Whyalla as it was.

[mumandtwins]

you need to get your ass on facebook Whyalla Page I have just linked this video to it. there is massive discussion on Whyalla as it was, and will probably never be again

[gzwbyc]

@mumandtwins I am on the FB Whyalla page....lol. I'm "Fab". :)

[mumandtwins]

@gzwbyc LOL I worked that out after I posted LOL

[bbcakesxox]

Whyalla <3

My home until the end.

[transformedatlast]

I like that big ship when you just get to whyalla and there is this huge ship, its awesome

[fxstwg1955]

Growing up there in the 60s at the west we had a bus fruiterer driving down our streetwith these 2 guys and mum would buy some groceries.There was also a fish monger driving down and who can forget Mr Whippy on a hot Sunday evening?We had a neighbour who would take her black and whit TV set on the veranda on the hot nights so we could all watch.

[lillipond]

@fxstwg1955 That would have been Mr Karavas with his truck (for memory it was dark blue and had the old fashion indicator hand that the driver would use manually lol), Mr George Atsalis Snr worked for Mr Karavas. If it was not for Mr Karavas, the folk "in the west' would not have fresh fruit and veg. I remember them well. They were good people, my mum would get her goods on 'tick' sometimes as times were sometimes hard.

and Oh the treat of getting Mr Whippy, and it still gets hot here lol!

[lillipond]

@fxstwg1955 That would have been Mr Karavas with his truck (for memory it was dark blue and had the old fashion indicator hand that the driver would use manually lol), Mr George Atsalis Snr worked for Mr Karavas. If it was not for Mr Karavas, the folk "in the west' would not have fresh fruit and veg. I remember them well. They were good people, my mum would get her goods on 'tick' sometimes as times were sometimes hard.

and Oh the treat of getting Mr Whippy, and it still gets hot here lol

[lillipond]

@fxstwg1955 That ould have been Mr Karavas is his truck, he was a good man and if it was not for him the good folk of the west would never have the fesh goods they did. The truck was dark blue with the old manual indicator hand that the driver used out his window lol. Ah yes Mr whippy...and yes it still gets hot here lol

[fxstwg1955]

@lillipond I think the fruiterers vehicle was a converted bus,but I stand to be corrected on this.Yes your'e right they were the K bros and yes they were very friendly and courtious.I was one of the first kids to attend Fisk st Primary and I still have the class photo and I can even remember some of the kids names,not bad for an old fart lol.I have many fond memories of Whyalla walking around collecting cool drink bottles and buying ice creams for me and my brothers and sisters.Thanks Whyalla.

[GatchamansPrincess74]

OMG some of my old school friends at the end. LOL That was a surprise. Great video. =)

[gzwbyc]

@GatchamansPrincess74 Kylie S, Robert S, Katrina D, Rebecca M, David W, David A, Fabio A, Jason M, Gavin P, Craig L, think I got them all.

[brenvivash64]

i grew up in whyall, from 66 to 80, it was nice to see some pictures of places in the town from when i was growing up, like the civic centre where i saw acdc... my dad was securuty at b.h.p, also my brothers and mum worked there...living back in the u.k now, but have fond memories of growing up in a town called whyalla,,

[whyallaboy01]

@brenvivash64 ; I was at the same AC/DC show. The Keystone Angels supported and it cost 50c to get in. Grade 6 and 7 students from my school (Scott St Primary) were allowed to go, as it was a special daytime matinee show.

[josefbuckland]

Brilliant

[bostonwayne]

I lived in Whyalla from when I was 9 in 1973 to 1979 when I returned to the UK I lived on Huerich terr near the drive in My childhood in Whyalla was great I'm a grandfather now and happy with life but still think of Whyalla with affection

[darkangel2347]

I lived in Whyalla from 09/01/1974 to 09/07/1982. I now live in Adelaide. Every July 9 at midnight (I left on the infamous midnight bus to Adelaide), I think of the 8.5 years I lived that town and what I did there and how much it defined my childhood deeds and memories.

