STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

J. D. SOMERVILLE ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION

OH 643/7

Full transcript of an interview with

EDNA STAPLETON

on 22 April 2002

By Lee Clark

Recording available on CD

Access for research: Unrestricted

Right to photocopy: Copies may be made for research and study

Right to quote or publish: Publication only with written permission from the State Library

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OH 643/7 EDNA STAPLETON

NOTES TO THE TRANSCRIPT

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J.D. SOMERVILLE ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION, STATE

LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: INTERVIEW NO. OH 643/7

Interview with Mrs Edna Stapleton recorded by Lee Clark on the 22nd

April 2002

for the Red Cross Oral History Project.

TAPE 1 SIDE A

The subject is the history of the work of the Australian Red Cross, South

Australian Division. The interview is being recorded for the Red Cross Archives

and the Mortlock Library JD Somerville Oral History Collection. The interview

is held with Edna Stapleton on the 22nd

April 2002. The interviewer is Lee Clark.

The interview was held at Lee Clark’s home.

Edna, would you give the listeners just a brief history of your background? Are

you a South Australian country girl or did you come from somewhere else?

I was born at Nuriootpa in South Australia on the 26th February nineteen hundred

and sixteen. My parents were Bert and Rose Warnest and they were a very loving,

community-minded family. I happen to be the eldest of a family of four. For some

reason or other, being the eldest, I always seemed to be able to accompany Mother or

Dad for some community function, whatever. I don’t know that it was – no, it

wasn’t specifically Red Cross in those days, but we were always doing something.

And then somewhere along the line, I didn’t know about Red Cross – I suppose

perhaps it was in school days I knew that there was a world organisation that was

involved, I think, with wars – and then I left, in 1936 I left home to begin my nursing

training at the Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. And I used to go home at time off or

when I could afford it – at ten shillings a week it wasn’t very often – (laughs) and I

remember, I think it was way back in ’39, going home and found Mother busy

baking to get together food parcels to send overseas, and she was also knitting, and

they were involved in working for Red Cross for the soldiers. And I always did love

knitting so I went back to the Children’s Hospital and I started a knitting circle. We

had quite a following. Sisters, the Deputy Matron joined us and staff, and in our

time off we knitted. I didn’t keep a record of what we knitted, how many, but I

know there were a lot. And I don’t quite remember whether we actually bought the

wool or whether it was supplied from Red Cross or somewhere, I don’t know that I

bothered about it. There was wool. We may have bought some for ourselves. And

we were generally involved with lots of servicemen, soldiers. There was the Cheer

Up Hut and of course nurses were very popular escorts for soldiers in those days.

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Edna, could you just explain to the listeners what the Cheer Up Hut was?

(laughter)

There again, I don’t know exactly who established it, but it was a general meeting

place for servicemen moving through Adelaide, and they had this wonderful piano

there which Red Cross still has, doesn’t it, and I think it’s autographed by many of

those people.

Where was it located? (pause) Can’t remember?

I just can’t remember. It was – no, I just don’t remember. We just went there.

(laughs)

Right. And it was for servicemen returning and leaving? Or just the servicemen

prior to ….. ….. …..

Just servicemen, just during the War. People meeting – it was a general meeting

place, because many of those servicemen had no relatives, they had no contact with

anyone in Adelaide –

Oh, right.

– and they would meet there, and I think there were facilities – I don’t know who

supplied meals, but we mainly went to cheer them up and entertain them with

dancing, this piano and songs round the piano.

So the nurses were popular?

Oh, very popular! (laughter)

Can you remember any of the songs that were ….. ….. ….?

Oh, well, all these old songs that – – –.

I’m sure some of them are there in your memory.

You hear them on – yes, ‘Roll out the barrel’ –

‘Keep the home fires burning’.

– and ‘Keep the home fires burning’ and all those, and then ‘I’m off to Blighty’ or

something – what was it? Yes.

Going back to your wonderful knitting circle, what sort of items were you

knitting?

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We were knitting socks and balaclavas and knee covers and mittens – I’ve got a

photo at home of myself with our knitting, busy with our needles.

And what other memories, just really focusing on that Second World War period?

Went to the Cheer Up Hut – were there any other – – –?

Oh, that was mainly with Adelaide. I remember when I went home to Nuri the Red

Cross branch there talked me into giving some home nursing lectures to them.

(laughs) I hate to think how I –

What ….. ….. …..?

– how skilled they were, but they were apparently very pleased. And so then of

course I wanted to enlist and become a nurse to go overseas, and this was the aim of

most nurses and most sisters in those days, and they just said, ‘Go away, get some

experience, because we’ve got enough.’ So I didn’t manage that.

