RESILIENCE tried and tested

RESILIENCE tried and tested

This book continues the story of the Gordon girls, and of Alyss in particular, as they approach their teens.

After the court case in which they are placed under the guardianship of the State (i.e. the Government of New South Wales), they live under the foster care of their deceased mother’s sisters. They are split up, their experiences varied, some good, some very bad, and for some of them it involved living within a strict religious sect.

Joyce and Eleanor must experience Aunt Iris’s misguided “Commission from the Lord”, which she applied in a strict, bigoted way; Sue was taken by the Peters as a longed-for daughter to be “spoiled” , Alyss in contrast fostered by Aunt May as little more than a nuisance appendage to keep up appearances. 

None of the girls had previously met their foster-caring aunts and had no idea of how demanding and dominating were their personalities , especially the religiously bigoted Aunt Iris. Only turbulent years could follow.

Through all of this, could they maintain their own strong personalities?

Can their resilience be maintained? 

Only time would tell.

It is a fascinating and enlightening story, quite likely different from any other you, the reader has experienced. Those who have read it highly recommend it to their friends.

.  .  .  .  .

 Excerpt from the book… 

The Gordon Girls

FOREWORD

How demeaning

For four scared children

Innocent, destitute

Spurious and unloved

To be taken to court

And prosecuted

Like petty criminals

As Deserted Children

For the Court’s discretion.

The Welfare did their part

Efficiently

Emotion not within their script

Just satisfactory outcomes

Their official goals:

They prepared for the future

Of these abandoned ones

Perfunctorily.

Could anyone know

The feelings of such

Children as they strove

To comprehend

Where they must go,

Where they would be

And how they would do?

 

It is the story,

The affecting story

 

Of the Gordon Girls

 

  

CHAPTER 1

 1956, Late December

 Clouds were threatening so Albert Siddons was anxious to get the girl delivered and get back to his office. He drove Alyss to the home of Harvey and Pam Gawler in Lambton, where Joyce, Eleanor and Deidre, Alyss’s sisters, were already staying. He obtained a signed receipt for her safe arrival and hurried away. It was always awkward; people, strangers, and children worried sick over what would come next in their disrupted lives. It wasn’t an easy job.

Back at the office his boss, Assistant Director Clarkson, senior field officer of the NSW Department of Child Welfare for the Newcastle area, was preparing the official forms for the court case necessary to place the children legally under the control and guardianship of the State.

John Clarkson was a meticulous man. Every “t” had to be crossed and every “i” dotted on the correct legal forms, so that there would be no impediment to the case proceeding successfully. Once the forms were lodged with the court, it would be the responsibility of his department to ensure that arrangements were in place for the children’s future care. Such arrangements required forethought, careful investigation of prospective fosterers and their premises, and firm commitment on the fosterers’ part, once approved.

The paperwork completed, he reported to his superior officer in Sydney, Director Kevin Sylvester, to discuss possibilities for fostering. The father had no known relatives in Australia but there were several sisters of the children’s deceased mother. If negotiations with them failed, then there was Benoora Girls’ Home in Sydney. It was agreed that he would speak with each of the children’s aunts and ascertain what opportunities there were amongst them to take these children before any further decisions were made.

The girls’ father, Ross, had disappeared and nothing had been available from the shop or its residence as it was now under mortgagee sale after foreclosure by the Permanent Building Society. Between the liquidator and the mortgagor, everything had been taken and by now destroyed, including all the papers and letters from the parents’ room. It was only Department file notes recorded earlier and listed under ‘Religion’ that provided the name of the children’s pastor, Rev. Graham Reith, Minister at St Philips Presbyterian Church in Watt St., and the church’s address and telephone number. Mr Clarkson drew out these papers and prepared to make contact with Minister Reith over the status of the children, and the currency of their religious affiliations.

Mr Reith was horrified when he heard what had happened. Since being banned from the house by the housekeeper, Reenie, and the girls having stopped coming to Sunday school, he had lost contact with them. He had certainly not forgotten them. Still, somehow, he felt guilty for failing them and was now anxious to assist. He was only too happy to pass on the addresses and the one telephone number of their relatives that he had obtained earlier; it was at least something he could do for them.