[gzwbyc]

OK.. you win... I can't remember the Whitehorse Inn or Whyalla ending at Hutchens street. Hey ... not sure if you get on FaceBook at all, but I'll send you my name in a private message.. feel free to look me up and add me. I'm curious who your child is that's the same age as me.. I might have gone to school with them or something.... Thanks so much for the memories Diane. It was a pleasure taking a stroll down memory lane.

[Diane7755]

Couldn't let it go without mentioning Eyre Tech; Friday nights at the Gowrie Hotel, Saturday nights at Westlands, Sunday nights at Centrals, Tuesday nights at the Eyre Hotel (in the basement). Climbing up Mt Laura, laying under the trees down at the Foreshore, going to the Drive In and movies at the Civic. Ada Ryan gardens, The Rose Gardens, Shulz Reserve, Eight Mile Creek, Point Lowly, Westlands Soccer Club, Westland Boys - and the list goes on...........

[gzwbyc]

Diane,,, glad you liked it. I was ticking off just about all those things you mentioned as things I've done too.

[Diane7755]

Hmmmm.... how about the concerts at The Institute? Fraternity (fronted by Bon Scott and later on Jimmy Barnes); Spectrum; Chain... BHP siren at 7.00pm every night; street lights off at 11.00pm; no traffic lights.....

[gzwbyc]

Ok... you want to play hey...LOL. No channel 4 until 4pm and the half hour gap on the ABC between Sesame Street and Play School, the BHP X Mas shows on top of the tank hill near the mad mile, Dial a Dinos, the steak van at the mobil servo Westlands, "The Pictorial" news paper, Oasis coffee lounge (dad used to own it), Loafers snack bar, Big Als, the band Street Life,The Workers club,The Drive In, Colmart,The food and wine festival at shultz res., and Jimmys pizza bar in the main street. Back 2U

[Diane7755]

Yep, you're on..... Gobble & Go next to the Eyre Hotel - best hamburgers on the planet. Damn it - you beat me to Jimmy's Pizza Bar - the only place to be at midnight on a Satuday night. But I'll throw in Giovani's - even though it did come later....... The Shandon - could never get used to calling it The Sundowner. I must be older than you - no Channel 4 until 1968 - and it started at 6.00pm!! Plus it only ran until 10.00pm.

[gzwbyc]

I was born in 1972... so I must be a touch younger.I remember the Gooble & Go but for me The Sundowner was always known as that... Do you remember The Regal Birds maggot scandal?How about The Community Club at Iron Barron,the skating rink on Mills street,the dirt track out to Point Lowly,the hoo-ha surrounding the sacred site at the Marina,fishing at "The Basin" (in BHP, opposite the shipyard slip way), the Queen's visit and the opening of Whistlers Corner just up from the ABC village?

[Diane7755]

Your the same age as my first born... although I was a child bride!! Can you believe I met the Queen at the Coucil Chambers (I worked for Frank Blevins, Member for Whyalla & Deputy Premier). The Basin heh....... lots of late night parking there.... Regal Birds - ahhh... the memories..... Used to drop my sister off at the Mills Street Skating Rink - Mills Street deli - iconic! I only ever remember the dirt track to Pt Lowly - no bitumen in those days.... WTR or Tom Antonio's for videos..

[gzwbyc]

Wow .. I probably know you first born then...LOL. Do you remember the deli that was along Mc Douall Stuart Ave between the Centrals FC carpark and the Bennett oval main gates? How about GTSBKN "What's in the box" competition? I'm struggling now.....I think you're gonna win this one.

[Diane7755]

Here we go... Railway Sleeper was in the first "What's in the box" (gotta get a life!!); the flying chairs at the foreshore; when Hutchens Street was the last street in Whyalla; NASA - Westlands Utd; Whyalla City; Inter-Stuart; Steel United; Lions; Wanderers; Croatia; Thunder; Hellas; Virtus; Savoy; Port Augusta. Walking past the Spencer Hotel getting wolf whistles from the guys sitting by the windows; Whitehorse Inn; Vennings, Malcolm Reids; Bobs Discount House on Essington Lewis Ave......