So you didn’t do overseas service.

No, I didn’t do overseas service.

Right. And were you involved at all in the program down at the Port welcoming

soldiers home, or – – –?

No, I wasn’t involved in that. I actually – I met my husband in 1942 while I was

nursing at Wakefield Street, and eventually we married, and he went overseas and

for a number of years I was in limbo doing private nursing and not involved with

anything other than nursing. Then we married and the family started to arrive, and I

finished up with six children (laughs) in those days. And again, for a number of

years, before the children became old enough to be at school and be independent I

was a mum, plus the fact that war injuries caught up with my husband and for a time

there I was really quite a busy lady and not involved in a great deal of community

work. But then gradually, after the War, we did move quite a lot. My husband was

a – finally became involved in electrical engineering and we started off first Rapid

Bay and then back to Adelaide and then to Burra and then to Peterborough, and by

that time my children were becoming older and I was able to start work again. And

we also – we started off, I think, becoming involved with St John Ambulance, and at

the same time I realised that there was Red Cross active in Peterborough. And also

in those years, too, a number of migrant families were brought in by the government,

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and I think they were – I’m not quite sure what the term is, but they were sent to

Peterborough, which those days was a very big, major railway town because it

involved the change of gauge interstate. And they had to work for two years, I think

to pay or repay their passage money, and many of them were sent to Peterborough.

And somehow, I think it was – I don’t know if it was specifically Red Cross, but

having Red Cross in mind I know I, with the Lady Mayoress at the time, we started

becoming involved in visiting these people and getting to know the families. And it

was brought home how many of them talked about Red Cross helping them because

they came from displaced countries. And then eventually I was able to rejoin Red

Cross and I became quite active in working with Peterborough.

In those days, as a nurse, we also worked in a way in conjunction with St John

Ambulance, because First Aid training, and I used to be an escort to Adelaide for

patients in the ambulance. And somehow Red Cross and Ambulance seemed to

have been combined up there. And then I think it was thanks to one of my

daughters. She said – they knew that I was working for Red Cross, and also I

was interested in those days learning about Junior Red Cross, and so I started a

little branch at Peterborough. And in those days, I think it was mentioned

previously that there was a period during the school week – I think it was a spare

lesson – and Red Cross was able to have a whole lesson for activities for the

juniors. And I found the principal at Peterborough was very helpful and very

interested and so we had this Junior Red Cross. And my daughter the other day

said, ‘Mum, I’ve still got my little cape and my cap.’ We dressed the part and we

actually had a little branch, and we were seen in the community. We went

visiting to the hospital patients – we used to take flowers and little things to them.

And the children – and I think there was a whole – I wouldn’t say the whole

school was involved but we had quite a group, and we used to make friendship

books to exchange with children overseas – – –.

Could you just explain about those friendship books, what ….. they were?

They were big, large, almost drawing book, sketch book size, scrap books, and either

the children would draw, make a little drawing and write about who they were, and

also we’d collect pictures, we’d collect pictures of South Australia, and they would

exchange them with – – –. Actually, they came to Adelaide. Mark Henley[?] – it

7

was the days of Mark Henley – Mark was very active in Junior Red Cross and we

used to have Junior Red Cross come to the schools also and speak to them.

Friendship books were sent to Junior Red Cross –

To other countries.

– Junior Red Cross branches in other countries?

I guess they were operative in other countries. I know some of the Peterborough

ones went to New Guinea, and then they in turn – I think they got a reply, so that – –

–. And also then we did First Aid, of course. That was very important, our

bandaging and – very basic, but it was a hobby.

Was the organisation involved with health or nutrition programs in the schools?

Not in those days, and not in craft work, I don’t think. It was – – –.

So really the focus was on First Aid –

First Aid, and –

– and community, some community service.

– yes. Yes.

And boys and girls?

Boys, we did have some boys, but the boys didn’t last very long. With the girls …..

….. ….. capes and their badges and parading.

Perhaps if you could just continue on from there, if you can just give us an outline

of the history of your involvement, which has been long, obviously.

At Peterborough I didn’t hold any official positions in the branch, but we just had a

lot of fundraising activities, the days of trading tables and – well, I think that was the

main function. And of course collecting and badge – I don’t even remember badge

days at Peterborough, but I do remember going doorknocking.

So a fundraising role was the focus.

