THIS is Audrey Brown’s story.
I’ve had the pleasure of being one of Audrey’s neighbours for the last few years and have loved getting to know her better.
Audrey was born in Birmingham in 1931, eight years before World War 2 began.
Her father worked in a factory turning brass and her mother worked in a Dunlop factory making golf balls. One of Audrey’s earliest memories was at five-years-of-age being carried on her father’s shoulders watching King George V and Queen Mary of Teck driving through the streets.
Every day life was getting increasingly hard leading up to the war, and Audrey and her parents soon found themselves in the thick of it. Their hometown of Birmingham ended up being the third most bombed city in England due to its importance as an industrial and manufacturing hub for the UK’s weaponry.
There were two air raid shelters in Audrey’s street, one of them in her front yard. The warning sirens became a familiar sound for Audrey; the family would have to quickly run and hide with all their neighbours in the cold, stale-smelling shelter.
She remembers disliking it greatly because it meant getting dragged from her warm bed at all hours of the night to sit with a group of scared strangers. After the bombers had left, everyone would flood into the streets to see what damage was done. Audrey remembers walking along the street collecting bits of shrapnel, some of which was still warm, and she would make a pile in their garden, just like kids collect stones.
Audrey and most children in UK cities were evacuated to live in the countryside where it was safer and away from bombings. This meant moving away from their parents and family to live with strangers for up to four years while the war went on. Audrey was just 10 or 11-years-of-age at the time and missed her parents greatly, but knew it was to keep her safe. Six weeks into Audrey being away, her home in Birmingham was bombed. Luckily her parents were fine and moved to another house which was in a safer area, meaning Audrey could join them.
Audrey remembers food being very scarce and she wasn’t sure how her mother put food on the table every day.
The Germans were sinking ships that were bringing food to the UK, so it was very hard to find food in shops. Quite often her parents would line up for hours along the footpath to then reach the shop and be told everything was gone. Audrey remembers her mother getting frozen rabbit that had come from Australia and which had turned black in colour; others in the community were eating whale at the time. Her mother made a lot of stews and cottage pies, which to this day Audrey cannot stand.
When the war ended, she remembers American tanks driving up her road and people dancing and dragging their pianos out into the streets.
Audrey’s first job at the age of 14 was in an office as a telephone exchange, where she worked full time, six days a week and received 19 shillings and six pence.
When Audrey was 17-years-old, she met Joe at a roller-skating rink where they danced, and he kept bumping into her. She wasn’t sure what to think of him at the time, but they ended up going out together. Joe and Audrey were engaged at the age of 19, married at 20 and had their first child at 21 and another at age 24.
They decided to make the move to Australia, which was a long six-week boat journey that cost them 10 pounds each.
Leaving from France, it made one stop in South Africa and then made it to Perth. When they arrived, Audrey remembers walking into a pub and being told to leave and was ushered into a lady’s lounge. They settled in Elsternwick in Melbourne. Joe had raced motorbikes a lot growing up, which helped him get a job in a motorcycle shop.
Audrey got word that her father had died a few months earlier back in England, from emphysema. He had inhaled a lot of gas during WW2, which had greatly affected his lungs. Both Joe and Audrey’s mothers moved over to Australia to be closer to their children.
Joe saw a motorcycle business up for sale in Sale, so they decided to buy it – and packed their family together for the shift.
He called it Joe Browns Motors and Chainsaws, which sold motorcycles and Hondas. My father bought his first motorbike from Joe when he was 16-years-old, just as many others in the community did also. Their first impression of Sale was that it smelt terrible. This was because there was no sewerage system yet.
After being in Australia for two years, their third child was born and 10 years later, their fourth and final child arrived.
Joe sold his business in 1976 and bought a farm in Longford, which was close to my own grandfather’s farm.
Here, they started up a horse stud where they had around 40 horses, some being sold as far as Sydney. In 1981, drought hit and things became incredibly difficult but luckily all their horses survived. Their horse stud suffered as no one had any feed and weren’t buying stock, so Joe started up a business in Yarram. Joe Browns Mowers and Chainsaws.
Due to Joe’s ill health and needing a quadruple bypass, they sold the farm and moved back to Sale in 2002. Unfortunately, Joe died in 2021 at the age of 94.
During their 69 years of marriage, Audrey and Joe travelled the world together. Some of Audrey’s favourite memories are, flying in an ultralight over the Victoria Falls in Africa, parasailing over the Cairns Harbour and flying in a helicopter over New York. She also mentioned that she may try skydiving soon at the ripe old age of 92.
Audrey misses Joe greatly, but is lucky to have her four children nearby who pop in and call her regularly. She also has Rocco, her dog, who is 15-years-old and is as deaf as a post but spends all his time by her side.
Robin, who lives opposite, is one of Audrey’s wonderful friends and can be spotted in a few of these photos. They both catch up each week and have wine dates, which is gorgeous to see.
Some life advice from Audrey: Don’t be afraid to live life. Money isn’t everything, but it is important to have some behind you when you grow old. Travel the world, it will broaden your mind.
About the author
Caitie Richardson is a local family photographer based in Sale who services all of Gippsland. Her passion is helping people tell their stories that they can keep safe within photographs for future generations to come.
In her spare time, she has started photographing and chatting with elderly members of the Gippsland community. Caitie writes each individual’s story and feels very privileged to be able to help keep those stories alive.
Caitie’s work may be seen on her website: at caitierichardsonphotography.mypixieset.com
Alternatively, head to Caitie’s Facebook Page at facebook.com/caitierichardsonphotography
