My mum Tricia Kidd loved living in St Leonards. Having grown up in Northcote Melbourne she had always had a hankering to live by the water.
Her life hadn’t been an easy life. Her dad was away at war from when she was a baby until she was nearly six years old and had returned a stranger to her as a little girl.
Married at eighteen then divorced by thirty three Mum was bringing up four children on her own. She juggled work, full time work as a dental nurse then at The Age doing the Green Guide. Struggling to pay rent it was difficult to make ends meet on wages that were then on average forty five percent less than the average male wage.
These years didn’t allow much time for forging friendships and I observed Mum to be quite the loner and lacking confidence to participate in much social life.
Before moving to the lovely village of St Leonards we had looked at various areas like Angelsea, Portarlington, Queenscliff and Rye. But on Melbourne Cup Day in 1998 when Mum saw a sweet traditional beach house in St Leonards for sale she was instantly smitten. And the house ticked all the boxes – close to the beach, shops and public transport.
Mum settled into St Leonards life wonderfully. As mentioned, she had always been a bit of a loner but in no time Mum was getting to know people in town and became quite a familiar face at the shops, chatting away to locals and shopkeepers. She had found her place.
One day the call came out for people to volunteer at the local Bellarine Community Health Centre at 10 Harvey Road, St Leonards. Pretty soon Mum was volunteering at the centre – opening up and working as receptionist.
Mum loved the volunteer work. She would recount to me the encounters she had with other locals who were coming for their appointments. Many were elderly and long time residents and Mum would listen to the wonderful stories of ‘the old days of St Leonards’ and really enjoyed hearing about the local history of this town she had grown to love. The reception waiting room area was like the village square. A place to exchange stories and get updated about town news.
Mum was a testimony to the benefits of volunteering and staying socially connected. She was keeping active, working within a team of volunteers and keeping socially engaged. I would come down to St Leonards and it was wonderful for me to see how happy Mum was volunteering at the centre.
Then came the sad news that due to cost efficiencies, the St Leonards site of the Bellarine Community Health Service was to close. Locals would now have to go to Portarlington, Drysdale or Queenscliff for their care. Like the rest of the volunteers Mum was gutted. Her services were no longer required. Over the ensuing weeks Mum recounted sad farewells to regular clients of the health service and fellow volunteers.
Although continuing to participate in some local activities, Mums life in St Leonards became quieter after the centre closer. She still got to enjoy the occasional interactions with regulars of the health service at chance encounters at the shops which she enjoyed.
It was really sad for me as Tricia’s daughter to witness the impact of the closure on Mum. Sometimes the impacts of big systemic decisions are not truly seen until looking at the personal, individual level.
In the following years Mum would go to the Portarlington or Drysdale Community Health Centre sites. Not as volunteer this time but as a user of the service in which she received wonderful care. Sometimes I would go with Mum to her appointment and if a receptionist started telling Mum about the services being offered at the centre Mum would kindly nod and say that she was aware of the services on offer. And I don’t think I imagined it when I saw a proud little tilt of the chin as she would say ‘I used to volunteer at the St Leonards Community Health centre site’.
– Jo Kidd
Ed – Thank for sharing this wonderful story Jo. Your mum had indeed, found her place in St Leonards.
Humans in St Leonards 