Frasers Road Swimming Pool
[Closed in 1950]
The Coal Yard & other storiesPage 12 |
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Frasers Road Swimming Pool [Closed in 1950] |
Up the road a little further was a zig zag track that took pedestrians up the north side to Helensburgh Road and just near the foot of this track was a sand hill or cliff made from sand. The sand was very fine and was sent away for testing as a possible source of face powder. Bill Ellis did the carting of it but the test results were not satisfactory. On the left a bit further up from the sand hill was a picnic place that was accessed by a wooden bridge from the road. This was a popular site for not only the Sunday school picnics but for family gatherings also. My Uncle Jim Still taught his nephew Cliff to do head stands while the family was visiting this place, and Kathleen Mahon recalls the times when they caught freshwater lobsters and boiled them in a billy over a stream side fire. |
Other residents in the valley were the Venables family who grew grapes and tomatoes there. They used a hydraulic ram to pump water from the stream to the house. The click clack of the water driven device could be heard for some distance, and often-mystified people as to its reason. KAIKORAI MEMORIES |
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In Nairn Street Kaikorai was an old picture theatre known as the “Moulin Rouge” it was popular for many years and the boys loved to go upstairs into the gallery.
Later it was used for roller-skating and also many dances were held there. Earle Still recalled coming up from the city on the tramcar and calling in with his friends to watch the dancing.
Time went by very quickly and near midnight the boys set off for home. Halfway up the road they were met by Earl’s father Jim carrying a hurricane lantern. He had been sent out by his wife Jessie to look for Earle as it was so late. Just along from the Theatre was Blacklow’s fruit shop. Freddie Blacklow was the local blacksmith.
Jock Still (Edward Gilbert Still) and Earle were great cobbers and they spent a lot of time together. On one occasion Earle climbed up a big Macrocarpa tree to look for bird eggs. Jock encouraged him to go further out on the branches to reach a nest when the branch gave way. Earle was sent plunging down through the tree and plummeted 20 feet to the ground. Jock carried his unconscious cousin to the house where he recovered as they entered the door. Of course Jock being the older of the two received a real telling off for not looking after his junior. |
 Jim and Jessie Still with Earle, Connie and Nita. |
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