That was the focus, really, of the branch. Even the Blood Bank I was also interested,

but Peterborough seemed to be off the beaten track, and I remember we started, my

husband and I – I suppose it was through the Red Cross – we started our own group

of donors. We had to get a hundred donors together and we had our own little Blood

8

Bank there, because in those days it took quite a while to get blood to Peterborough

if needed. So we did have some involvement, although it wasn’t exactly through the

Red Cross branch in those days. So – where are we now? Then my husband was

considered TPI1 standard but he refused to admit it, and he started studying for a new

field and he became a local government district clerk and we moved out to the

Mallee at Sherlock in 1965. And Sherlock, Peake District, did have a little Red

Cross branch, too. Well, they didn’t take long to invite me to join and I soon became

involved there as President for a short time, then they discovered that I was able to

handle money (laughs) and somehow or other I gained the Secretary position for

quite a long time, but also served as President. And we were very busy there, again,

with fundraising. But a lot of that was all perhaps not so much on the street stalls as

catering – catering for farm sales and catering for different functions. Plus our little

social functions, of course.

Social contact was an important part of it.

Social contact was very important out in the Mallee. But also, there again, we were

also still involved with St John Ambulance, but I don’t know whether it was my idea

or whether – I think I got encouragement from Ella Tyler. We lived on the main

highway to Victoria, to the Pinnaroo Road, and there were quite a number of

accidents along that road in that time. We lived right on the highway adjoining the

Council House. And somehow or other I established a roadside aid post there.

Now, that’s interesting. I’ve been reading about these roadside First Aid posts,

but I haven’t really got a clear picture of what they actually did so I’d be

delighted to hear from you (laughs) just what they did.

Well, I think we had to somehow get the approval of the local doctor. But, you see,

Sherlock was twenty-odd miles in those days from Tailem Bend and the same

distance from Karoonda and even further from Lameroo, where the only doctor

sources were. And it always meant quite a lot of travel to and fro, and Tailem Bend

in those days had only the one doctor who was very busy, and he was only too happy

to let me handle quite a lot of the work, even re-doing bandages, giving injections

and different things like that. And then, of course, when the first accident happened

1 Totally and permanently incapacitated.

9

and the ambulance ties too we were able to be of some use, and we had quite a busy

time out there because there were numerous accidents. And even out of the town if

there was an accident I’d be called out and we’d go out there and see what we could

[do].

So a First Aid post was the local ambulance service with trained staff to go to an

accident.

Well, it was almost in that time because the ambulance was stationed at Tailem Bend

and we were also involved with that. Also we had the radio, because we didn’t have

all facilities in those days that country towns have, and no mobile ’phones and so on.

So that was really very interesting, and I was kept quite busy there. And Red Cross

supplied bandages and renewed the different materials that I needed. They were

fairly basic, but it was through the Red Cross activity in First Aid in those days.

So how did the message – if an accident occurred, who was the first point of

contact? How did it work?

Somehow somebody would head for the Council office and know that it was a First

Aid post. It became known in the community, because it was a farming community.

There were no major towns; they were very small, little villages. It was a farming

community and everybody seemed to know that Sherlock Council situation was the

First Aid post.

So were they always council chambers, First Aid posts?

Well, I don’t know that they were. I don’t know of any others. There were no others

in that area. I knew there was one in the Barossa but that was out on the Sturt

Highway, and that was quite independent of any council.

So this was where bandages and other First Aid equipment were kept, at this

post?

Were kept, yes. I had a supply of them. And I had to return, I think, an annual

report to Sister Tyler or the branch at Adelaide and say how many cases and so on.

And I maintained that until we had to move – my husband had to retire in ’79, and

we moved back to Nuriootpa where – my home town. My mother had died and no-

one else wanted the home, and the family said, ‘This is our home,’ so we found

ourselves back in Nuriootpa. And, much to my surprise, Red Cross awarded me the

service award after that. And I returned to Nuriootpa, and I think that – well, my

10

first move was to rejoin or transfer to the Nuriootpa branch, and I learnt that the

President was retiring, ‘Would you take on the Presidency?’ And I said, ‘Well, yes,

I suppose I can.’ (laughs) Being a retired person with nothing to do. So I found

myself President. At that time [there] was a very friendly lady I got to know – I

don’t quite know how I met her – Joy Leske. Joy was a school teacher and she

wasn’t able to attend meetings, but for some reason – I don’t quite know how we met

– but she was interested in Red Cross and she was very interested in working for Red

Cross even though she couldn’t attend meetings regularly, and so it didn’t take long

and Joy Leske became involved. And Joy was young and Joy was willing, so bit by

bit Joy became a very, very worthwhile member of the Nuriootpa branch. Anyway, I

became President and then I was – – –.

