Memories of a Boomer Childhood
This is an extract from my book "A BONZA Life- The Story of a Baby Boomer" published through Aurora House Publishing.
"Early childhood is such a vague area in my memories of life. Anyone who says that they remember too much about their life before they were at school is kidding or is it just me. Most of what I remember of those early days comes from family gatherings and the constant banter that went on and still goes on when we are together about the family history.
I am told that I was a very placid child after birth and I caused little trouble. I had spent the first two years pushing myself around on my bum (something youngest son Beau also did 42 years later) before I would risk my first steps and mostly played in my cot for hours on end.
It set the pattern for my life, as we were called ‘late developers,’ and certainly I did very little to adhere to any age group normal behaviour when I was supposed to throughout my childhood but thankfully I bloomed somewhat in my late teens.
Whilst at home before school days, Mum kept me in that cot for most of the day so there was little stimulation for the mind or activation of motor skills and some theorists might argue that this set the pattern for my late maturing, but she had to do what she did to survive as she was dealing with four children at the time so I cannot be too critical of mum.
So finally, at the ripe old age of four, my folks ‘bit the bullet’ and sent me to school to make life more interesting for me. Somehow they got away by not showing my birth certificate when I was enrolled and therefore for all of primary school I had to live with the lie of an incorrect birth date.
As a consequence, I have vivid memories of not wanting to talk about or celebrate my birthday at school so I wouldn't make a slip and give my real age. It was not until my twelfth birthday that I was finally able to have a couple of school friends come for a birthday party because of that secret and the added fear of being kept down a year.
It was a constant source of worry to me during those early years and was to lead to utter disaster in my high school years through social immaturity and it finally ended with my expulsion from Indooroopilly High in 1969.
My name is Brian Murphy and I am the fourth son of John Murphy an Irishman and Joyce Daniels with links to country Queensland. The family moved into Fortitude Street Auchenflower in 1945 and then into 29 Lima Street which was one street away from our original home when the family grew too big a few years later. Our Boomer family eventually had 6 children and like the rest of the nation after World War Two, families were big and new suburbs were needed to house them all.
Dad had returned from PNG in 1944 during the Second World War very ill with malaria. World War 2 servicemen seldom talked about the war but his family were aware that he did Australia proud because of all the parts of the world he fought in. We never asked questions and he never talked at all about his adventures. He was an angry man but Joyce kept the peace when he lost his temper which was fairly frequently.
Mum loved the glamorous side of life and wanted for better things which was the very reason she left her country home for Brisbane in the late 1930's. After marrying in 1939 my father went to war and di not return until 1944. She then had six children who changed her life and she became caught up in parenting more than she had hoped. I only hope that we gave her some enjoyable moments during all that menial work we created for her as children.
So they were my parents, both of whom had considerable influence on my life. Dad’s influences with his 'never say die attitude' and mum’s with her tolerance but let’s start the story as I remember it.
This story continues in the book :)
"Early childhood is such a vague area in my memories of life. Anyone who says that they remember too much about their life before they were at school is kidding or is it just me. Most of what I remember of those early days comes from family gatherings and the constant banter that went on and still goes on when we are together about the family history.
I am told that I was a very placid child after birth and I caused little trouble. I had spent the first two years pushing myself around on my bum (something youngest son Beau also did 42 years later) before I would risk my first steps and mostly played in my cot for hours on end.
It set the pattern for my life, as we were called ‘late developers,’ and certainly I did very little to adhere to any age group normal behaviour when I was supposed to throughout my childhood but thankfully I bloomed somewhat in my late teens.
Whilst at home before school days, Mum kept me in that cot for most of the day so there was little stimulation for the mind or activation of motor skills and some theorists might argue that this set the pattern for my late maturing, but she had to do what she did to survive as she was dealing with four children at the time so I cannot be too critical of mum.
So finally, at the ripe old age of four, my folks ‘bit the bullet’ and sent me to school to make life more interesting for me. Somehow they got away by not showing my birth certificate when I was enrolled and therefore for all of primary school I had to live with the lie of an incorrect birth date.
As a consequence, I have vivid memories of not wanting to talk about or celebrate my birthday at school so I wouldn't make a slip and give my real age. It was not until my twelfth birthday that I was finally able to have a couple of school friends come for a birthday party because of that secret and the added fear of being kept down a year.
It was a constant source of worry to me during those early years and was to lead to utter disaster in my high school years through social immaturity and it finally ended with my expulsion from Indooroopilly High in 1969.
My name is Brian Murphy and I am the fourth son of John Murphy an Irishman and Joyce Daniels with links to country Queensland. The family moved into Fortitude Street Auchenflower in 1945 and then into 29 Lima Street which was one street away from our original home when the family grew too big a few years later. Our Boomer family eventually had 6 children and like the rest of the nation after World War Two, families were big and new suburbs were needed to house them all.
Dad had returned from PNG in 1944 during the Second World War very ill with malaria. World War 2 servicemen seldom talked about the war but his family were aware that he did Australia proud because of all the parts of the world he fought in. We never asked questions and he never talked at all about his adventures. He was an angry man but Joyce kept the peace when he lost his temper which was fairly frequently.
Mum loved the glamorous side of life and wanted for better things which was the very reason she left her country home for Brisbane in the late 1930's. After marrying in 1939 my father went to war and di not return until 1944. She then had six children who changed her life and she became caught up in parenting more than she had hoped. I only hope that we gave her some enjoyable moments during all that menial work we created for her as children.
So they were my parents, both of whom had considerable influence on my life. Dad’s influences with his 'never say die attitude' and mum’s with her tolerance but let’s start the story as I remember it.
This story continues in the book :)
Are you an Australian or Kiwi Baby Boomer with a story you'd like to share with our online community? Email our editor at brian@bonza.com.au and you could have it published on BONZA.com.au!