The only confirmed telephone number was for Rosemary Rogan, the youngest of the girls’ deceased mother’s sisters. John Clarkson decided he would ring Mrs Rogan and find out how she was situated and hopefully obtain the numbers of her other sisters from her, so he could call them also and see what could be arranged. He dialled Rosemary’s number and, once she was aware of his enquiry, she quickly made it clear that, although she had billeted Joyce and Eleanor for previous school holidays, she was not in a position to take them on a permanent basis. However, she gave him the number for Mrs Grunaud, next door to Flora Peters. She explained that neither of her sisters had a telephone but the neighbour would call Flora in to the phone and he would need to get her to arrange for her twin sister May Ryles, to call him.

‘Oh, that’s disappointing,’ he remarked to his assistant, Miss Colliss. She was present with him in the office to witness his calls and take notes in shorthand.

‘I had hoped that the older two girls could be placed there. Well, I guess that avenue’s closed. Okay, let’s move on and see how we get on with the others.’

He checked the Fairfield number for Flora Peters and dialled. When Mrs Grunaud answered, he introduced himself and explained his need to speak with her neighbour, then waited for Flora to come to the telephone.

 

Flora was a perceptive and calculating woman with her own agenda. She had much earlier considered the Newcastle situation and, with her attention focussed on the youngest girl, had seen how it could be possible for her to get the daughter that her husband Willson had not given her. How she determined it was his fault was never made clear, especially as it was she who had stopped nuptial relations.

A great opportunity to progress her new obsession had arisen in the autumn school holidays when she had not only had Deidre stay with her, but had managed to keep the youngster with her after the holidays were over. During this time she had plied her with new clothes, given her a feminised room of her own and treated her like a child princess. She had also approached the Child Welfare Department to explore the possibility of taking her full time and even eventually adopting her. At that time, Flora had put forward her impression of the conditions at Newcastle—and she was not backward in referring to the trollops, as she thought of them, that their father would bring into the home to look after these children—and stated firmly that such conditions were particularly not suitable for a child of this age, and that she and her husband could provide much better for her, the poor child. This information had been taken by other officers and notated in the file; it was only just now that Mr Clarkson had read it closely.

As this previous discussion was already recorded, Flora had believed it prudent to hold back and wait for contact from the Department rather than push the matter from her side. It was, however, very important to her that she succeed in this before May, her non-identical twin, could make any claim or comment that might thwart her plans; she was unsure what tack her sister would take, as they had not discussed the situation in any depth. It was partly because of this rivalry that she had grasped the opportunity, when it had arisen, to hold onto Deidre and get the child familiar with her. In this, she had tried to ensure that the youngster had not been returned to her father for as long as possible. Ross’s angry arrival had curtailed that scheme, and although he had left immediately and taken back his child, it meant that Deidre had already been with her for several weeks, had got used to her and their home in Fairfield, and had loved the attention lavished upon her by these lovely people. Sowing the seeds like this, the woman was sure there would be no resistance from the child when the arrangements were being made, as they assuredly would be. She had thus set the groundwork with the Welfare people and could just wait for their call; she had been confident it would come.

Mrs Grunaud called Flora in from next door to take the call. Mr Clarkson put to Flora his preference for the girls to be fostered with family members and asked if she were in a position to take at least one of them. Flora reminded him of her earlier discussions with Welfare officers as noted in his files, in which she had made it clear that she may be able to take the youngest, Deidre, but only her, and was considering, not just to foster her, but they might eventually consider adopting her, if all went well. She mentioned again to him the extended time that the child had “been left with her and Willson” earlier, and how well the youngster had settled into their home at that time. Tactically, she chose not to make a commitment just then, suggesting that she would need to discuss it further with her husband before any firm decision could be made. She would call him back shortly.

 

When the children had been with the twin aunts on their school holidays the previous year, there had been occasions when Alyss had been allowed, not only to see her own sister Deidre, but also to play together as a threesome with Lauren who lived across the road. These occasions had been friendly and sweet, and the three had swapped their various stories, factual and invented, laughing and enjoying each other’s company for hours. It had been a highlight for Alyss, abnormal in its simple normality.