One thing I did forget, while I was at Sherlock, Mr Potter was then handling

Red Cross – we knew him as ‘Mick’ – and he was an Army officer. And Mick

had us well-trained. We were a bit in awe of Mick but we loved him all the time

because he never seemed to hesitate in finding time to talk to us if we did happen

to go to Adelaide and wanted to know something. And he decided that it was

time to form a regional branch. And I remember we had a meeting and before

long I found myself as first President of Murrayland Region of the Red Cross

branch.

What was the idea behind forming regions, as opposed to the separate …..?

He thought that it would be easier for country branches to have a region to be able to

liaise with Headquarters through a region, rather than all these little – these women

coming to Adelaide with their problems. And I think he probably would have found

it very difficult to administer. I think he had a secretary, but I don’t know of other

personnel at Red Cross House in those days.

So did it make for better communication?

Well, I think it did in the end. I don’t know that I managed to do very much in those

first two years, and then it was a two-year period we were asked to serve and I know

– I can remember our main thing was just attending social functions of the different

branches and just representing Red Cross and perhaps passing on any information

that we had from Adelaide. And then I was – when my term finished I carried on as

11

Secretary for another two years. So gradually it increased in importance, I think, to

the country region to have – the country branches to have a region.

And does the same organisation still exist now, or are there still – – –?

Well, unfortunately I have reached the age when I can no longer be very active in

Red Cross, and I feel the membership, the members that I knew in my time are either

not here or have reached the same stage and finding it very difficult even to move

around to attend regional functions because of either health reasons or lack of

transport. And the younger generation are finding it more difficult – or whether

interest has dwindled, I don’t know – to become Red Cross members. This is on a

broad – yes, looking at it broadly. I don’t think it applies to Nuriootpa so much,

although it does to a degree – to get leadership, people that – – –. The younger

people are nowadays so heavily involved with other needs and interests, and they’re

very willing to help but nobody wants to become a leader and have that commitment

of regular oversight or regular attendance at meetings, and even to go to training

sessions you find it hard. And the older people, well, we’re just not able to do it. So

I find that – and even myself, I still am a member of the Red Cross branch at

Nuriootpa, but I find it difficult almost in a way to keep quiet, because I want to say

something and I think, ‘Uh-uh.’ But if I say something I like to act, and I [think],

‘Uh-uh, you know you can’t do it.’ (laughs)

Edna, I believe you were very active in Disaster Services during this time when

you were President and Regional Liaison Officer.

Yes.

Would you like to talk about the Disaster Services work that you were involved

in?

Yes, I’ve always had a feeling for people that are suffering and so on, and I think

that my first experience perhaps came in the Mallee with a house fire, and I did

happen to know of it. And I can still remember the disbelief when people received

so promptly help from Red Cross. And they were not hand-downs, I mean sheets

and toothbrushes and face washers and personal – underclothes, things like that that

they’d lost. And that remains very much in my memory. Then the need came for

disaster help, especially after Cyclone Tracy.

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Edna, we’ll take a break now. This is the end of tape one, side A. (break in

recording) Cyclone Tracy was 1975.

’75, yes.

What memories do you have of Red Cross involvement with – – –?

Well, my husband – we had a trailer, and there were lots of offers of help of goods

but the transport was a problem, so we used to load our trailer and made many trips

to Adelaide. Red Cross Headquarters was still on North Terrace in those days, and

Brian would always be there in the back to help us unload and we became quite good

friends with Brian in those days. I admired him very much. (break in recording)

Edna, would you like to share with us now your memories of your branch’s

involvement with relief after Cyclone Tracy in 1975?

I was, as I say, a member of the Nuriootpa branch and always – both my husband

and I, we always liked to help people in need. And we had a trailer with our car, and

when the appeal went out there was a great deal of material that was handed or

available, but the problem was the transport to get it to Adelaide. And so we loaded

up our trailer and we made numerous trips to Adelaide, to Red Cross. And Red

Cross at that time was still in North Terrace, and we’d meet Brian Lancaster at the

back and he’d help us unload and so we became quite friendly with Brian and

admired the work he was doing. I think he was still in the police force in those days.

Anyway, I don’t know just how many trips we made, but we did enjoy just taking

things and thinking we were helping somebody.

And was this clothing and bedding – – –?

Mainly materials, household materials, and there was clothing. I think anything that

could be of use to people who were left with nothing.

And were these items that you had already stored at the local branch, or –

No!

– or the community quickly donated them?

No! The appeal went out and it’s surprising – this is part of a disaster, isn’t it?

