.
In what was clearly a fun-to-be-a-part-of interview, GOHP host Maureen McKenzie chats with Shirley Lucas (and her husband George) about her early years in Gawler, from milking cows on the farm, to attending those dances so frowned upon by the Methodist congregation, to delivering orders around town on her pushbike for Eudunda Farmers, working at Timer Fashions and singing The Messiah in the Gawler Barossa Ontario Choir, Shirley has tried her hand at a few things over her years, and she and George are still laughing about life.
Shirley Lucas
Shirley Lucas (nee Davidson) and her husband George have had a long and fun life living around Gawler, and have memories and experiences that make up our town’s history
(Image courtesy of Maureen McKenzie)
George’s Ford 10
George’s fondly remembered Ford 10 sedan
(Image courtesy of George & Shirley Lucas)
Gawler High School and Technical College
George attended the Gawler High School and Technical College, originally located on Lyndoch Rd where the Immanuel Lutheran Primary School is today.
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
RAAF Kittyhawk
The Davidson family farm was acquired to build the Gawler & Mallala Airfield during WWII. The squadron of Kittyhawks stationed there were later sent to fight in New Guinea (Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Eudunda Farmers’ Co-operative Society
In 1944 Shirley left school to work at the Eudunda Farmers’ Co-operative Society, located on Murray St where Ned’s is now. This photo shows how it looked in 1947, while Shirley was working there
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Eudunda Farmers’ Counter Staff 1947
Taken in 1947, this picture shows a young Shirley Lucas (nee Davidson) and the counter staff at the Eudunda Farmers’ Co-operative Society
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Eudunda Farmers’ Staff 1947
Here’s Shirley pictured with all the staff of the Eudunda Farmers’ Co-operative Society in 1947.
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Pounds, shillings and pence
Like many businesses at the time, the counter staff at Eudunda Farmers would fill in a docket listing all the purchases, and then send the payment and docket via the “flying fox” to the clerk, who would record the transaction and send back the change!
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Taylor Bros Butter Factory
George’s family used to supply the cream to the Taylor Bros Butter Factory on Eighth Street.
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Eighth St Butter Factory
The Eighth St butter factory, originally built by the Taylor Brothers in 1906 continued to produce butter for export and local consumption right up into the 1970s
(Image courtesy of the Gawler History Team)
Things weren’t always easy in this era, but Shirley’s experiences show us how people worked, lived and loved through an era of depression and war. With stories of schools and swing bridges, mills and butter factories, knights and comrades, and marriage and family, click the link below to hear Shirley Lucas turn her memories into history.
Production notes
Title: GOHP E02 – Shirley and George got married
Guest: Shirley Lucas
Host: Maureen McKenzie
Editor: Ian McDonnell
Producer: Barry Neylon
Transcript: Maureen McKenzie
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GOHP E02 – Shirley and George got married by Gawler Oral History Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
