MANY JOBS MANY SKILLS.
To my devout band of followers, is you still there Nirvana and Joel?, and who's that, David and Michael Farley?
So far you will know of several professions I have mastered, robber, sheep shit digger, lavacide applicator, paper boy, errand boy, fisher person. School Prefect, oh yeah, my tenure in this position ceased when nicotine stain was discovered on my fingers, motor bike mechanic, motor bike detailer, and bugger me again, (it's the key words), I forgot that Uncle Chris and Uncle Bruce raced dirt bikes at the Sports Stadium, now the memories of their gear come back to me; big leather boots with hob nails, full leather top and trousers, a stupid helmet, big glasses and heavy leather gloves, the bikes, sorry, all I can remember, (5 or 6), were; noisy, big lugs on the tires and always the "boys" were covered in mud.
Returning to 112 from Ballina just prior to Christmas, I guess we, at least me, settled into city life, that is, until mum suggested a working future was my option, or.
A couple of weeks after Xmas John Farley as he was then known set out on a quest for real work.
TOOLMAKER / JOURNEYMAN
Not far from Palmer Street in a Street called Riley Street I became aware of a notice board suggesting they wanted a laborer, enquiries by your's led to an interview, one of many in my time. The proprietor, Mr. Jack Hills, engaged me on probation and seven years later I emerged as a Toolmaker Journeyman, with reservations. I was elated and so was mum.
Initially, I was indeed a "Gofa", sweeping, errands, lunch orders, dirty, talked down to, and "dated, read goosed".
Suggestions soon were directed in regard to becoming an Apprentice, due thought, and yes please. I commenced my training at Ultimo Technical College soon after on the princely sum of 3 Pounds and 10 shillings per week, ($7 dollars). I would not receive the full adult wage for seven years.
So I was indeed a "Gofa", sweeping, errands, lunch orders, dirty, and "dated, read goosed" all over again, but nearly a tradesman.
So many notable anecdotes were derived from; Repetition Manufacturing Company, Pty Ltd, 163 Riley Street East Sydney, or was it 162 Riley Street, it will take some time to relate, so bear with me.
The big brick building had been a Bakery, very high ceilings, and two story. The entrance was on the right hand side, next store was Repco Engineering. At the back of the building was a large concrete structure, and I mean a very serious thickness of concrete was used in its construction, as well it might be. The building had been an air raid shelter during the war years, and another memory has just come back.
I REALLY CAN'T REMEMBER, but my mum related a story suggesting that Denis Payne Farley, my dad, owned a petrol station not far from Bondi where we lived, circa 1943, the Axis shelled Bondi from submarines. At the same time or there about, Clive Snowdon was stationed at Newcastle manning an Ack Ack battery. Apparently the same craft let go a couple into the crowded harbor, Clive's battery lowered their guns and proceeded to engage this pesky boat. As Clive would relate later; "Our guns were located near Nobbys Headland quite close to the, then, power station. As we had definite sightings and a general direction we were instructed to lower our guns and fire on the barstards, one problem, the power station got in the road and a couple of anti aircraft shells passed through the bloody building".
And you see my father and my step-father had an association. I was very young.
No more deviations he says. Repetition P / L was just that, a small engineering company devoted to manufacturing large production "runs", we made screen door hinges, Holden Gear Lever Locks, we made axles and steering linkage shafts for the Le Tourneau people, we produced many splendid individual items of engineering and we had a welding section. There was Johnnie, Ken, Jack of course Johnnie's dad, Arnold, Ken, Leo, Mike, Me and others, they will come back to me. Ken was the foreman and good at it.
For the first couple of years I was diligent in studies, Ultimo Tech. was attended on Wednesday one week and Tuesday and Thursday nights the other. For some reason an idea entered my head to go to sea as a Radio Operator and I enrolled in the Marconi School of Wireless Operators Course, remember the A.W.A Building, the tallest structure in town? Well Marconi had their training rooms in the basement of this building.
No problem here until; the training days and nights changed for both, big dilemma, I chose Marconi. Two nights a week for 9 months, Morse code sending and receiving and radio and electronic theory had me a Radio Operators Ticket, so I sat on it. Morse code I excelled at, 30 to 32 a minute was reasonably comfortable, in German a little slower and I must point out that this language I know not, it simply was a preemptive exercise.
But that's ok; I missed a lot of the third year but picked up later.
