Doreen Bain 1921 - 2000

Doreen Bain (1921 - 2000)

Doreen Bain was born in the family home at ? st Ipswich, Queensland on 18 May 1921. She was the second child and eldest daughter of James Bashford Bain and Eva Mary Yates

Doreen's childhood and teenage years were spent in Ipswich with her family, they were very close, and Doreen had a special bond with her mother. Her mother Eva was religious, and at times a demanding woman, she expected her girls to be ladies. The family was what we would consider 'comfortable', with James working as a Railway Clerk in Ipswich whilst Eva took in work as a tailoress supplementing the families income. Their ? Street house was a medium sized timber dwelling on a 66 foot frontage block.

Doreen was very afraid of heights as a child, in fact so afraid of heights, that she couldn't walk across a bridge. The depression began when Doreen was 8, but as a railway man, whilst there was not money to burn, but they did not have to go without any of the essentials.The family was relatively comfortable, and took regular trips to the coast, but never had a real vacations. The family was very activity in the East Ipswich Methodist community, with Doreen appearing in the Churches theatre performances - including "The Princess of Poppyland" in 1929 ; "Zureka the Gipsy Maid" in 1933 - and recieving a number of awards that were referenced in the local newspaper (see below for links for actual articles).

School and Sports

Doreen started school at 5, Eva and James sent her to Girls Central School (now Ipswich Girls Grammar), which was a non-denominational school. She walked to school every day, about 1 and a bit miles. Doreen did very well at school, in fact too well, and the school started skipping her up classes. Doreens parents were not happy with this practice and requested that the school stop it. The school refused and Doreen's parents moved her to Silkstone School, a co-education facility approx ? milesfrom their home, when she was 10. Silkstone was built in 1915 and in 1931 there were over 900 students. The school day started at 9:30am and went until 4:00pm. Subjects included arithmetic, grammar, geography, spelling, reading, writing, tables, recitation, history, algebra, mensuration, drill for boys, dressmaking for girls. 

Doreen performing well academically (her explanation was she found other things to amuse her), but 

Doreen obviously inherited some of her grandfathers athletic ability, winning running races at the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australia Foundation Day Picnic Races in 1928 ; the Tivoli Football Clubs Picnic Day in 1930 and the Methodist picnic day in June 1934, and representing her school at the West Moreton Regional Championships in 1931, 1932 and 1933 - where she medalled multiple times - (See articles The Brisbane Courier, 16 May 1931, pg 6; The Brisbane Courier, 21 May 1932, pg 8; and The Brisbane Courier, 20 May 1933, pg 7 and ). She was a very good tennis player, playing club tennis (for St Mary's Tennis Club) from the age of 8 and representing her school and then Ipswich in Tennis when she was 13. In this period she made the papers a number of times playing for the Ipswich III team in the Inter city Tennis championships at Milton in August 1934 - Doreen won a number of singles and doubles matches, but the tournament was taken out by the Metropolitan Team. On 15 December 1934 there is a photo in the Queensland Times (pg 14) of the Silkstone girls tennis team which won the A grade primary schools premiership. She also 

Doreen stayed at school until she was 13, but to do so she had to do year 7 twice. Doreen had the opportunity to go onto high school (then known as Grammar School or Technical College), but she never really liked school and left by choice. Doreen's sister Mary when on to Grammar school, which was unusual for the time.

Working Life

When Doreen left school, she went to work in Woolworths which was the beginning of a long career as a retail sales, working in the fashion, millinery, manchester, jewellery and hairdressing industries. She worked there for 6 months and then got a job at the Rockmans showroom in Brisbane, quite a glamorous job at the time. She travelled to Brisbane every day by train, to earn 9 and sixpence. The trainfare used to cost her 7 and sixpence.

In 1936 Doreen sat the Presbyterian Sunday School Scripture examination achieving a score of 75 in the Upper Junior Division. After that she because a Sunday School teacher at the St John's Church of England Sunday School at Basin Pocket - where her work was recognised by the Rev B.A Talbot in 1937 at the annual Christmas Event (referenced from Queensland Times Saturday 18 December 1937 pg 7). This is despite resitting the Scripture Examination again in 1937 in the Lower Intermediate Division, where she scored 50.

Doreen continued to work at Rockmans until she turn 21, on ? she joined the Australian Womens Army Services (AWAS), where she worked as a clerk in the recruitment and discharge section. She was based at Fraser's Paddock. In the army she earned 3 pound (35 shilling) ?????. Doreen left the army on ? as a Corporal.

