My parents' interest in singing led to their membership of the leading Ballarat choir of the day. My Father was the number one tenor and my Mother was the number one contralto. They did a great deal of singing together and the romance took off from there.
My Mother's courtship days were filled with music and teaching. She had elocution pupils and she taught in a little country school. Besides singing well my Father was a talented pianist. He could play anything by ear as well as read music. He was much in demand socially all his life because of this entertainment skill. Two of his sisters were also talented musicians so there was a great deal of music in his family life. My Father was also good at sport and played football in the Golden Point team. He also rowed well. His days as a young man were filled with music, sport and municipal training at Ballarat Municipal Offices. When the opportunity came to get a shire secretary's job at Orbost [Gippsland] my Father applied and when he was successful my parents married and went to Orbost to live.
Source: Wellington Pat, 'Memories 1913-1954', Clifton Press, Kensington, Victoria, 2007, page 1
All photographs as above, unless otherwise stated. With permission of her son, Geoffrey Hutson