People respond very quickly and discover they’ve got all sorts of things that they

don’t really need. I don’t know or don’t even remember what it was that we took,

13

but it was anything that was usable to re-establish a home. And also we actually

didn’t billet any of the people that were brought down, but we did have contact and

there were other people that helped in that way. So Red Cross was very much to the

fore after Tracy.

So were some people billeted in country areas, or was it mainly in the city?

I think mainly it was in the city, but those who did have relatives were able to go to

relatives. And I don’t think Nuri had any officially billeted in Nuri as such, but I

know there were people that helped.

Were there any other major disasters like Tracy?

And then of course there was the Nuriootpa flood. I myself wasn’t affected,

but – – –.

What year was that?

That was in eighty –

Nineteen eighty – – –?

Three.

Three, 1983.

And, well, that was a real disaster for the community. It never happened before in

Nuriootpa. And I think for a time people were rather lost but it didn’t take long and

Red Cross became active. And that’s of course when registration came to the fore.

Can you explain what you mean by ‘registration’, please?

Well, in order to get government relief the victims had to be registered, their names

and actually what had happened. And I remember working at – St Petri Church had

a registration office and we had these forms to fill out in triplicate or quadruplicate.

The victim received one, one had to be sent quickly – the Boy Scouts were the –

The couriers.

– the couriers – and one – – –. One to the victim, one to the courier and did the

Council get one? I’m not quite sure.

14

END OF TAPE 1 SIDE A: TAPE 1 SIDE B

And so that went on. But Red Cross also, the local branch members, they went

round taking meals and providing meals and helping recipients, victims, wherever

they could be helped. They’re not ‘victims’ now, are they, (laughs) they’re

‘recipients’.

And when an occasion like that occurred, did you find that Red Cross was well-

organised and ready to be able to quickly act?

Well, Adelaide did. Adelaide was organised I guess as much as they could be in

those days. I think the local branch – I don’t know that it was actually efficiently

organised, but it didn’t take long for people to respond and word to get out. And I

think it worked very well at that time in Nuriootpa. I don’t remember whether the

Disaster Liaison eventuated out of that. I think that might have been the beginning

of the disaster training, and there again I think this was instigated from Red Cross

House, but I remember becoming involved in that and we had the early training

sessions regularly. Mainly in registration and so on, and then gradually, from

experience, they found different ways of handling it and then of course

computerisation came into it, so it worked. And I think that’s very important. I

remember, with our local council, we did have several – not actual disaster exercises,

but all the branches were called together and we did talk about our facilities, and I

can remember representing Red Cross on that. Also it involved bus – you know,

road accidents and we were supposed to be involved. And of course then we did

have – and house fires, I always related to a house fire and that was always my first

response, so I was involved in a few of those.

Edna, you’re still involved with Red Cross. What kind of work is your local

branch mainly involved in now?

Well, our major function at the moment is of course fundraising, and it’s becoming

very difficult. And then of course the Blood Bank has several days at Nuri and we

all work at the Blood Bank, take our turn.

What do you do at the Blood Bank?

15

At one stage we used to provide a meal, a main meal for them. But now that’s also

gone by the board and we just attend and we hand out cups of tea or whatever and

keep an eye on the donors. That’s about our main role now, isn’t it?

How often does the Blood Bank visit?

Twice a year at Nuriootpa, and it usually has three days because Nuri has become a

centre, and it always was a major source of blood for the Blood Bank. And I’ve

always been very, very involved with the Blood Bank or related to the Blood Bank

and Dr Beale[?] and so on and had a strong feeling for that. And I remember trying

very hard to encourage all the local sporting organisations, for the young people to

become blood donors. But somehow they don’t want to hear about us, they think no,

a needle means – – –. And I find that very sad. I think for their own benefit –

especially nowadays when they all have motor cars and the cars are very different

from the cars we drove in our days, I think they should for their own sake alone

become blood donors. And then of course in later years, the last few years, I myself

have had to be the recipient, and I do appreciate the blood.

Yes, I was going to say maybe it takes someone have to be a recipient and then

they realise the importance.

I think so. And I notice that, in the donors that come, some that come, they all say,

‘Oh yes, I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for the blood.’ And the other point is

now even from a medical point of view, because the blood now is processed into so

many different parts. It was just blood years ago, and you either were positive or

negative, but now – – –. I remember when I was President we did organise a tour of

the Blood Bank, and that was most fascinating for the ladies to realise what could be

done with blood.

And is the role of your branch to publicise the fact that the Blood Bank are

coming and to ask for donors?

I think the donors on the list are also notified personally, but also notification comes

to the branch and we get a – – –.

