8. THE OVERSEAS TRIP

International travel has become a commonplace thing, but in the Fifties it was still a major expedition for Australian travellers. Norman's firm was generous with holiday leave and with payment during their absence and this enabled Olive and Norman to extend their travels well beyond the planned visit to Vancouver.

They left Adelaide on the evening 'Overland' train for Melbourne on 29^th May, 1959 where they spent a couple of days that included seeing 'My Fair Lady' on stage. Travelling on to Sydney on 'The Spirit of Progress', they met friends, saw the sights, and went to the stage version of 'South Pacific'. On 10^th June, they left from Sydney on the SS 'Orcades', sailing by way of New Zealand, Suva, Fiji, and Honolulu, arriving in Vancouver on June 25^th.

It is obvious that they were having a wonderful time and Olive's diary is full of detail about the food they ate, the games they played on board the ship, and the sights they saw at each stopping place: she reports what flowers grew, which hotels they visited and so on. 'Still eating like horses and sleeping like logs!' she reports as they left Suva. At another time she notes that, after some games, 'The deck was cleared; the bars were opened; champagne turned on; (we had a) buffet supper; dancing; to bed after midnight.'  After they had crossed the equator, she records an evening when they 'watched a movie ('Gigi') at night in the open air under a tropical moon.' This note is followed by the comment 'Woo Woo!' to which the reader may place his or her own interpretation! She details the costumes worn by people at the fancy dress party and comments again on the 'warm night, carnival atmosphere [and] to bed after midnight'. A few days out from Vancouver, she writes, 'We'll have to get off this boat for a rest!'.

As they approached the coast of the USA, misty rain began to fall and thick fog rolled in. Two days out of Vancouver, the fog was thicker, and the ship was making slow progress. She writes that she 'thought our number was up.' However, the next day the fog cleared and in cold, misty rain they sailed towards Canada, the snow-capped mountains of the Olympic Range to starboard and Vancouver Island to port. Using his CBC connections, Bob came aboard and took them ashore before they had to clear customs. The Vancouver they saw in 1959 was a very different one from that of 2004. The north shore was largely unpopulated, and the city itself had few of the high-rise buildings that now crowd the shoreline.

For the next ten weeks, she reports the usual tourist activities: visits to Queen Elizabeth Park and Cleveland Dam; ferry to Nanaimo and a stay in Victoria; and drives to Stanley Park, to Mount Seymour, and up the Fraser Valley. There was cricket at Brockton Point[1] (including a visit from the MCC), and Norman umpired some of the local matches.

An important event rates only a single line. 'Wednesday, August 12^th: Fine. Home all day. Susan Leslie (6lb 10 oz) born'.  Olive's Canadian grandchildren may be amused by her description of them in a letter to Neil on 23^rd August 1959.

'Susan Leslie[2] is a dear. She has a mop of black hair (looks curly) … and has a little round face, small mouth and turned up nose like Trish, and yet looks like no one in particular and is, so far, very good. Burk is certainly like a 6 year old, terribly serious … and carries the world and its worries on his shoulders … Stacey is quite a trick and smart, although doesn't speak particularly well yet.'  

In late August, Olive and Norman made a brief visit to Seattle and then, on September 14^th took a trip on the Pacific Coast Railway to Lake Louise and Banff. Returning to Vancouver, they packed, farewelled Bob and Trish, and left on a Greyhound journey through the United States. Olive reports reams of numbers—the cost of houses, the length of bridges and roadways, the numbers of commuters and motels, and so on. Throughout her whole diary, I get the impression of someone seeing the larger world for the first time and marvelling at its size and complexity. Her accounts are peppered with words and phrases like 'glorious', 'magnificent', fabulous', 'colossal', 'impressive', and 'an absolute eye-opener'. She and Norman laughed at a dry cleaners' ad that invited people to 'drop your clothes off here'.

