Guest Speaker
Glenice Holmes (McNeill)
- Grew up in Shepparton
- Have made it to 90 yrs old!
- Dad came from Scotland at 12yrs old in 1910
- Advertising in Glasgow to come to Victoria GV to Dairy Farm, were upset when they arrived as all the dairy farms were given to Australians.
- They took on an orchard block and grew pears
- Dad got a job with Clydesdales Coaches building shop at 14 yrs of age
- In 1930 after he was married, (mum came from the Hunter Valley). they bought land in High St Shepparton and a grain store
- Built a house for the family upstairs of the business
- Shops were mostly family owned and families all lived above the businesses
- Business was building carts and horse drawn vehicles. The business then moved onto building car spokes and side curtains
- Dad had a big sewing machine and Glenys job was to hold up the large machine steady
- There was a farrier within the business as well
- It was a fun upbringing
- Went to Presbyterian Sunday School in the morning and the Salvos at night for the bands and music
- Free tickets to the circus as they used their power and water
- In 1939 the war was starting, and the RAAF had the recruit camp near the Showgrounds and they used to watch the soldiers walk out to training
- Glenice can drive around Shepparton today and remember where everyone use to live and work
- Girls had few career options as back in those days - secretary or nurse
- Worked at 3SR radio station
- The Star Theatre held Saturday night dances and one particular night in 1954 Glenice noticed this handsome fellow named Douglas Holmes from Numurkah
- Got married in 1955 and Doug's mother told him to take Glenice down the street to introduce her to the shop keepers (Brown & Cork in the back door, Eric Lee's butcher shop, Bitcon's, Mr Gunther's the Chemist, Retallick's, Hamon's Pharmacy, Kilpatrick McClelland, Young Husband's)
- Glenice and Doug had 5 children in Penzance House
- Mark and Carolyn McNamara bought Glenice and Doug's home and then she moved across the road (begrudgingly)
- She has seen 7 floods come through Numurkah
- The Historical Society has been a big part of her life - 60 yrs celebration this year of the Society
- Knew a lot of the members and were all friendly
- One day Charles Newman approached the Moira Shire, National Bank and a benefactor and arranged the current facility in 1992
- Have run 2 musical nights, to help paint
- Been President and Secretary many times
- Glenice is a Life Member (the only one)
- Still enjoying the meetings and want to keep going