REID, Dulcie

Dulcie O'Neil was born at home at 3 Adair Street, Ballarat in July 1924 being the middle child in a family of four girls and a boy.  

Dulcie began her education at Urquhart Street Primary School at the age of four and continued until she got her Merit Certificate, after which for two years she attended the Girls' School in Ballarat East.  It was situated some kilometres from their Adair Street address and she walked both to and from school.  At the age of fifteen, which was then the school leaving age, she began work at the Lucas Factory.  Dulcie remembers that in those difficult times children could be permitted to leave school earlier if their parents applied for special permission.  After beginning work at Lucas's Dulcie undertook night school classes in dressmaking and cutting at SMB to coincide with her employment in that field.  She recalls that at Lucas's if certain sections of the factory fell behind in their production it meant that others would be laid off for several days until they were again required.  After four years at Lucas's and during one of these enforced lay offs, Dulcie went to Gowers who manufactured babywear behind their business in Bridge Street and was given a job as forelady in charge of eight girls.  She was only eighteen when she took on this role.  Gowers also undertook smocking and fancy work.

Dulcie was engaged to be married but her future husband was killed at war.  Whilst visiting some of is relatives in Hamilton she saw her husband to be Alan Reid in a busy street and recalls it was love at first sight for both of them; as she says, 'that was it.'  He was a wool classer and a shearing contractor.

Dulcie decided to try some different employment and applied for a job at Whiteside the Tailors in Lydiard Street South.  She was employed there for years after she was married and in those days worked from home.  She and Allan had three children, Norman, Bryan and Katy.

To celebrate the Centenary of the planting of the trees in Victoria Park Dulcie felt honoured to be the first person to plant a tree in Acorn Drive as the roadway will eventually be continued to Adair and Winter Streets.  Her relatives helped plant the original trees, the park roadways being named Poplar Drive, Cedar Drive, Elm Drive and so on.  Dulcie has fond memories of her trips to the park for picnics to the old mullock heao, which was named Mt Hollard Smith.  Dulcie recalls during the war repairing parachutes at the Lucas Factory which was done on a voluntary basis.  She also recalls the Boxing Day picnics at the Lake when the Gardens side of the lake was always full of revellers.  they drove there in horse drawn vehicles and she remembers that for threepence the boys used to hire a row boat from Taylor's or Gill's at View Point and row across to the festivities.

Dulcie died on the 16th May 2002 and her ashes are located next to her husband Norman at the Ballarat New Cemetery Wall J Row 5 Niche 48.