They paid $1.25 each to enter Disneyland and, like most people, found it 'an absolute fairyland'. They crammed all the tourist highlights into three days – Disneyland, Knots Berry Farm, Forest Lawn cemetery, Beverley Hills, and Hollywood (which in the more innocent parlance, of the time, but perhaps prophetically, Olive described as 'large and gay'!). At Las Vegas, Norman won $20 and Olive $3 on the slot machines. Olive continues to wax lyrical and in one paragraph she uses 'fabulous' three times, as well as 'tremendous', 'glorious', 'terrific' and wonderful', and describes herself as 'absolutely amazed'. They travelled on through Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska, and by this time are beginning to be overwhelmed by their new experiences. Olive hankers for something familiar.

'We're sick of the thought of …hamburgers, coffee, iced water …(and) …hot beef sandwiches; and the idea of a loin of lamb, roast potatoes (and) green peas … makes our mouth water.'

In Chicago, Norman attended a conference of architects and joiners. While Norman was conferencing, Olive was asked to talk to the conference wives about Australia and her impressions of America. Unfortunately, she does not provide any details of her experience. After the conference, they continued on their Greyhound bus tour, travelling through Michigan and Indiana. Olive has a cryptic comment in one entry where she reports that 'the talk on the bus about children and school would shock anyone', but she provides no details of her concerns. She again shows some tiredness for travel when passing a tunnel across to Canada. 'At this stage,' she writes, 'we were wishing we could go through the tunnel back to Bob, Trish and the children'.  The next day, they did drive through the tunnel into Ontario and to Niagara Falls. On 20^th October, which she notes as 'Bob's birthday and our 31^st anniversary', they met Trish's parents who took them on a tourist drive. Then they crossed back into the US and drove into New York State, marvelling at the 'miles and miles of glorious autumn colours'. As on a number of other occasions, Olive observes the cultural mix on the buses—'Americans, West Indians, Indians, Negroes, Southerners and only two Australians[3]'. By now the travellers are becoming a little jaded and Olive describes her entry into New York as '… so far not impressed. Too busy and too large!' A good night's sleep seems to have momentarily restored their energies and next day found them back at their cracking pace. On Sunday, they visited the statue of Liberty, Times Square, Harlem, Spanish Harlem, the Rockefeller Centre, the United Nations, Greenwich Village, and saw New York by night from the top of the Empire state building. However, the following day found Olive again disoriented.

'It's just a madhouse, letting the rest of the world go by and just bashing their heads against stone walls. The city is so modern and busy that it is reverting to yesteryear ideas. (There is) … no room for merchandise to be unloaded in the main streets (and) no parking room, so darkies push little trollies for hours up and down, laden with goods. Sirens, hooters, subway railways, planes, cars, lorries, whistles and anything that can make a noise does so  … everything goes like crazy. Men from the Bowery line up for rations, people beg, everyone drives big cars, always on the brake. … Lots of assistants rude and discourteous.'

That night they went to bed 'leg weary and tired'. The next day they packed and took their cases out to the Queen Mary, ready for their trip to England. They felt that they were handled rudely as they checked out from their hotel and Olive continues to complain that 'everything is loud, noisy and fast'. Anyone who has travelled can recognise that they are in 'culture shock' and badly need a break. Fortunately, they were about to get it. They boarded the Queen Mary and one can hear Olive's sigh of relief: 'Glad to hear English (British) spoken and to feel at home.' Their spirits may also have been lifted by news from Australia of the birth of Chalien Floy. The travellers, now back in more familiar surroundings, went to bed and 'slept well'.

The crossing was apparently uneventful and Olive took the chance to regroup, going to on-board movies, walking the deck, taking afternoon naps, and going to bed early. In the photo of them on the Queen Mary Olive is holding a doll dressed as a seaman. She brought this back to Australia for her new granddaughter and, forty-five years later, it still resides in our toy box for our grandchildren. He has had to have some minor surgery—one arm has gone missing and has been replaced by Charmian—but Olives' great-great-grandchildren still play with it.

 On the fifth day of the crossing the ship docked at Cherbourg, France and the passengers were able to have a few hours ashore before sailing on to Southampton. On a dull morning with misty rain, they breakfasted early, disembarked, and caught the train for London, Olive grumbling about what she saw as an excessive extra charge—sixteen shillings and sixpence.[4] Their taxi from Waterloo station took them past Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and Marble Arch to a very 'olde worlde' hotel.

