NICHOL, Ethel Adeline

Born Delegate NSW 16 August 1909. Died 6 October 1950, Melbourne, Victoria.

Married Jorgen (known as George) Campbell Christiansen, 5 March 1932 in Geelong, Victoria.

Their children are:

Brian Jorgen Christiansen, 18 September 1932, Bairnsdale, Victoria

Alfred John Christiansen, 16 August 1935, Omeo, Victoria

Diana Judith Christiansen, 7 October 1937, Bairnsdale, Victoria

Jennifer Sonia June Christiansen, 13 June 1941, Bairnsdale, Victoria.

Their daughter Diana writes:

“Mm was called “Tiny” by Thomas Miles, as they were great friends as well as cousins.

Mum was the sewing mistress for the Bendoc Primary School where she met Dad who was the Head Teacher at the school. She won many prizes in the Agricultural Shows for her fine hand sewing. She told me that she and the other children used to pole vault over the fences across the paddocks, through the snow to go to school during the winter.

Mum shot and skinned many rabbits to obtain enough money to purchase a piano, which after her marriage to Dad, and the circumstances surrounding it, her father would not let her take it from his home. Whenever we visited my grandparents, it was so obvious how Mum missed her piano, as she spent as much time as possible playing it. Also from the rabbit skins she mad a rug for the bed which was lined with a warm red woollen blanket. As a child I loved the comfort of this rug, as did John who ended up with it.

When we lived at Mossiface, sometimes we would go into Bruthen to the pictures. Dad would put up the back seat of the car and we would snuggle down under the rabbit skin rug once we were too tired to stay awake.

A story Aunt Helena tells about Dad, is that when one day, their Aunt Eve and her daughter Freda were coming to visit, she, Vera and Rupe were to leave school early to enable them to be home when their Aunt arrived. Dad, (as the teacher) forgot all about releasing them early, so on realising his mistake at the end of the school day, put all three children on his motor bike. How they all fitted, Helena is still not sure, but off they went, with them all clinging for dear life. The road was long and windy round and over Delegate Hill, through the dust, over the rain washed out gutters across the road bumping and swaying dangerously, but arriving safely on time.

Dad had a little fox terrier, which accompanied him everywhere, however once when Dad visited Orbost, he ‘lost’ his dog (or Dad forgot about him) but the wonderful little beast made his own way home to Bendoc taking two days to achieve this feat.”

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