The mistaken chilli-strawberry incident of some months earlier had been laughed off—at least by the adult Thomases—except that Deidre was not taking the risk on that again; she even had to be encouraged to eat tomatoes when they were fully red. Red things could burn one’s tongue!

 

The Thomases had observed that, for the school holidays, the girls had gone to separate Aunts rather than anywhere with their own family, and had not even been billeted together, so had suspected that there was a problem in the family. In fact, they knew from previous conversations with Mrs Peters that a calamity of some sort had overtaken them, and a major change to the whole Gordon family circumstances was in the making, to the point where the girls may need to be fostered out.

“Family” was important to Mrs Thomas. She had never wanted her daughter Lauren to be an only child, but after the girl’s difficult birth she had needed an operation and had subsequently been told that she would not be able to have any more children. It was grievous news; her desire had in fact been to have four or five, and she knew her husband felt likewise; it pained her that Lauren would grow up without siblings.

When Alyss had visited, they had observed her behaviour and personality, her obedience and honesty, and considered her a pleasant child. Mrs Thomas had herself come to really like the girl, and believed Alyss could be a good influence on and close companion to their own daughter, that is, if and when she were present with them.

Gradually, an idea formed and, mulling it over, she and her husband decided that Alyss would be an excellent foster sister for Lauren. Perhaps here was a solution to her own problem as well as that of at least one of the Gordon children: what if they could adopt Alyss? With this in mind, she proposed to enquire discreetly about Alyss’s present circumstances and what plans there were for the girl’s future.

When a suitable opportunity arose, she casually asked Flora again about the Gordon family’s situation. Flora saw no reason to hide the facts and in deprecating terms told her more about the situation at Newcastle, how the mother had died and the father had been bringing really unsuitable women friends into the house and expected them to look after and bring up his children. She made it seem like there could be little chance of their staying together as a family for the future.

In that earlier conversation, Lauren’s mother did not disclose to Flora what she and her husband had been considering. Now, the news was that things had deteriorated seriously and that these poor children would become Wards of the State. The more she thought about the possibility of adopting Alyss, the more Mrs Thomas took hope. They would have to approach the Welfare people but wanted to get the family’s view first. She really did not know yet whether it would be possible; it all depended on what actions the family members and Welfare Department took, but it was certainly worth making enquiries.

With these things washing through her mind, she decided, in agreement with her husband, to discuss this possibility more seriously with Flora Peters and so raise it when they next met.

Flora almost boastfully mentioned that she was approaching the Child Welfare Department with a request to foster first and later possibly adopt the youngest, Deidre, and assured Mrs Thomas that she had no doubt she could do a better job of looking after the child than her awful father and his disgusting women.

‘And what about the other girl, the second youngest, Alyss? Where will she go if the Welfare does take them, Mrs Peters?’

Flora replied that arrangements for the other three had not yet been finalised.

‘Mrs Peters, my husband and I have been thinking about this for quite some time, ever since we met young Alyss. We think she’s an appealing child and, considering these terrible circumstances, we’d be very happy to take her in and even adopt her. She would make an excellent sister for Lauren. Would you support our bid if we approached the Welfare people about this?’

She gazed into Flora’s eyes as she asked, seeking Flora’s reaction.

Flora had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it would please her to get one up on her sister by seeing someone else take Alyss and leave her out of the loop, but on the other she was not too happy about an outsider doing this. Hesitating a moment, she just smiled and nodded, and said:

‘Yes; certainly, Mrs Thomas. I’m sure that’s a wonderful suggestion, and so kind of you. We should follow that up. I’ll need to speak with my sister, May, about it, of course.’

‘Thank you, Mrs Peters. It would make us very happy.’

When next on the neighbours’ telephone to May, Flora mentioned it, but did not disclose her own attitude toward the idea. Sounding enthusiastic she suggested that it seemed like a good solution to that part of the family problem. It was, of course, tongue-in-cheek, and mainly intended to stir up a reaction from May.

