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David-Herd-1960s-Australia
David-Herd-1960s-Australia

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager.

My personal story from the 6os, (not a travel bog)

David Herd 1960s Australia

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager, who even today in 2016 can still remember the 1960s as if it was yesterday.  Life was rather simple growing up in that particular era compared to what teenagers face today in 2016. The photo above is from 1960 featuring my first car, a Morris Minor convertible. I attended North Auburn public school until the age of 12 and was one of only two students to be chosen to attend the then semi exclusive Homebush Boys High. Spent 3 years there, excelled in Rugby Union, and just passed my intermediate certificate. My final reference from the deputy headmaster was a classic;

                   David Herd attended this school for 3 years and participated in sport.

I spent the next 5 years as an apprentice Toolmaker then in May 1964 set out with best friend Glen Beasley on the mandatory trip to the U.K. and Europe.

I can easily explain the scratchy photo above and in the header. My home in Wood St North Melbourne in 1974 was gutted by fire and a large part of my photo collection was spoiled. The ones I save got rather scratched with my attempt to clean off the soot. Follow this link to find out what caused this unfortunate fire.

My first girlfriend 

David Herd 1960s Australia

What incredible memories I have of this gorgeous girl Elizabeth Wiggington, better known as Beth. She lived on the corner of Wellington Rd & Antwerp St & I would ride my bike 3.3 Km from my home at 58 Kihilla Rd. It was much easier when I got my drivers licence & bought my little Morris Minor, except for the night I was driving home from her house & collided with a horse on Cumberland Rd. 🙂

When this photo was taken she was a ripe old age of 15.5. 🙂

Now here is one of the reasons I love Facebook, it was 1960 when we were together for 1 to 1.5 years, then I never really saw her again. It’s now September 2019, 59 years later & we have re-connected on Facebook, in fact Beth sent me quite a few photos, because way back then I had lost all the ones I owned. 🙂

It’s now 2021 & Beth just sent me this photo

David Herd 1960s AustraliaI absolutely love this shot from 1960.

My FJ Holden around 1960 

Boys must have toys

Beth’s job was to wash it. 🙂

Here is a song by Johnny Burnette from 1960 which tells the story.

Some old friends here.

David Herd 1960s Australia

The guy at the front is Jimmy Blakey, his brother Billy was wounded in Vietnam, both nice guys. The 2 guys on the far right were probably my best friends from primary school & up until the age of 18, Denis Culpan who has lived in Gosford for many years, & Lennie Barr who moved to Batemans Bay 30 + years ago & sadly passed away in 2018.

More from the 60s

David Herd 1960s Australia

Dezzy, Rhonda Cohen, David Grech, Roslyn Keyes and Lenny Barr at Rhonda’s wedding, 1960’s. David Grech looks like he’s been sucking lemons. 🙂

Beth & team

David Herd 1960s Australia

Teddy Cooney, Roslyn Keyes, Lenny Barr and Dezzy, in the 1960’s, at the Miller’s Hotel, Fairfield.

July 1962 with Veronica Crocker

David Herd 1960s Australia

My beautiful girlfriend Veronica, we were celebrating my 19th birthday at a Kings Cross Sydney night club.

October 1962 at Garie Beach Sydney.

David Herd 1960s Australia

This VW was in fact my 3rd car, my 2nd vehicle was an iconic FJ Holden.

Veronica October 1962

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

From memory we went out together for around two years, I was very lucky because she was such a gorgeous lady.

This was also October 1962

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

Taken at Ebenezer which is on the Hawksbury river near Richmond. I was there fairly regularly water skiing.

Surfers Paradise 1961

David Herd 1960s Australia

A far cry from 2016.

Xmas 1962 at Coolangatta

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

I spent Xmas and New Year 1962 at Rainbow Bay near Coolangatta with Veronica and her parents. There were two significant events on New Years Eve that stick in my memory, first we went to a show at the Beachcomber in Surfers Paradise to see a young trio play some great music. They were known as the Brothers Gibb, you guessed it, they later became the Bee Gees.

That was them & this was me. 🙂

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

Coolangatta beach 1962, David Herd 1960s Australian teenager.

Bogle & Chandler

 David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

This was the 2nd significant event, after the Brothers Gibb concert Veronica & I parked on the hill overlooking Rainbow Beach for some serious necking (as they called it in those days) when the news flashed on the radio that a couple had been found dead at Lane Cove national park. This discovery was the start of a police investigation that gripped the nation.

