Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameValerie Anne NICOLLE 
Birth15 May 1941, Blackwood SA
FatherFrederick Robert (Fred) NICOLLE (1888-1969)
MotherElsie Jean STOYEL (1906-1958)
Notes for Valerie Anne NICOLLE
Recollections of Valerie
1944 –Age 3 Lived at Walkerville Boys Home with Mum & Dad – had Mastoid Operation in Adelaide Childrens Hospital.
1945 – Moved to Ashbourne – Mother housekeeper to Rymal family.
1946 – Back to Windsor – started school with Mr Roberts teacher
1947/48 – Windsor sold – buckboard loaded with possessions and drove to Barmera where Nancy was grapepicking. At this time Janine was boarding in Adelaide and going to Unley High School. While in Barmera Dad & Nancy grapepicked and Mum cooked for the workers.
I rode my bike to and attended the Barmera Primary School.
On Sat nights Mum, Dad & Nance would attend the local dance. Robert (2) and myself (8) would be left outside the dance hall tucked up with blankets in the back of the buckboard. One night a “friendly” male worker with a little too much to drink put his head over the back of the buckboard to say hello – frightened hell out of me – but no harm done.
After the Grapepicking season was over we headed for Victor Harbor where with the proceeds of the house at Windsor Dad & Mum bought the caretaker/canteen business at the Encounterbay Caravan Park. Part of the proceeds of the sale of Windsor also went towards Kath & Kelly’s wedding.
1949/50 – Attended Victor Harbor primary school.
1951 – Shifted with Mum & Robert back to Blackwood – lived in Fern Road – rented Love family home.
Robert started school at Blackwood I was in Grade 6 & 7.
1954 – Still living in Blackwood – started 1st year Unley High School – caught steam train to Mitcham station to go to school. This was the year of the earthquake. Was woken up early around 4am by a large rumbling sound (thought it was a goods train) until the house in Fern Road shook and the ceiling came down in a corner of my bedroom and I could see the stars in the sky through the gap. Robert who was asleep in another room wouldn’t have woken up except a hair brush on cupboard above his bed fell on him. We all went out into the street and then walked around to Woodleigh Road to make sure that our Grandparents were OK. I hoped that the earthquake might have resulted in school being cancelled for the day – but no such luck.
1955 – Shifted with Mum, Dad & Robert to a caravan in a backyard in Mitcham. I attended Unley High and Robert the Mitcham Primary School.
From the caravan in Mitcham we shifted to a tin Army Hut at Centennial Park where I rode my bike to Unley High and Robert attended the St Marys Primary School.
One day Robert & I caught a bus to the Royal Show in Goodwood. I didn’t have enough money to catch the bus home so we both walked from Goodwood to Centennial Park.
1944 –Age 3 Lived at Walkerville Boys Home with Mum & Dad – had Mastoid Operation in Adelaide Childrens Hospital.
1945 – Moved to Ashbourne – Mother housekeeper to Rymal family.
1946 – Back to Windsor – started school with Mr Roberts teacher
1947/48 – Windsor sold – buckboard loaded with possessions and drove to Barmera where Nancy was grapepicking. At this time Janine was boarding in Adelaide and going to Unley High School. While in Barmera Dad & Nancy grapepicked and Mum cooked for the workers.
I rode my bike to and attended the Barmera Primary School.
On Sat nights Mum, Dad & Nance would attend the local dance. Robert (2) and myself (8) would be left outside the dance hall tucked up with blankets in the back of the buckboard. One night a “friendly” male worker with a little too much to drink put his head over the back of the buckboard to say hello – frightened hell out of me – but no harm done.
After the Grapepicking season was over we headed for Victor Harbor where with the proceeds of the house at Windsor Dad & Mum bought the caretaker/canteen business at the Encounterbay Caravan Park. Part of the proceeds of the sale of Windsor also went towards Kath & Kelly’s wedding.
1949/50 – Attended Victor Harbor primary school.
1951 – Shifted with Mum & Robert back to Blackwood – lived in Fern Road – rented Love family home.
Robert started school at Blackwood I was in Grade 6 & 7.
1954 – Still living in Blackwood – started 1st year Unley High School – caught steam train to Mitcham station to go to school. This was the year of the earthquake. Was woken up early around 4am by a large rumbling sound (thought it was a goods train) until the house in Fern Road shook and the ceiling came down in a corner of my bedroom and I could see the stars in the sky through the gap. Robert who was asleep in another room wouldn’t have woken up except a hair brush on cupboard above his bed fell on him. We all went out into the street and then walked around to Woodleigh Road to make sure that our Grandparents were OK. I hoped that the earthquake might have resulted in school being cancelled for the day – but no such luck.
1955 – Shifted with Mum, Dad & Robert to a caravan in a backyard in Mitcham. I attended Unley High and Robert the Mitcham Primary School.
From the caravan in Mitcham we shifted to a tin Army Hut at Centennial Park where I rode my bike to Unley High and Robert attended the St Marys Primary School.
One day Robert & I caught a bus to the Royal Show in Goodwood. I didn’t have enough money to catch the bus home so we both walked from Goodwood to Centennial Park.