Right, and so do you publicise in the local press, radio – – –?

And the local – do we still do the publication? Yes, I think we do. It all comes to

the branch. That’s a very important part of it. I can remember, too, when I came

16

back to Nuri for a time I was asked to be speakers at different organisations about

Red Cross, and I always tried to stress this blood donor role. And it’s surprising how

many women are donors compared with the men. At one time the Blood Bank was

able to go to the wineries. You see, we were in the centre of a potential disaster area

with all the wineries that we have, but now I think the wineries have stopped

permission of the men, and all the telegraph people – everyone used to come to the

Blood Bank and we were very busy in the early days, but there again now, as

services – Telstra, all those services – have been moved to regional headquarters,

and – – –. But I still think Nuriootpa is a major source of blood supply for them.

Does Red Cross – you say about your attendance at the Blood Bank – does Red

Cross have a presence at any other public functions? I suppose there’s St John’s

Ambulance now, you know, if you have a local show or something like that, St

John’s are there. Do Red Cross have a presence at any public functions?

I think Red Cross has lost a lot of that nowadays, unfortunately. In fact, I don’t

know anything where Red Cross really features, has a main feature now in the

Valley. It’s partly the changing times, changing world. And now St John’s now has

become so highly-trained and efficient, and the local CFS – it’s quite different. We

don’t do any Red Cross work, even in First Aid training, now because St John’s have

that role. And in our day I think Sister Ella Tyler’s St John – our First Aid books

were St John’s Aid books – were Red Cross, rather, and now it’s all St John.

Just going back to the fundraising that you’re still doing, what do you actually do

to raise funds in the branch?

Very difficult. We used to have film morning tea, if we could, and parties. And of

course Red Cross Calling. That’s changed. And golf days, we’re make our presence

known, and the bowling club, the ladies bowling, the bowling club have a day.

So these are activities you’re still doing – – –.

We’re still doing, but the main thing now is on raffles. And selling lottery tickets.

And when your branch do this fundraising, what do you believe that’s

supporting? What sort of programs do you think those funds are going to be

supporting?

Well, I think they just go to General Headquarters for needs, for disaster. If General

Headquarters send out an appeal for a disaster I think that’s always kept separate and

all that money goes direct to the specific disaster fund. There’s always good

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response for that. But it’s becoming very increasingly hard to compete with other

organisations, because charities everywhere now need money and they’re all worthy

causes. The other thing is I think sport has made some inroads into fundraising.

Although Red Cross is competing with all these other organisations do you still

believe Red Cross has a strong image in the community, that it’s still a very

valued organisation?

I think it’s a very important, very valued aspect of any community, and especially

now – I think it was mentioned previously – with the baby capsules. We don’t have

the same impact with aids for disabilities and that because you get a lot of those

through the Domiciliary Care and all those things, that it’s lost that impact. The

other thing I remember I always thought was very important in the Barossa, and I

tried to instigate this while I was President, was the telephone link. TeleCross. And

we got to the stage when Headquarters sent us – we sent a survey out to all and then

the result was really quite surprising as far as I was concerned at that time because

they found that the Barossa was very well served by local caring groups, churches

and local help, and they covered the needs of people very well at that time. And the

people that did need the help didn’t have the telephone. So that was more or less

dropped. The doctors were quite supportive of the idea at the time, so anyway that

wasn’t pursued. I don’t know what the result would be nowadays because the area

has grown so much and there are a lot more people there. But in those days – in a

community town, the community cares for each other and you don’t get that in the

city. I can understand why. But you seem to know what’s happening to people even

if they’re not your immediate neighbour, and if help is needed people responded.

So TeleCross is something that’s needed more in the city.

I think so. Although there again now, this is going back some years ago, in the ’80s,

I suppose. There may be a changed situation in the country, especially now as some

of the local branches have had to – some of the district branches have had to close

down, and I don’t think there is the same attendance at conferences there were in my

day, because they had very good attendance. So – – –.

Edna, you’ve talked a lot about changes. Are there any other changes that you’ve

seen occur that you’d like to comment on, whether they’re for the good or the bad

or inevitable, or – – –?

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Well, (laughs) I find at this stage the changes have been, to a degree, traumatic and

it’s quite hard work for an older person to try and keep up with change. I feel

Headquarters now is very impersonal in lots of ways, and that with all these branches

or sub-areas I’ve found that is difficult to handle, in a way. Red Cross is no longer

involved in handicraft work, is it? Of course in my day they had the handicraft

sessions at Red Cross and the First Aid training and so on. And I think I was able to

start the local branch going down to help Joan Scanlon with her Christmas card

preparation – that’s become quite competitive now for the local branch, try and beat

their record. I think the first year we folded something like five thousand, got them

ready for her.