In 197? Doreen bought a Hair Salon. In January 1977 Doreen got her first passport (No. K578170) in preparation for her first overseas trip, travelling to Japan with her sister Mary.

Social Life

The Bain home was a hive of activity, and there were always kids at the Bain house, playing cricket and rounders in the yard and on the street. Doreen and her sister used to teach the neighbourhood lads to dance as a means of entertaining themselves. It was thru these dancing lesson that she met Tich Hardie. She was 15 at the time. One of Tich's friends took part in the dance lessons and introduced them.

Their first date was to the movies at the Garden Theatre in Ipswich, and they used to go to dances together. Every Sunday night when Doreen went to get the bread Tich used to meet her and walk with her. Doreen bought Tich a pair of Gold cufflinks with his initials for his 21st (he still has them).

Doreen was often mentioned in the Newspaper for her achievements and socially. In The Telegraph of Wednesday 20 December 1939 it is noted in the HERE an THERE section (pg 18) that "Misses Thelma Bell, Doreen Bain, Nell Downey and Ina Mole will be spending the Christmas vacation together at Southport." 

In 1939 when Doreen was 18, the family moved to Prospect Avenue in Sherwood Brisbane. When war broke out, Doreen worked voluntarily in the St George Canteen, which made the meals for soldiers that were joining the army, about the same time Tich joined up, and after nearly 3 and half years, Doreen finally took him to meet her parents just before he disembarked for the Middle East in 1940.

Doreen and Tich got engage after Tich came back from North Africa in March 1943, but because they didn't know when Tich would be back again, the family ate one wedding cake just waiting. Tich returned to Australia from Papua New Guinea on ? and on 21 October 1944, at 23

Family Life

Doreen married Douglas James Hardie. Douglas, son of George E Hardie and Joan Kitching was born in Ipswich on 28 February 1917 and was 27 at the time.The wedding was held at the Sherwood Church of England. The bridal party included ???. Because of rationing, there wasn't any wedding invitations. The Bains held the reception at their home in Sherwood, there were 34 guests at the reception. After the wedding they went on a honeymoon to Currumbin camping grounds for 6 weeks. After their marriage, the newlyweds moved in with Doreen's Parents where they lived for a number of years as they saved for their own home.

Doreen and Tich were still living with James and Eva in 1947 when their only child was born

• Gary James Hardie Born September 26 1947 at St Andrews Private Hospital, Ipswich. Married Jennifer Lorraine Jessop 1967 and Janeanne Phillipa Cook 1976

In 1948 Doreen lost her hearing a year later as a result of ????. In 1949 the family bought their first home at 139 Ardoyne Rd Oxley, Oxley at the time was very sparsley inhabited. There was still lots of room and the blocks were large. The house cost them £1269. In 1958 the family purchased their first car, a Ford Prefect, it cost £160 and was ?. Doreen decided she didn't want to drive, never getting her license. The family was very happy with a wide network of friends. Every year, they went on holidays, generally to the beach either at Burleigh or Caloundra.

In March 1967 they attended the wedding of their only child to Jennifer Lorraine Jessop. Five months later in August, Doreen lost her mother Eva. After Eva died Doreen's father James came to live with them in Oxley. He lived there until he died in ?. It was a very full house, with Gary and his wife Lorraine living there until the birth of their first child, Elizabeth, 5 months later in January 1968. In May 1971 just after her 50th birthday, Doreen had her first ever plane flight to Newcastle to see her second grandchild and first grandson, Matthew.

In 1976 they travelled to Port Macquarie for their son Gary' second marriage to Janeanne Cook, daughter of Vernon Cook and Margery Curtis. In 1981 their third grandchild, Kassia arrived, followed in 1986 by Bryce, then in 1988 by Tamarin.

In 1980 Tich retired and then in 1981, Tich and Doreen sold the house in Oxley for $70,000 and moved to Lake Cathie to be closer to Gary, Janeanne and the children. There they built duplexes with Doreen's sister Mary and her husband Charles Scheifelbein.

Doreen lived out her life in Lake Cathie, an active member of the local community, where she was a keen lawn bowls player and active fundraiser for the Ladies Club. In ? ? Doreen suffered a heart attack after a fall when she was in Newcastle visiting Gary, and then in June 2000 she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She died on 2nd October 2000 at Laurieton Nursing Home, Laurieton, from Heart failure brought on by complications from her chemotherapy. She was 79.