A trip down memory lane

The two residents took centre stage at ‘Memory Lane’ – a special event showcasing their stories and honouring the contributions that older Australians make throughout their lifetime.

More than 100 guests came along to hear Pat wax lyrical about his adventures working as a Sydney tram and bus driver, before Winn told tales of her life in singing and theatre.

Pat said he was delighted to share some highlights from the 32 years he spent working for the NSW Department of Public Transport.

“I began working as a tram conductor in Sydney in 1952. I worked on the old style trams that had foot boards on the sides of the trams and I walked up and down both sides to collect fares. It was cold, windy and wet in the winter and in the summer time it was just plain HOT,” he recalled.

When the Sydney tram system closed in 1961, Pat was transferred to Waverley Bus Depot where he took on dual roles of both conducting and driving.

“I found very quickly that it took twice as many buses to transport half as many people than it did on the trams and it was a lot slower driving in traffic. In those days, the majority of buses were old green double deckers that wouldn’t do over 30 mph,” he said.

Pat also recollected the time he was driving a bus to Watsons Bay with two American tourists on board.

“I stopped the bus on the way out of Rose Bay so they could get out and take photos of Sydney Harbour. They were so thrilled that I had done that for them, they wrote to the Department to let them know how accommodating I had been and how much they appreciated my kind act.”

“Little did they know that I would then be reprimanded by the Department for stopping the bus and impacting on my timetable schedule!”

Winn Kessey also entertained guests with her stories of singing and performing from an early age.

Winn began singing as a 13 year old at Sunday school and loved it so much that she began entering eisteddfods and singing at weddings from the age of 15.

Her talk culminated in her joining Forster community theatre troupe, ‘Girls Night Out,’ for a special musical performance.

Following the talks, guests perused some imaginative displays created by Forster Bunnings and featuring a colourful array of theatre costumes and memorabilia on loan from the Sydney Bus Museum.

BaptistCare Kularoo Centre Residential Manager, Deidre Moylan, thanked the local community for their support of the special event.

“We really wanted to try something new to bring our residents, their family and friends together,” she said.

“Pat and Winn had a wonderful time, as did all of our guests who really enjoyed a little trip down memory lane.”