Just speaking of the Christmas cards, do you have the facility to sell those locally

or can you only purchase them through the Charity Card Shop – – –.

Only through – the branch, we do get samples and our very staunch lady, Joy Leske,

always sees that there are cards and diaries available at meetings, we take orders.

But there again, too, that’s become competitive in a way with the local cards, and it’s

changed. But it’s still there. Whether – I don’t know; I don’t think we can get them

into the shops. I myself go to the Charity Card Shop as well because I feel that’s a

worthy cause.

Just going back to that communication difficulty, or challenge, between

Headquarters and branches, do people not come from Headquarters to come out

and talk to the branches?

Oh yes, they do. They come – I think they’re quite ready with their information.

But there again, if you do – even if you advertise it you don’t get a lot of outside

people that are interested now because of the competition with other organisations,

other needs.

It’s just that you talked about the impersonality. Is this because staff are

changing so often at Headquarters so you don’t really know who you’re supposed

to be talking to and – – –?

I think it’s the changes in the staff, because in my day they seemed to be there

(laughs) for years. And I think quite a lot of it was probably more voluntary, too.

There’s been such a change in voluntary work – not because we like it that way but I

think it’s the changing times. And I think insurance is playing a big part in our

changing roles. See, I also thought that the local nursing home, as it was in those

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days, retirement village, needed a beauty care section because so many of them are

ladies and we still like to think we look nice and can hide our wrinkles, which we

can’t. But in those – that time they required a local person to go down and train and

then to be committed to at least six months, I think, to working, and we just weren’t

able to get one. And the same, tried to get a baby competition going. Well, this

always worried me that a place like Nuriootpa never had a baby [competition],

whereas out in the country people are just willing to have their babies. But then it

turned out we did have one one year, but there was a little bit of a problem because

they wanted – the baby was a Mothers’ and Babies’ – the mother was a Mothers’ and

Babies’ member and they wanted to share their fundraising, so there again there’s

the competition from another. And this is, I’ve found, very much to the fore in the

Barossa anyway, and I think this applies probably to all major country – larger

country towns, whereas outback, where most of my life was lived, Red Cross was

just important and we worked for Red Cross.

Do you think Red Cross has been reasonably successful, though, at reinventing

itself and taking on the causes that are currently needed?

I think Red Cross has, especially in the disaster field. And, well, the horrible

thought is we don’t want another disaster to bring it to the fore, and I’m sure people

will respond. But it’s just the present lifestyle that is just so different, and people

don’t seem to have the time to commit themselves to one specific cause. Although

in time of need and when it’s called upon I think people will always respond. But

it’s a very difficult problem and I just don’t know. The same with Headquarters. I

suppose to work efficiently – because they have no choice now – they just have to

work differently, don’t they. Because there again, Red Cross now is just one of the

charities. So I don’t know what the answer is. And I think about it quite often and

I’m afraid I haven’t got any helpful suggestions. (laughs) But I do wonder do they

need all these different departments in Red Cross House, you know, in Adelaide, at

Headquarters.

You’ve obviously been involved for a long time and seen a whole range of work

that Red Cross has done. Have you yourself received any official recognition for

your work with the Society, Edna?

Yes, I have. We don’t work because we want recognition, but I’m heading now for

my laurel wreath so far as membership is concerned.

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How many years of service is that?

That’s fifty.

Fifty years, yes.

I’m in the forties. And also, when I had to leave Sherlock, I was awarded the State

Service Medal, and then I was finally awarded the national service award in 1986.

That’s the Distinguished Service Medal.

That’s the Distinguished Service. And really I feel very honoured to have received

that. (laughs)

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I still – I won’t say I worry, but I still think a lot about Red Cross and its importance,

and I know it’s important as I know also – I didn’t say anything about the tracing

service. Also how I’ve directed people to Red Cross, migrants, because I was also a

member of the Good Neighbour Council in the early days, and people that felt lost.

And how Red Cross has been able to help trace relatives or some connection and

give the people the assurance that they’re still trying, even if they haven’t had any

success, because it’s surprising over the years how something will come to light.

And people to whom I’ve spoken and been able to help that way, it’s been very

reassuring and I think they appreciate it. So I think that’s an important aspect of it.

So these have been migrants living in the area that you’ve been able to – – –?

Not so much in Nuri but in the country, especially at Peterborough. But I have my

eyes and ears open and if I can think – – –.

Because I believe they’re still solving and reuniting families ….. thirty or more

years after.

