Everyone called my father “Bert”. I never heard anyone ever use his full name which was “Albert Joseph”. He was named after his father, Albert John Hazell, who, himself, was probably named after the Prince Consort Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. To us, his children Bert was simply “Dad” and to his grandchildren, he was “Pop”.
Bert was born at Gowan Brae private hospital in Hamilton (NSW) on 16th March, 1915. His parents were living at 3 James Street Hamilton and, as far as I know, the family lived here until they moved over to Merewether, possibly some time in the 1930’s as Dad was living there in 1936, before he was married.
Bert’s father (we called him “Father Hazell”) was quite a religious man, a Roman Catholic, and so Bert was duly baptised at St Joseph’s parish church in Merewether on the 28th March, and later went on to be confirmed at the Sacred Heart Church.
Bert’s mother (“Grandma” or “Grandma Hazell”) was named Mary, the eldest of a family of three children to Stephen Laurence Wilmott and Mary
Dad went to the public primary school in Wickham, and (I think) attended St. Aloysius school for some years before leaving to commence work at the Newcastle and District Cooperative Store (known simply as “The Store”). I am not sure whether dad completed the leaving certificate or not, but his education must have been quite comprehensive as he was a very intelligent and articulate (although generally quiet) conversationalist.
Group of students from Wickham Primary School. Dad is third from the left in the back row.
Bert had just one brother and no sisters. Uncle Neville was born (also at Gowan Brae Hospital) when dad was two years old. A photograph (below) of the family group taken at a picnic shows Bert as a teenager (my guess). Others in the photo include Father Hazell, Grandma (Mary Wilmott) and “Aunty Kath” (Grandma’s adopted sister).
Bert (second from the left and next to Uncle Neville) is proudly dressed, with long, white trousers and cuff links on his shirt. Indeed, the whole group is well turned out, and wearing their best outfits. The picnic setting includes a silver tea pot, China tea set, biscuits, and a loaf of some type. I expect the occasion may have been the Store Annual Picnic, given that the photo looks to have been taken by a professional photographer.
Dad at work
To the best of my knowledge Bert worked at the Newcastle Co-op Store and was working there when he married Mum (see below). Here is a lovely photo of Dad and his workmates at the Store. He’s the one dressed in a tie with his hair parted down the middle.
With children following on soon after the wedding, Bert had a number of other jobs to bring in extra money. One of these was working for 2HD radio station as a gardener at their Sandgate studios. He had to ride to Sandgate and back on his bicycle. Using the same conveyance he worked on Saturdays for an SP bookie, picking up the bets and delivering the winnings to customers around Merewether and the Glebe (suburbs of Newcastle). He was actually held in custody overnight on one occasion but was not charged as the local sergeant know Dad and his family circumstances.
When the Second World War broke out, Newcastle and the Hunter became a major location for defence industries, including a munitions factory at the BHP steelworks.
After the War was over, Bert bought a milk delivery business (which we called “The Run”) at New Lambton which covered also part of New Lambton Heights. This change of job caused a major change to Dad’s lifestyle and the social dynamics of the family.
Dad would start his “day” at around 12:30 am and, after eating a light snack that Mum would have left out for him, he would drive to the Dairy Farmers Factory in Hunter Street, Newcastle to load up with milk and other dairy products such as cream, and later, yoghurt etc. He’d start his run around 1:30 and finish around 7:30, delivering milk to shops after he had finished the households. Then he’d return to the Factory to offload the empty milk bottles.
Upon returning home, Dad would get a few hours sleep during the day, but would also work in the yard. He was an avid gardener, maintaining a large vegetable garden as well as flower beds and a very large lawn. He was always undertaking whatever maintenance and repair jobs that were required from week to week.
My brothers and I helped out on the milk run on Saturdays and Sundays. Ken and Jeff can recall when milk was delivered in bulk containers (cans) before the introduction of bottles. Thankfully, that was before my opportunity to help came along.
Bert sold his business in the 1960s and purchased a smaller run, this time on flatter ground at Broadmeadow. The run took less time and, no doubt, was a lot easier for Dad to manage.
Marriage