‘That’ll never happen if I have anything to do with it, Flora. Fancy considering taking the girl outside the family! No way! The child’ll stay inside the family. It’s not what I would’ve chosen, myself. I don’t like the idea of having a young girl in the house with three grown men around, but I’m not going to stand by and see some stranger come in and take the child who’s, after all, our niece. Now you just make sure she understands that. Right? Gawd! I wonder at you sometimes, Flora. That was a stupid idea. You know me better than that!’

Flora chuckled to herself.

‘Oh, that I do, May!’ she muttered under her breath then replied audibly:

‘Got you going, didn’t it, eh? Get your feathers back down, Sis; I didn’t like the idea, either. Yes, I’ll tell them. Leave it to me.’

She had achieved the rise out of her sister she had expected and, at the same time had cemented the agreement as to who would take whom, making sure there was no hindrance to Deidre coming to her.

May had instantly made up her mind she would take Alyss regardless; this was in spite of the fact that she actually despised the child, coming as she did from Newcastle—that dirty, sooty working-class mining-town up the coast, ugh! She wouldn’t go there unless she had to—and growing up with that awful Gordon man as her father! As far as she was concerned it was an inconvenience to have to do this. Her house was only small, she would have problems fitting her in; her own family had grown, even if they did still live at home and this was a primary school child, and a girl at that, who’d have to be taught. It would not be easy.

Her decision was made regardless of the fact that the Thomases were a loving couple who just might have provided a very happy home and foster sister for Alyss. She did not take time to consider whether this might have been the best thing for her niece; May Ryles was simply not going to have outsiders dictating to her. She had stated family must always take precedence and was intent on making sure she herself had control; so, outside adoption was just not a consideration. She would be adamant about that.

May had already decided that Daphne’s children could not be left in that unsavoury situation at Newcastle. So regardless of her feelings, she would show them all that she could do this, bring up this young orphan. When she put it to Frank, he simply said he would leave it to her to decide such things so long as it did not interfere with him.

As soon as Mr Clarkson made contact to enquire about the possibility of guardianship, May made it perfectly clear that she would take Alyss, and demanded that he officially note this.

The Thomases were advised of the decision to retain the children within the family and were bitterly disappointed. They had savoured the idea and were enthusiastic to take it further. It had not been an easy decision, but seemed like such a simple solution, and would have made a huge difference to their daughter’s life, and at the same time, they were confident it would have been good for young Alyss, as well. The Thomases had no grounds to pursue the matter apart from making this request, so there was no opportunity to follow through with any application to the Welfare Department for fostering Alyss, and eventually adopting her.

Mrs Thomas had set her heart on this possibility and when it was obviously stymied, she became depressed and withdrawn. Her husband, worried for his wife’s health, made a major decision, sold the house, and they moved away shortly afterward.

The Cowper sisters were not women to be messed with. May Ryles had not acted out of love and charity; her decision was made out of a distorted sense of family pride and loyalty, and thwarted any chance of Alyss escaping from the confines of the family and going to what possibly could have been a very different and better life. The reality of that prospect would never be known.

 

Flora was working both the Clarkson man as well as her twin sister, so she made a point of calling back before May made her call. She confirmed their agreement to take the youngest. Mr Clarkson reiterated that it was a pity the young ones had to be separated but conceded that this was likely the best option available, so he accepted her offer. After consideration, he could see no reason why the Department should not agree to this, so it was settled that Flora would take just Deidre.

 

After discussing it with Frank, her husband, May called Mr Clarkson but made a show of reluctance and importunity. She groaned at the burden this would entail and stated it was not something they could take on lightly. As it was, she was not in a position to take either of the older girls, however she stated that they had agreed, although they had very limited accommodation, that if Flora was having the youngest, they would take the third child and look after her, but as foster-child, not adoptee.

Both women had made it clear, firstly that neither sister could entertain the possibility of taking both girls together and, secondly, that taking guardianship of one of them in this way would be an expensive exercise for them and they would need the Department’s assistance. This was agreed to by Mr Clarkson; he expected no less. Notating his file accordingly, he sighed with relief that at least this part was arranged. He would contact them in due course for the signing of the relevant documents and the pick-up of the children.

May also mentioned that, as they had no vehicle of their own, they would not be able to pick up Alyss from Newcastle but had arranged for her sister Flora and husband Willson to do so, and thus bring her down when they picked up Deidre.