Oh, I’m sure, yes. For years. That was very interesting to have been involved in the

beginning, early stages of that. But there again the whole problem is – also the

different lifestyle of people. I’ve found that even in Red Cross Calling – I haven’t

been able to do it for the last two years – but I’ve found the difference in people’s

willingness to donate. It seems to me as people become more affluent then the

donations diminish. (laughs) And it’s just the people that’ll bring their purse, ‘What

have I got in there?’ And it might only be sixty cents but they’re willing to give you

21

their sixty cents. And others either don’t open the door, even though you can hear

the radio, and if we’d leave a Red Cross envelope the local chemist was willing to

receive, unless we went back they would never bother to take a donation to the

chemist. I don’t know if other members ….., but this was my personal experience

and it used to take me a week to do one road because I’d have to go going back.

They were always willing, ‘Oh yes, we’ve got it,’ and then you’d have to have a cup

of tea with them and talk to them. (laughs) But it was enjoyable, I loved doing it.

And I do miss the personal involvement, but there again, that’s life, isn’t it?

But I feel very strongly – I don’t think that Red Cross will ever lose its

importance, but just how we can bring it to the fore at the moment, short of

having another world war, which is the last thing we had. That’s a thing that I

find is distressing, that overseas we read about wars and the fact that Red Cross is

no longer respected, the red cross. And, you see, I was brought up that that was

recognized worldwide, especially now that even the help, the relief that’s sent, if

it suits a country to take it for other purposes it doesn’t necessarily go to the

recipients. (break in recording)

You were saying about the international role of Red Cross, Edna.

Yes. I find it very distressing every time I hear or read of the way countries are

disregarding or ignoring the sign of the red cross. Now, they wouldn’t allow Red

Cross into this current Israeli camp, would they? And then you hear of Red Cross

workers being killed, and Red Cross ambulances being shot at, and just the sign –

that red cross sign – no longer seems to have that respect. And I don’t know whether

the red crescent – you don’t hear much about the red crescent side of it, do you,

whether those countries actually are the ones that are responsible for ignoring the red

cross? I don’t quite know, but I find that very distressing because in my day it was

considered that that red cross was recognized by practically the whole world,

because all those countries did sign that Geneva Convention.

Which of course is what Henri Dunant was all about –

That’s right.

– that it be internationally recognized and respected.

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Oh, that story of Henri Dunant is just heartbreaking, the way he worked. I feel very

much for him, but I admire him for having the means to work and push the issue.

Well, thank you very much, Edna, for sharing all your memories over a long

period of time. Is there anything at all you’d like to add before we conclude?

Yes, I do think it’s important to continue conferences, even regional conferences. I

hope that can be revitalised, because apart from being a unified – having a unified

effect that you meet people you wouldn’t meet otherwise, you’re working for a

common cause and you’re sharing ideas and it’s a fellowship thing. And I always

valued attending the state conferences, even though sometimes they were a bit of

hate sessions, someone had a grievance and didn’t feel that their questions were

answered satisfactorily, but it was good. In fact, I was thinking back memories – I

don’t know if you have any record of the Floral Carpet that Lady Wilson used to – –

–.

I’ve been reading a little bit about that. Would you like to talk about that?

Oh, that was beautiful. (laughs) That was the highlight of a trip to Adelaide to come

and see that Floral Carpet. I didn’t have a great deal of personal involvement in

setting out the carpet, but we used to get information as to what flowers – Lady

Wilson would come up with her design and we’d all be notified of what flowers to

grow, and we would try encourage our gardeners. In those days people were keen

gardeners – I was one myself. And we would go round, collect the flowers and take

them to Adelaide in due course. And one year I think I was allowed to, as represent

– whether it was regional or not I don’t quite remember. No, it couldn’t have been

regional in those days – but I was allowed, I worked on a little corner, we were

allowed to put our flowers in, and then to see this wonderful carpet. I hope there are

lots of photographs. I’m sure there would be. But Lady Wilson was just a

wonderful person and I enjoyed my contact.

And where was the carpet?

It was on North Terrace.

Yes. And that was an annual event?

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No, it wasn’t annual. Can’t even quite remember. No, it wasn’t annual. Adelaide

had a Flower Day, but I don’t remember being involved annually. But it wasn’t

annual, it was biennial, I think.

Was it a fundraiser?

It was a fundraiser, oh yes. Yes. It was lovely.

Anything else that you’d like to share, Edna?

I don’t know, I have to think.

Well, thank you very much indeed for your time, Edna. This is the end of tape

one side B.

END OF INTERVIEW.