NOW I AM 'JIGGY JIG MAN'
Very soon, a couple of years, and JohnFarls was let loose designing Jigs and Fixtures' and Production tools, he became a tool and cutter grinder and designed cutting and shaping tools for long production runs. The FB Holden and some very secret components became an exercise in design techniques. We were supplied with a small length of the steering column complete with the gear bell housing. My job was to design and manufacture a prototype "Gear Lever Lock" and have our company submit for approval. The project was successful and we began to "tool up", have die cast moulds made while I set to work on the machining and assembly fixtures, simply, the lock fitted around the steering tube in two halves, it was secured in place by hardened bolts and had a case hardened pin that entered the bell housing. We manufactured the barrel locks, these were assembled in our up stairs production area. A production run of 3000 per key combination and we upheld our responsibility as a major contractor to Repco, the Holden Spare Parts Dealer.
Before I describe to you the layout of the premises, what about some of my earlier duties. The apprentice is traditionally the errand boy, the whipping post, the center of sarcasm, the lunch boy, but don't be deeply concerned because revenge is sweet. Only once are you asked to order a Soup Sandwich from the shop, go and fetch a left handed screwdriver, or a man making tool. Ask the foreman for a piece of cast iron putty. We all to put up with their puerile sense of humor and undergo certain unsavory practices like "goosing". Leo worked on the Capstan Lathe just inside the entrance to the workshop, as you walked behind him and your back was turned a crude attempt at masculine friendship occurred. To a young boy the act was repulsive.
Behind his lathe was a narrow passage way and then a rack of bright steel section. I intended to beat Leo at his game, a plan was hatched, one day, walking slowly behind him I ran as I passed, his action was to drive the "finger" into the steel rack, result; me one, Leo's finger broken.
MEN WERE PRICKS. GIRLS BECAME BLUE
The attempts at embarrassment were not always addressed to the male gender. During the war women were employed as machinists, frequently the lathe handles were smeared on the bottom with "Prussian Blue". The 'blue' ended up around their hands, (and elseware). A lady who worked at Repco related this story.
After this awful trivia, move on John.
The bosses son and I were prone to mischief, playing pranks on the senior men. Arnold was Fitter and Turner and very good at his job, regrettably he was somewhat eccentric and had little habits we found strange. He had a small port which always contained his morning tea and his lunch, he always had 4 Sao biscuits for morning tea with cheese, he had this peculiar habit of liberating the crumbs from his biscuit by tapping with his index finger. His port always resided beside him on the "duck board" of his lathe. His humor was non existent and he frequently quoted from the bible. OK, I really sound unprecedentedly sarcastic, sorry. Let me tell a story and I will get of this subject.
Arnold stood on the duck board always in the same spot, so John and I devised a "Pendulum attack", we attached a water filled balloon on a strong string directly over his head and at head level, a string was attached just above the balloon and the apparatus drawn to a nearby post. When every one was at lunch we tested our pendulum, it worked. Arnold returned from lunch and sure enough adopted his position in front of his lathe, I signaled and the bosses son released the string, the water laden balloon swung downwards on track for Arnold's head, a matter of feet from contact Arnold bends forward and the balloon whizzes past the back of his head, the balloon on its return again missus our target and for John that was enough, he hauls in the string and the missile to whence it came. I swear Arnold never knew what almost hit him, we never tried anything as stupid again.
Mike was Swedish and a man of huge proportions, he was very strong and girls he had a complexion to die for, no hair was evident on his obvious body, his skin was unblemished, John Hills found to his dismay not to tangle with the otherwise gentle giant. After a little cheek one day John found himself upside down in a 44 gallon drum.
The term Journeyman is just that, the final 2 years of your 7 year term was spent working at various factories for about 4 months about to gain experience in different engineering principles.
Must describe the factory and move on. As described the building was rigidly constructed, very solid timber posts supported the floor above also of solid timber boards. As you entered the downstairs machine room there was Leo and his Capstan Lathe, Arnold was further along on the right also, his lathe was centre variety about a 3 yard bed. Alan worked the big centre lathe, he had the window views at the front of the factory. On the right of the building and heading back to the entrance was a boring lathe and a couple of upright drills, another lathe was on the right of the passage way with a milling machine along side. A little further on was another capstan lathe. The offices were on the left of the drive way. Out the back was a section for electric welding, up stairs was a vast area for assembly, and out the back yard the air raid shelter which served as a storage area for steel sections and non-ferrous metals.