[whyallaboy01]

Actually, it was a 'railway spike' that was the first "What's in the box". I remember the last clue was 'muffin' and a 'spike' was a kind of muffin. Also saw all those teams play and played for Wanderers and City.

Remember Colmart? Rings? RJs Records in Westlands? The Rec Centre when it first opened? Aileen Ekblom? One Stop shops. The mad mile? 'Just 4 Fun' on GTS-BKN? The great flood of the early 70s? Ah, the memories.........

[Diane7755]

You're right - it was a railway spike (knew it had something to do with a bloody railway)!!! So you played for Wanderers and City heh??? What years? My ex was a goalie and played for City, Wanderers, Westlands and Inter Stuart (he also played for Hellas for a couple of years because they payed "good" money). I'm thinking we may know each other! Rings......... was trying desperately to remember the name of Aileen Ekblom's shop who, by coincidence died last week.

[whyallaboy01]

I played for Wanderers in the early-mid 70s as a kid, then for City in the late 70s as a teen. If I recall correctly, Glyn Shaw was the Wanderers A-Grade goalie throughout a lot of the 70s. They had a great team then....Pat & Ricky Finnegan, Marci Fernandez, Jackie Kirk etc......great times.

[Diane7755]

Whoa.... that's a blast from the past......!!  How about David Coulter (my ex); Lucia Da Rocha; Steve Ward, Buddy Newchurch, Steve Calikes - I could keep rattling them off!

[whyallaboy01]

God yeah....Steve did the local soccer show on Sunday mornings on 5AU, updating the overnight results from the UK. Decent player too!

[Diane7755]

Yep, Steve did the soccer show for a number of years (I think he is now living in the West). Having to have a total recall of soccer players but can only come up with Raf Gonzales; Tommy Veart (Carl Veart's father - who I used to babysit).

[aussiegirlable]

Hello there. I am Jean Veart,s partner read your blog about babysitting carl.Jean is now back in the uk.We visited Adelaide in April to see carl also went to Perth to see Karen.Reading your comments about the footie brought back many memories for Jean.Thank you.

[Diane7755]

Hi there, I'm pleased my comments made the memories come flooding back for Jean. My grandparents and my Uncle came over to Australia from the UK with Karl's grandparents. The Vearts lived next door to my best friend in Phillips Street, and the both of us did our fair share of babysitting for Tommy............. How is Tommy? When did Jean move back to the UK? It's a small world isn't it....... Cheers, Diane..... (maiden name was Hartley)....

[aussiegirlable]

hi diane if you were a friend of caroline gibbons she is now living in wa rockhampton she is still in contact with karen

[Diane7755]

Hiya,

You got me! Carol Gibbons was my best friend and Maid of Honour at my wedding. Her son Jason was born in Jan 1974 and my daughter Tammy was born in May 1974. We were very close but lost contact when we moved to Adelaide. However, I did manage to track her down through Gillian (her sister) and caught up with her when she came to visit Gill a couple of years ago.

[Diane7755]

I have lost her address and contact details and although she keeps sending me Xmas Cards she never puts a return address on them. Is there any chance of getting her contact details from Karen (I can't find Gill's number either)???? I know that her mum and Dawn are over in the West with them. What a small world we live in nowadays...............

[aussiegirlable]

Hello Diane have contacted Karen and she will tell Carole that you have lost her details and to contact you they went to see Pink a couple of weeks ago in Perth have you tried the white pages in Rockingham?  I moved back to the UK 2 years ago but still miss Aus can not get used to the UK weather| PS. Karen was in Whyalla a couple of weeks ago still have good memories of Whyalla good times at Croatia Soccer Club

[Diane7755]

Hi, I went and saw Pink a couple of weeks ago! I can't remember Carol's married name therefore can't look her up in the phone book....... I was saying to my husband last week (when we were in the middle of storms and freezing cold weather) that I could never live in the UK (I have been back twice since 1966 and have no desire to go back again) however, my husband's family lives in Scotland - and mine in Yorkshire - so I will have to make the dreaded trek again soon.

