52 Cabramatta Road

Posted by
Julie DuRoff
Streets
Time
c. 1930—1967

My Dad grew up in 52 Cabramatta Road. His Mum and Dad moved there in the 30s and lived there until grandpa died in 1967. I remember going there for holidays and staying with Nana and I loved to look in Huckell’s window. Nana used to be a member of the Paling St Methodist Church and would take flowers there and dust the place. I remember going with her and playing farm animals in an indoor sandpit up in the gallery. Round the corner from Nana’s house in Bardwell Rd or Holt Ave, we used to visit a friend of hers who had a golden harp in her darkened lounge room. Her name was Mrs Youseffee (the only way I can spell it, how it sounds) and she shared her house with a Mr Stimson. He used to collect tinfoil and wrap it into a giant foil ball.

Dad and his brother were in the militia before the war and used to practise their shooting skills with their 303s under the house. It was a semi-detached house and underneath was a copy of the layout of above. They would lay on the dirt floor and shoot a target at the end what would be the hallway above. The target was fixed to the back of the front steps.

I remember the postman came twice a day, walking, and once on Saturdays. There was a little shop down the road on the corner of Cabramatta Rd and Bardwell (I think). I forget the lady’s name, but she was a friend of Nana’s. It was a lovely time.

Julie DuRoff · 24 September 2012

Your comment

Hullo Julie,
I was just reading your memories of Cabramatta Road and wondered if your Nana’s friend’s friend was Teddy Stinson, my great uncle. I had thought he boarded in Rangers Road. He was a bachelor who’d been injured in the first world war. Looking at the map Rangers Road (Avenue?) is very close to Cabramatta Road. Uncle Teddy died around 1964ish I think.
Cheers, Jandra

— Jandra · 19 October 2012, 19:40 · #

Hi Jandra

It could have been him, I just remember the dark house, the harp and the giant tin foil ball that he made. I recall a jolly man, kind of reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock. I wasn’t very old, but that memory did stick with me.

I also remember the little shop down the road on the corner of Bardwell and Cabramatta Roads, the lady there was a friend of my Nana’s. I think her name was Mrs Martin. I would walk there with Nana and there were a few steps up into the shop and she sold all kinds of things.

— Julie DuRoff · 11 November 2012, 03:03 · #

Hi Julie, my mother was a staunch member of Paling St Methodist Church.. I was christened there as was both of my children. Both my mother and fathers funerals were held there. I was a Sunday School teacher and a member of the youth group. When my family and I moved from Spencer Rd to Epping we did not come back to Cremorne for sometime and we were shocked to find the church gone and replaced by housing. If I may ask what was your Mothers name as I may well have known her.

— Viv Moran · 15 March 2013, 08:23 · #

Sorry Julie I meant what was you Nana’s surname.

— Viv Moran · 4 April 2013, 10:52 · #