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Note: Frederick Joseph was the youngest of nine children. Known as Fred, he had green eyes, black hair and was about five foot eight tall.
Fred's father, Joseph William, died when Fred was nine years old. I guess Fred looked to his four older brothers as father figures (until they all went off to the war). I believe Fred went to Kilkenny School, he probably left when he was fourteen. He told me he had to milk the cows before going to school.
In 1925, Fred married Alice Gibbons. They had a son, who died in infancy. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1933.
In 1934 Fred was living at Moonta where, he married Mona Smith. They returned to Kilkenny to live. Their son, Kevin John was born in November 1934 but died seventeen days later.
Apparently, Fred and his mother had an intense arguement which resulted in Fred tearing up his and Mona's marriage certificate plus two dresses he had brought for Mona. They must have returned to Moonta as their second child, Sylvie, was born there in 1935.
After the death of his mother in 1936, Fred and Mona purchased a house (wood and iron) at 61 Way Street, Kilburn. After paying for the property, they went to the pictures with their last two shillings. Except for a short time at Moonta (after Fred lost his leg) they remained at Kilburn until 1960. They sold up and built a new brick house at Lot 6 Hatherleigh Road, Parafield Gardens.
Mum had to work alternate weekends (1960 Childrens Hospital), so over lunch Dad would often tell me about the pranks he and his mates pulled. For example, chaining the local policeman's bike to the picket fence at the Kilkenny Railway Station. One New Year's Eve, they painted a black stallion with white wash. The owner believed his stallion had been stolen - until it rained.
Fred worked as a labourer, assembler, and fitter. By 1934 he was a motor mechanic, and in 1945 he was a diesel engineer. Fred was able to listen to an engine and tell what was wrong with it, he could dismantle an engine and reassemble it from memory and have it start first try. Fred was employed by International Harvester at Mile End, who sold and serviced farm equipment and army vehicles.
When my brother Bill was about six months old, Dad had an accident at work. He was working on a tractor when a heavy chain fell, crushing his legs. Fred was admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where his left leg was amputated just below the knee and his right foot at the instep.
Fred felt he was "finished," so he packed up his family and went to Moonta to live. One day a farmer friend persuaded Fred to have a look at his tractor. Fixing the tractor gave Fred the confidence to return to work at International, where he stayed until his sudden death in 1962.
Apart from occassional problems with his stumps, Fred also had a cataract on his left eye. In 1951 he had an operation to remove it, but it wasn't successful. At the time he was in hospital, Sylvie was in casualty because she had sliced her fingertip off while at work. Fred was a smoker (he rolled his own cigarettes) and suffered from severe bouts of bronchitis.
When he was a young man, Fred rode an 'Indian Chief' motor bike, he rode in scramble races at Sellicks Beach. I remember a glass fruit bowl with an ornate stand, that he won.
Fred drove a new 1958 FE Holden and before that a 1948 Holden. Earlier though he had a black 501 Fiat with a canvas roof and four doors. When the family went out, four kids fitted on the back seat, the other two sat on small play chairs borrowed from the kids. During WWII Fred was stopped by a policeman who accused him of exceeding the speed (war time) limit. Dad's reply, "This car only has two speeds, 'flat-out and stop'!"
Fred loved to tinker - he subscribed to a magazine which provided instructions for various projects. He built a battery charger and a turntable/amplifier (for his collections of 78 RPM records), among other things. He built Bill two minature stream engine, made from brass. He made Ivy, Joan and me (Betty), wooden furniture for the cubby house he built.
Fred was interested in photography. He developed his own films, built an enlarger and experimented with various techniques (on the kitchen table). He also oil painted a few of his enlargements.
The block at Kilburn was 175 feet long by 65 feet wide and Fred, being a keen gardener, had stone fruit, citrus, fig, quince, and several almond trees plus grape vines. Between the trees he grew vegetables. Fred also kept chooks and, occasionally, ducks. Around the front he grew rose bushes. When I was born, Dad planted a loquat tree in the middle of the back lawn (I grew quicker than it did).
Dad could be bad-tempered and stubborn, but he was a fair man - do right by him and he'd do right by you. He always "said don't ever break a promise to a child." I don't believe he ever did!
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