SOME DIGRESSION, SOME OTHER THINGS
During my tenure at Riley Street many life things had occurred, change in address's, new friends, new things to do and generally the growing of whiskers. We hung out in the W'LOO, Darlinghurst, Taylors Square and South Sydney area including Sydney. Bruce and Kina had sold the laundry and bought a Sandwich shop in Riley Street, near William. Grandma had sold, (1958?), and moved to 3 Knight street St. Peters, and now I can tell you that the old Tenement is no longer there.
Progress, call it what you want, it's bound to happen. Eventually the under ground system of Sydney expanded. Coming off the Cahill Expressway through the Domain and entering Palmer Street, the entrance to the Kings Cross tunnel commenced roughly at 112 Palmer. Many of the old buildings were demolished including ours. But you and I have memories of what preceded.
I am battling to have a flowing narrative at this stage, how about I fill in the seven years at Repetition.
Socially we had some fun times, dances at the Paddington Town Hall, The Catholic Hall at Taylors Square, the Movies, Sydney stuff, like every other two to three weeks a group of us boys would hit the big smoke. First stop, Grace Bros. for a haircut, manicure, yeah, and while we only had bum fluff, a shave and hot towels. Grace Bros. had a very large hairdressing Salon, probably 8 / 10 chairs, the cost was minimal. Feeling refreshed we would proceed to Walter Lindrums Snooker Parlor and play pool and snooker, and maybe leave there and go to another Pool Hall. Grab a milkshake and a hotdog and go to a dance studio like Phyllis Bates and learn Ballroom dancing and my favorite Latin American, only sometimes the instructors were blokes.
We might take in a movie, or just walk around the City, down to Circular Quay, we might even go to the Museum in College Street, and just for a change from hot dogs, a bowl of long soup, many Chinese Café's at Liverpool St. or near the Sydney Fruit Markets, (China Town). Or, if a big game of Footie was on out to the Stadium, go South Sydney, and they did back then and they win their share now.
Newly learnt dance steps were practiced at the Catholic Hall that night, ‘cause there was girls, or a movie.
THE FIRST INTRODUCTION TO AVALON SURF CLUB
There was the Football and the beaches, an older mate of mine, Doug, would disappear in the summer months and went I knew not where. Soon found out he belonged to Avalon Surf Club. "Doug, you wooze those guys are pansies". I was invited to join him on a journey early 1956, we arrived at the club late on the Friday and was greeted by Jackie Watt, he liked me because he pissed up my leg.
Let me tell you that the weekend progressed at an incredible pace, we went to the famous Newport Arms, had a couple and stayed in the Club's Bunkroom, the following day the surf was up, met a girl, and surfed some more. The next day met the same girl. Surfed some more. Met several of Doug's friends and generally thought how long has this place been here. With one short break Avalon SLSC was my home for the next 18 years. This then commenced my volunteers "gift" to society, 34 years and counting. The Avalon story deserves a page of its own, and it will.
I left Repetition in 1962 as an Indentured Toolmaker Journeyman and commenced work at the Avalon Beach RSL Club as Cellar Man / Store man. More soon.
I will conclude this personal narrative with the eventual list of professions that have been accomplished;
Very junior Station hand, Paper Boy, Bike fixer, Fitter and Turner and Toolmaker, Cellarman, Milko, Maintenance fitter, Safety Officer, Water Treatment Installion Fitter, Instrument Fitter, Service Engineer. And then was; Pool Maintenance Manager, Salesman Industrial Brushware, Self employed Pool Consultant, Tiler and Painter, Assistant Catering Manager, Fiberglass Laminator, Electrical Trades Assistant, Licensed Fisherman, Bar person. Followed by; Bar Manager, Bottle Shop manager, Assistant Hotel Manager, Hospitality Instructor / Trainer, Client Services Hospitality, Contract Cleaner, Salesman in Music and Recordings, finally; 10 years S.E.S Membership, Trainer and Facilitator, Dep. Controller. And had a good time doing it.
Before I conclude this Historiette, hope you WILL stay with it, I will return to "And having a good time doing it", Just a thought; maybe some of my memoirs will be usfull to researchers, feel free to borrow, but remember COPYRIGHT. 'Cause you won't be my new friend.
AUSTRALIAN BUSH POEMS, MAYBE, BUSH POETRY, COULD BE.
