Childhood in Whyalla, South Australia

I spent most of my childhood years growing  up in Whyalla, South Australia which is situated at the top of the Spencer Gulf. 

Whyalla, means  as explained on the welcome board, where"The Outback Meets the Sea”. 

Matthew Flinders who named it Hummock Mount, first found Whyalla. nearly one hundred years later and it  became the Port of Hummock Hill.

By 1914 it was renamed Whyalla, which in aboriginal terms means small water hole.  

It has a rich history and has played a pivotal role in the industrial development and defence of Australia.

These illustrations are about some of the experiences and adventures that took place while growing up in Australia.

My parents moved to Whyalla, South Australia, in 1962 where my father worked building ships for Whyallas Ship Yard and Steel works industry. 

My childhood was somewhat different to the experience of the child city dweller, who was sheltered by their urban up bringing.  Our first house was situated in a very rural development. It over looked the Bush or Outback as the Australians would call it. My brother and I would often disappear into the bush with our new found friends,  most of whom were half clothed with swollen stomachs and  bare feet. Our friends were aboriginal children, who liked to share their tales of dreamtime. They were often mischievous which was infectious, leading to many uncanny adventures in the bush. Often deprived of food and also hungry,  they would teach us how to look for bush tucker, just as their ancestors did. Our milk would often disappear from our doorsteps and suspicious eyes would be quite unwelcoming ,  with tongues waggling and fingers were  pointing. Still though,  the Aboriginal children got fed.

Our summer holidays were long and for most adults,  they  were somewhat exhausting. Especially for my parents, who had to exercise discipline and develop strategies for coping with four children on long hot summers days, without family support. Fortunately for us though, Dad was an adventurous type of man who liked to live life on the edge at times; he loved the great out door life.  He often took us on small adventures, camping, swimming or fishing most weekends.( Apart from our school holidays, which lasted six weeks. ) The six of us with anticipation, would load up our Volkswagen Beetle with camping gear and head along the Spencer Gulf of South Australia not knowing where we would end up.

Those days and the experiences can never be forgotten as they are ingrained into my childhood memories and have stayed with me throughout my life. When I go home and visit my family in Australia we often talk about those experiences and adventures we had on those long hot summer days during our childhood. 

map of whyalla