What was your mum like when you were a child?

My mother was small and very strict. Interestingly enough, she would always stick up for me. However, I didn’t know much about what she thought about things. In those days, children were meant to be seen and not heard. That’s why I got in so much trouble for answering back!

My mother worked as a tea lady to help pay for my schooling. Dad would have sent me to a state school. But Mum was determined to send me somewhere nice. She never liked state schools because they were for “common people” and she didn’t want me to go to the “common school”.

If I didn’t pronounce my words correctly, she used to say to me “you sound like one of those common people from Collingwood or Fitzroy”. But we were living in St Kilda at the time! I went to the girl’s high school opposite the Ritz Hotel. Now it’s apartments, but it’s a big bluestone building.

She had higher ideals. She wanted me to be something better. And I think it’s pretty good when you think about it, with me being the adopted child in the house. Of course, at this time I had no idea. I think she saw something in me - I don’t know what! - because she was very impressed with the music.

She never really said she was proud of me. But she always encouraged me to continue with music. My mother was a bit like me, and she always had the piano open when there were children around. She was very impressed that I could go and pick out a tune she’d been playing. I couldn’t explain how I did it, I just knew.

She played the piano beautifully from sheet music. Her own mother wanted her to be a music teacher. But my mum wanted to be a schoolteacher instead! Her parents wouldn’t allow her to take the school teaching course because, back then, it was easy to stop girls from doing things. In those days, your parents ruled the roost.

Their other daughter Rua, was quiet and just went along with everything. They had sent her to a state school. She was 10 years older than me, and became a milliner. She could make clothes, and would often make some for me. Rua was very quiet, but I loved her so much. She was always very nice to me. She once said to me, “I don’t know why you want to find out who your parents were, you already have parents!”

But I wanted to know where I fit! I could tell that I didn’t fit here. Everyone was too nice!