How did your early experiences shape who you became?

I learned early on to be innovative and make do. Grandma Brown was strict - if I got into trouble and got a whipping, Dad would say ‘You know it takes two to make an argument. Have you noticed I never answer back?’ Those were his words of wisdom, and by hell he was right because I used to answer back and then I’d get the razor strop or cane.

I was really a tomboy - I used to dress up as a boy, Billy Brown. I didn’t want girls’ shorts, I wanted boys’ pants. I’d sell papers out on the chomping block. Grandma Brown was a milliner and tried to teach me hat making, but that wasn’t for me - I made one of those piece hats and that was it. I was taught how to knit and sew and everything, and I can do it, but I’m only good at putting elastic in things. I’m not very good at putting zips in!

Sunday mornings were special - that’s when I learned so much about fixing things that Jack knew nothing about. I worked up in the shed with Dad - I was the son he never had, and he used to appreciate that. My hearing was pretty good back in those days, and I could always hear him opening his secret beer bottles up there. Grandma Brown hated any alcohol, but he would have his two bottles on a Sunday. I would hear the top come off that first bottle, and I’d run and get my medicine glass and go and join him. At about 8, 9, 10 years of age, I’d have what I thought was a real beer with him - though it was just a medicine glass worth! He’d show me how to do things in the shed, so I learned a lot from him.

Dad was a plumber by trade. He used to fix windmills in the country - a lot of the Billabong windmills you might still see around in the country, he was responsible for installing those on farms. He was a very cool, calm, and collected man, never got ruffled. When I got into trouble with Grandma Brown and got a whipping, he’d say ‘Been in trouble again, have you? You know, it takes two to make an argument. Notice how I never argue.’

It’s funny how life works - they say you marry somebody that’s like you, but Dad was completely different from Jack. Dad was so capable and handy, while Jack wouldn’t have known which end of the hammer to use. Sometimes I think it’s a wonder I didn’t get the hammer and hit Jack on the head with it! But those early years with Dad shaped me - learning to be practical, to fix things, to make do with what we had. Even now, when I think about how I handle things and stay calm in difficult situations, I can see Dad’s influence.

Those early experiences taught me to be independent and resourceful. When you grow up learning to fix things, make do, and solve problems, it stays with you. That’s why even now, at 93, I can handle all my own medications and keep everything organized. I learned from an early age that if you want something done, you figure out how to do it yourself!