‘Oh, I see,’ John Clarkson responded. ‘Very well, madam, I do understand. We will arrange for officers to call at your home so you can sign the guardianship documents and also an authority for Mr and Mrs Peters to collect young Alyss from where she is staying in Newcastle and bring her down to your place.’

Once this was understood he continued:

‘We will need you to contact us when she has safely arrived. Is that acceptable, Mrs Ryles?’

‘Yes, Mr Clarkson, it is. Thank You. Goodbye.’

May grinned as she hung up the phone. She had made the Department come to her. Now wasn’t that something!

John Clarkson put down the phone, realising he had gone far more than usual in accommodating the requirements of guardians, but he was used to the sensitive nature of these negotiations and was not too concerned at the expense; it would not be excessive. So, he had now arranged for their guardians-to-be to collect the younger girls using their own transport. With this in mind he now made another phone call to Flora via the neighbour—this was something he regretted having to do, but there seemed no other way of making contact quickly—and confirmed with her that she and her husband Willson, the latter being the driver, would come up and collect the girls from the Gawlers’ place and take them back to Sydney, Alyss to Canley Vale and Deidre to Fairfield. Flora confirmed these arrangements and he provided the time for the case to appear, suggesting that it was not expected to take very long. Flora said they would get there shortly after that time. Once again, as he returned the handset to its cradle, he sighed and looked across at the female officer sitting opposite, holding the parallel telephone and taking notes.

‘Two down, two to go,’ he verbalised his thoughts. ‘I just hope the other sister is accommodating, otherwise it’s Benoora.’

Miss Colliss wrinkled her nose, obviously aware to some degree at least, what the girls’ home was like. Fostering in the home of a relative would usually be much better, she believed.

 

John Clarkson had sent a telegram to Iris Cowper requesting that she call him. This she did and, in contrast to the reception to his calls to the other sisters, she expressed immediate enthusiasm. That sounded promising, he thought. Encouraged by this woman’s attitude he proceeded to ask what scope she had to take the older two girls.

‘It’s a real pity to split them up, Mr Clarkson; it would’ve been better if they could’ve all remained together, but I’m not in a position to take on all of them, unfortunately. I simply don’t have the space or the means. Pity. Still, I certainly would take the two older girls.’

‘Excellent. Ah, Miss Cowper, I am most grateful and I am sure the girls will appreciate your doing this.’

‘Well, Mr Clarkson, I think that this is no accident. I believe you have been led to call on me. This seems very like a challenge the Lord is placing in my way and He would expect me to show my dedication to His Will by taking it up as a commission. He challenges us from time to time, you know, to test and strengthen our faith; I do believe that, Sir. It’ll not be easy, I’m sure, but He provides where we lack.’

Never marrying and having children of her own, Iris was growing to like the picture she was constructing in her mind. Taking this on would firstly give her young persons to guide and influence into the “ways of the Lord”, and secondly would show to all her personal sacrifice and subjection to God’s Will and might allay some of the criticism she had endured over the years; she knew she was thought of as a little “eccentric” by others who knew her; by some, anyhow.

‘Oh, very good, then,’ Mr Clarkson responded affably, at the same time groaning inside at the religious statements the woman had made. He was always uneasy when people came up with these ideas, that someone is “led”, or God had directed them or was “testing” them. It sounded like a lot of waffle—he was not a regular church goer and took some of these excessive statements as just religiosity. Silently, he sighed again. He hesitated but then thought that, at least, the girls would be going to a “Christian home”; that much was good, and he could rest easy that they should be safe and properly looked after.

All concerned had agreed that under the circumstances it was impossible to keep the family together, but each one of the girls would have a home and relatives, not strangers, to care for them. The final split-up agreed upon was not ideal but, as there seemed to be no alternative, Joyce and Eleanor would go to Iris Cowper’s, Alyss to the Ryles’ and Deidre to the Peters’. So, the preliminaries were completed: all was now in anticipation of the Court’s decision to commit them to being Wards of the State, and that, he believed, was a foregone conclusion.

“Poor children,” he thought, “I just hope these people live up to their commitments.”

 

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