Charles Gregory was originally a fitter for the SEC but later had a truck business in partnership with his brother-in-law George Chapman (wife Florence was Charles’ sister and Bob’s father) that ran between Yallourn and Melbourne. I’m not sure when they started the business, but it must have included the Depression years, because Mum (Barbara) told me that sometimes Charles accepted payment-in-kind, when people did not have the cash.
Charles and George also had a poultry farm together before the carrier business. This may account for the substantial chook run that ran nearly the width of the back of 2 Westbrook block. It was tall enough for an adult to stand in, had separate cosy laying boxes and space to roam. It was enclosed by wire mesh and had a solid roof. There was a small shed nearby which held their feed etc.
George Chapman was in the Territorials in Yallourn and joined the air force as a fitter in 1939. Charles Gregory was initially refused enlistment due to a heart condition from childhood rheumatic fever, but did drive transport for the army in Indonesia towards the end of the war.
I was born in 1956, so my memories of the house date from regular stays with Charles and Marion from 1957. 2 Westbrook house was a small, squat 3-bedroom brick bungalow. The brick had a textured render that was painted. It was not open plan. The living room had the only fire in the house - a briquette heater – which made that room cosy when the ‘fancy’ glass doors (1930 style?) in wooden frames were closed. Draft ‘snakes’ were a must! We had to run through the rest of the chilly house to dive into our cold beds that we eventually warmed up.
The house and front garden took about a third of the block. There were a few fruit trees – apple and apricot - alongside. Behind the house, the middle third of the block had the clothesline – old style lines raised and lowered with wooden poles - to the left, and two wooden ‘sleep-outs’ to the right. The upper third of the block had a large veggie patch, the chook house and the feed shed. The levels were connected by a concrete path that ran from the back door up to the chook house. There was concrete under the clothesline too I think.
Both Charles and Marion were in the Bowling Club – Marion played competitively. Marion was also in the golf club for a time. I don’t recall the truck business, but do recall Charles driving taxis part-time. Bob Chapman tells me that Charles had two taxis and employed other drivers. On retirement, Charles and Marion joined the grey nomads for a few years- going all around Australia and playing at every Bowling Club along the way! They moved to a little place in Paynesville in the 70s. They joined Paynesville Bowling club and Charles fished, did the veggie garden and polished ‘gemstones’ they found in their travels.
....Barbara Gregory's daughter (Jenny)
Neighbours: Relatives George Gregory and George Chapman lived in a house on Narracan Ave