Front view of the Maddox family home Balga

Fred and Nora (Mum and Dad) bought a five acre block in 1948 in what is now Balga, which he and Mum turned into a poultry, fruit and flower farm. He sold the land in 1966. (Allan Maddox and his daughter Susan still live on part of that holding.) We had neighbours across from us, they had a ten acre block.

Our bread in those days came by a horse drawn cart through the bush just where the bridge over Princess Road is now. Our mail box was on Wanneroo Road on the end of Victoria road which was just a bush track. Mail was delivered by the Wanneroo mail service. Our front gate opened onto the Victoria Road track.

We went to Tuart Hill Primary School which had one room for six classes, one to six grades.  Peter and I started school in 1948, Bill in 1950. In 1950 we all went into the new brick school. We all had to be let out of school at 2.55 to catch the 3.00 bus. If we missed it, we walked the three miles home.

The nearest newsagent was in Menora on Walcott Street that was our Saturday treat to get our comics. To show how far we were from civilisation, I would walk down the track and call on two girls and we would walk to Main Street and Wanneroo Road corner, just to catch a bus to town. Our return was the same, but we just walked down the middle of Wanneroo Road to their place, and I would walk back up the track home.

On retirement Fred and Nora joined the Balga Autumn Club, Fred became President and served at least three terms. Nora became a life long member later on. The open space behind my property has trees that Nora planted, so there is a living memory of them for the family.

Alan Maddox, 2020