Doug’s mum Sarah decides to visit her old home in England and so Doug joins her on the P&O Strathnaver. London, Birmingham, Dosthill, Tamworth Castle, Peterborough, Hoddlesden. Sarah stays on and Doug flies home via New York.
Arthur and Lucie open a shop in Wembley, four generations in a two bedroom house. Choc tops. Grandpa P C McKenzie dies. All move in with Doug’s parents in Belmont. Then a new home back in Wembley. Ken and Merle wedding. Sarah Cash dies in a tragic accident. Move to West Perth and then the wheatbelt town of Bullfinch.
1946, first Christmas as a married couple, rations still in force. In early 1947 first daughter Lynne born and in late 1948 Pam born. Cecil, Roly and Alice also welcome new arrivals. Mistaken for John Bottomley. Doug joins the Freemasons. In 1949 the Moore’s sell their 21 Victoria Square house.
In late 1946 Doug purchases a newsagency on busy St George’s Terrace in Perth from Laura O’Hara. Over twenty years and through multiple renovations by their landlords, Zimpels the furniture store, Doug and Joan open a separate greeting cards store within Zimpels and a chocolates store.
Doug returns to Kalgoorlie and Joan follows, Doug almost burns down the house, Joan expecting first child, rationing and refrigerators, Doug resigns from PMG and they move to Perth to open a newsagency.
Doug gets posted to Air Defence HQ, Madang via Bradfield Park (Sydney), Townsville, Cairns, Port Moresby and Lae. Promoted to Flight Sergeant. Football accident. Moved to Admiralty Islands, a tour around Manus, Lorengau, Lombrum and Seeadler Islands.
Kalgoorlie (1939) I arrived in Kalgoorlie on Thursday 26 January 1939. I was met at the station by the Post Office mailroom supervisor, “Paddy” McMorrow. Mr McMorrow took me up to where he had made arrangements for me to stay with Mrs Quealy and her family. The house was located
The PMG transferred Doug to Coolgardie in 1937. Doug tells us about the people and the stores of the town, Ben Prior, Moran’s Store, Jim Larcombe and the Golden Eagle Nugget find, Sam Cash (no relation), the Railway and Denver City Hotels, Modesto Varischetti and the Bonnie Vale mine accident. @kalgoorliehistory @coolgardievisitorscentre
Dating back to his early days in Canada, Doug’s father was involved in horse racing. In Perth they had success with many horses, most notably the 1932 Easter Cup win with Dainty Princess. There were hard times and some bad accidents for father Walter. Doug has some betting wins and after the war was a ‘betting clerk’ for a friend.
In Canada and Australia Doug’s parents run/own many businesses. In Perth they had the Royalty Tearooms, Phar Lap Cafe and Adelphi Cafe in Hay Street, the Heather Tearooms and Queen of Hearts on Barrack Street, a shop in William Street and one in the northern suburb of North Beach. In Kalgoorlie they had the Teacup Tearooms and Mum’s Tearooms.
Aged 15 Doug joins the Postmaster General’s Department as telegraph messenger. Many of the messenger boys would go on to prominent positions in the public service. Passes exam and made permanent. Moves departments including to Tax. Then sent to Coolgardie, to Norseman and finally Kalgoorlie until the War. After the war asked to move to Leonora which he refuses and quits.
The Cash family arrives in Sydney, Australia aboard the SS Niagara. Over the next six years they lived in Liverpool before moving to Enmore, Darlinghurst and Lewisham. During this time, Doug’s dad worked for Maytag/Eureka and Doug commenced his schooling including attending Darlinghurst Public School.
Doug tells us about his birth in Canada and that of his father Walter, mother Sara, brother Cecil and sister Alice and the family’s movements through Ontario, Manitoba and finally Vancouver, BC before moving to Australia.