 David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

It was January 1963 & driving back to Sydney we struck floods on the Highway around Grafton, where traffic was stopped I would pull around the outside and float my VW across the flooded part of the road. Veronica would stay in the car and I would push it across.

July 1961 at Lidcombe oval.

David Herd 1960s Australia

I’m parked on the hill after playing for Lidcombe United A grade rugby league team. We won the competition that year.

The winning team.

David Herd 1960s Australia

I’m standing 3rd from the left & Denis Culpan is next to me. On the left kneeling is Jackie Brown next to the wild man Tommy Patterson.

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager & brothers in May 1964

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager

After 18 months of working 2 jobs, I just qualified as a toolmaker, plus I worked weekends for Don Talbert the Australian swimming coach, my friend Glenn Beasley and I prepared to leave on May 7th to sail to England on the Fairsea. Just before I left I took my young brothers the the barber and had them shorn. They loved the new haircuts but poor Mum almost fainted. 🙂

Big farewell party

David Herd 1960s Australia

We combined a farewell party with an early 21st birthday. My actual birthday fell on July 7 after we had reached London. Above is one of my all time favourite photographs, on the left is Glenn Beasley beside “Pop” my grandfather Sam Tippett, my beautiful mother Iris herd, yours truly, Nan Tippett and my wonderful father Arthur Herd.

The Herd clan.

David Herd 1960s Australia

Here we all are at my farewell party.

The mandatory keg        My lovely Grandmother

David Herd 1960s Australian teenager    David Herd 1960s Australia

It would be almost 1.5 years before I would see my family again.

My lovely mother, Iris Herd.

David Herd 1960s Australia

Iris was an absolute treasure, she dedicated her life to her family and friends.

David Herd 1960s Australian  teenager, family in 1964

David Herd 1960s Australia

A rare colour photo of Mum with Warren & Bryan at our home, 58 Kihilla Rd Auburn in Sydney.

Sefton Hotel January 1964

David Herd 1960s

 Great memories from the 60s, This is January 1964 & here I am at the Sefton Hotel with Gary McCosker & Glen Beasley, the girl on the right is Rhonda Boyland.

Our cars around 1960

 

The FJ Holden was mine & the Zephyr was Sam Tipett’s, my grandfather.

Boys must have their toys.

84 Carnarvon St Auburn in 1960.

David Herd 1960s Australian

 Home of Nana & Pop Tippett, I lived there until I was 5 years old.

Backyard at 84 Carnarvon

David Herd 1960s Australian

Beth relaxing with the chook yard in the background. 🙂

My passport photo

Life changing adventure

Twenty years of age in 1964, what a clean cut innocent looking lad I was. 🙂 Thanks for visiting my David Herd 1960s Australian teenager photo blog. The follow up to this will be the voyage on the Fairsea.

                                           

   Here are some more posts to check out

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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

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Counter only started June 16 2020.

Author: David Herd

My history, particularly over the last 30 years is dominated by overseas travel. I sold my home in Australia October 20th 2011 and have have been living in Thailand since then. I don’t know where the time has gone? It seems like you go to sleep one night, wake up the next morning, and 20 years have flashed by. Not sure how many years I have left, however I have enjoyed a wonderful charmed life, and if it all ended today I would leave this world with no regrets. I was born in Sydney halfway through the last century, started my travels in the 60s with the usual U.K. Europe adventure at the age of 20, back to Australia and worked in Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide in Sales & Marketing with multinational companies including Sanyo, Canon & Remington. Engaged to be married 3 times and never quite made it to the alter, finally realized by the mid 90s I was not cut out for "long term relationships" so I moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland in January 1987, worked for a couple of banks as a Financial Planner, I took a year off work in 1998 to travel and never went back to full time work again, after 25 fun filled years on the Coast I packed up and moved to Thailand. What is the purpose of this blog? Well I really want to use it to record my travel experiences & to display my photographs, give and receive travel tips, comment on places I visit, restaurants I eat in and use it to replace the autobiography I intended to write, apart from all that it helps me fill in my day. :) I moved to Thailand mainly because I wanted to keep travelling while my health allowed me to, there are huge advantages being closer to all the places I want to visit. Cost of living in Thailand is around 35% of the cost in Australia, plus flights are 50% cheaper because you are much closer to everywhere. ???? Consequently I am able to travel to many more places compared to living in Australia. Having said all that, it is & has always been my intention to return to Australia when my travelling is finished, I predict this will happen around 2021.

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