[aussiegirlable]

hi Diane been in touch with Karen and Carole:'s last name is Gough I think his first name was Darren hope you have luck in finding it in the phone book any problems let me know Jean

[Diane7755]

I remember One Stop being built and also the vast expanse that would end up being Westlands Shopping Centre, and Westlands Hotel. I also worked at Colmart during my school holidays. I'm guessing we may be around the same age because my car got flooded on Viscount Slim Avenue in that great flood....... We had to climb out the windows and wade through the flood waters............... Yep, you're right....... the memories......

[whyallaboy01]

Remember the Loys truck delivering soft drinks in the 70s? Home milk delivery (Mr Balnaves was our 'milkie').....the packed out cabarets at Wanderers in the 70s.....Trev's Records in town.....The Whyalla Hotel when it was booming.....the many darts competitions around town.....Vern Schuppan winning Le Mans......Ozzie Jarvis winning every honour in Whyalla darts.....Stephen Stanley's 'Lafferty' comic strips in the Whyalla News.......the old strung wire speed traps? Damn, I'm getting old.

[Diane7755]

Me thinks we are both getting old. Who could forgot Loys trucks; milk & bread deliveries and all the rest. It's been 21 years since we moved to Adelaide (I lived in Whyalla for 22 years) and when people ask me where I come from I automatically answer "Whyalla" - bit stupid really since I was born in the UK (and lived there until I was 10)......... Went back there in Nov 2007 for the first time in almost 20 years and it wasn't Whyalla as I knew it.

[whyallaboy01]

I moved there from England in '68 and moved to Adelaide at the end of '81. I also answer that I'mn from Whyalla when asked. It's a very different place now. Very dirty and grubby. Far from the town that won the SA Tidy Towns award twice in the 70s! I lived in Hawke St, just behind One Stop.

[Diane7755]

I moved to Whyalla from the UK (Yorkshire) in 1967 so spent my formative years there - married there, children born there etc.... I only visited for three days (for work purposes) and after about three hours I was ready to go back to Adelaide. At first I found it depressing but then realised that wasn't the correct discription - I realised I was feeling sadness and dissapointment that such a thriving community could end up like it has. The boarded up shops in the main street.

[aussiegirlable]

hello diane,did you have any luck with carole?[is her husband named after the england cricketer darren gough?] sorry to hear about the weather in adelaide..it has.@still is brilliant. having a indian summer as they say in the uk|| busy looking at flights to au. for next easter, bit of a minefield with all the differnt deals.did the dust storms in sydney remind you off whyalla in the good old days?

[Diane7755]

Hi Jean, You are not going to believe this. I took a chance and called a J Gibbins in the West hoping it would be Carol's mum - and it was (Carol has a silent number). Jean told me that Carol was in SA for a couple of weeks so I caught up with her on Friday afternoon - we had plenty to talk about - we haven't seen each other for about eight years and that was only briefly so we did our reminicing about the "good old days" in Whyalla. Thank you so much for giving me the information.

[aussiegirlable]

hello Diane. glad to hear you met up with Carol. I bet you spent many a happy hour talking about the good old days.I think it is so importent to remember your roots @not to forget where the early years of your life took place.I think what happens in those formative years shape the rest of your life.Anyway thats enough of the heavy stuff||Are you serious about coming to the UK. at xmas? Weather wise it is the worst time of the year. Very cold @only 6 hours of daylight|

[Diane7755]

We spent all afternoon talking about the "good old days". Yes, our formative years were spent in Whyalla and when I went back for a visit a couple of years ago I found it extremely upsetting and sad to see what has happened to the place I grew up in. People say to me "how could you live in a place like that" and I explain to them it wasn't like that when I was growing up, getting married and having chlidren.

[Diane7755]

We problably would have made a trip to the UK if my husband hadn't just started a new job six months ago. The exchange rate and cost of airfares was inviting, and he hasn't seen his mum or brothers for seven years. However, we have a two week holiday in New Zealand looming (in four weeks time), then we have booked a two week holiday to Queensland in May next year, meaning he can't get the time off. Six hours of daylight a day heh - I wouldn't like that!

[Diane7755]

We have promised each other that we are not going to lose contact this time! I don't know what those Sydneysiders were complaining about with the red dust - when we first arrived in Whyalla it was like that every bloody day! And yes, Carol's surname is Gough. We are looking at maybe making a trip to the UK in December (we are getting 55p for the $1) as my husbands mum is getting on a bit (she lives in Scotland). But, do I want to subject myself to that weather??

[Diane7755]

Whoa..... I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes - didn't realise how much I miss the "home" town! Immigrated there in 1966 when I was 11. Grew up, married, had children and moved to Adelaide in the last 80's. The music you put to it gave me a lump in my throat - YES, I REMEMBER WHEN................

[longbikes750]

i went to school with you guys, you remember Rob Currie

[gzwbyc]

Sure do ... wow, blast from the past hey. Hey...look me up on facebook. I'll send you my details in a private message.

[whyallaboy01]

As a former Whyalla boy who moved to Adelaide in the early 80s, this is quite a find for me. Where on Earth did you find some of those old pics? Makes me feel nostalgic about the old town. Thanks for putting this up mate.

[gzwbyc]

Most of the pics came from a website called Picture Australia ...put it into google and it's the one at the top of the page.

[kylieskeltonryan]

Thanks Fabio that was great,wow has time past,loved the photos at the end, I dont have any photos like that from that era, do you have any more? all my love and best wishes to you and fam kylie Ryan nee Skelton.

[dayvay]

Hey Fabio, small world. Dave here.

We do get sentimental in our old age huh.

It's funny to see some of those pics from your B'day, I've still got all of them too.

Thanks for clip.

[gzwbyc]

@dayvay Ah ha...found it. The comment that is.

[skweeek]

Well that was a bit of a shock! When all those colour photos came up towards the end of the clip i recognised my next door neighbour (David) and friends we went to high school with! Jason, Micahel, Craig, Rebecca ... I can even see my dad's old cortina parked in the street in the first colour photo!

Thanks for sharing the clip, great job

[skweeek]

Sorry, my mistake. That might actuallu be Rebecca's old VW parked in the street lol

[gzwbyc]

What a small world. Yeah that was Bec's VW. I'm the long haired lout in the second photo (4:01). The pics were taken at my 18th which was at David's house. The one of Bec and Dave was taken on the day that Dave, Bec and me left for Adelaide. Is this Dwayne by any chance??? Your old man painted Dave's Torana, am I right?? (Fab here BTW).

[mumandtwins]

mmm this might be a small world but I know of a bloke called Dwayne

[mumandtwins]

wrong one LOL OOPS

[skweeek]

Yeah this is Dwayne, and yeah my Dad painted David's Torana yellow (after David ripped out the dash board with a crowbar lol). You can even see torana behind the pic of Jason and David 4.06

I remember Fabio. When i saw your page and the name i realised who had made the clip. Took me a few seconds to make the connection in my head lol ... how's things anyway? did you escape whyalla? keep in touch with anyone in the pics?

[gzwbyc]

Man, you've got a keen eye. I didn't even notice the Tori in the background. Yeah, escaped Whyalla but I'd gladly move back anyday.  Been in Adelaide now for nearly 18 years. Married for 13 years, got three kids. I keep in contact with Weber, Vass, Scheide, Rebecca M, Munn, Kylie S, Robert Ant. and Gavin/Melissa. Was last back in Windyalla for the Eyre high reunion. There were more Adelaide people there than Whyalla people. LOL.

[mumandtwins]

OMG some of those photos what you been doing scouring the Whyalla News boxes for those those pics are GOLD love the music consider this shared thanks

[gzwbyc]

Most of the pics are from a website called PictureIt & the Song is Remember When by Allan Jackson. Glad you liked it.

[gzwbyc]

Most of the pics came from a website called Picture Australia ...put it into google and it's the one at the top of the page.

[seanystephen]

hey that was awesome very well put together thankyou for sharing Bern

[gzwbyc]

Anyone notice the kangaroos in the paddock opposite the Spencer Hotel where the council chambers are now?