Their energies renewed after the slower pace of the Atlantic crossing, they threw themselves into sightseeing with enthusiasm, despite days of rain and fog. Apart from the traditional tourist sights, they took in some theatre – 'Five Pennies' with Danny Kaye and 'A taste of honey', Olive betraying her relatively conservative attitudes by noting that the latter was 'modern, down-to-earth and hides nothing'.

 

Olive and Norman aboard the 'Queen Mary', November 1959.

The age of England obviously had an impact on Olive. They visited many historical sites—Runnymede, Hampton Court, the old London Wall, St Pauls, the Tower of London, Dickens' house—her list goes on and on. Her recording of events in America had become shorter and shorter as the trip progressed but now the excitement of discovery was back and she records, in meticulous detail, places, dates and impressions, noting that London is 'oozing with history'. The scars of the War were still obvious. 'St Paul's stands in the centre of a greatly bombed area', she notes.  Forty years later, when Charmian and I stood in the same place, new buildings had transformed the area.

On November 15^th, they boarded the 'Princess Margaret' for the Channel crossing to Calais, watching the famed White Cliffs of Dover retreat as they left England. From Calais, they caught the train to Paris, Olive again noting the presence of many other-cultural travellers—'dark people, Irish, English, Americans, French, one New Zealander and only three Australians[5]'. The next day they toured the sights of Paris, including the famous Montmartre cemetery. Olive was unimpressed. 'The oldest (and deadest!) cemetery ever, preserved only for family vaults (ghastly!)'. After a visit to the Eiffel Tower, they caught the Metro home arriving at about 6 pm. To Olive's distaste they had to 'battle our way along the street through "women" —just ghastly and repulsive, but then, this is Paris!' Her eyes are opened even wider on a visit to the Palace of Fontainebleau. 'There seems to be walls everywhere,' she writes, 'and it seems that when men see them they say, "Let's face it, chaps"—and they do—regardless—but then this is Paris!' Olive's report on their visit to Versailles veer between marvelling at the opulence of the palace and again being astounded to find toilets being shared by both men and women.

On 23^rd November, they boarded the train at Gare d'Austerlitz for an overnight ride to Spain. They joined a French and Spanish traveller in their eight-person apartment and slept fitfully until about 4 am, when a Spanish family of four crowded into the carriage. The family unloaded bread, garlic sausage and wine and offered them around. Olive and Norman found the idea of wine at 4 am somewhat daunting, and refused politely! Later, in the dining car, they were offered a selection of wines. Having no Spanish, Olive simply pointed at one bottle that, to their disappointment, turned out to be mineral water!

It is clear that their spirits had revived. They had been given a balcony room at their hotel in Barcelona and Norman suggested that he get a guitar and serenade her from the street; but as the balcony was four stories up, decided against it! They were impressed with Barcelona and Olive is again using superlatives to describe their responses—'absolutely magnificent', 'spectacular', 'amazing' etc. They seem to have taken in every possible tourist sight: the (still) unfinished Gaudi Cathedral, the artisans' quarter (glass-blowers, potters, painters, weavers etc), the views of the city from Mount Tibidabo, the shops and arcades, the illuminated fountain (which particularly entranced her), and folk dancing in the square. They even went night-clubbing at the "Rio" and the "Bolero", arriving back at their hotel at 3.30 am. They settled into the rhythm of Spain and she reports mealtimes—breakfast at 10.30 am, lunch at 3 pm and dinner at 8.30 pm.

They attended the last bullfight of the season, and Olive was not going to miss out on any experience. She writes

'[It was] very colourful and exciting, but gory, and we are thrilled to think that we saw one. … It is very spectacular and lively … The matadors (picadors, toreadors, whatever) come in (after visiting the Cathedral) with cloaks, and then the bull. The sparring and teasing goes on for a while, and then they use small spears and pierce the back, and then the kill, great shouting and clapping … and coats, hats, bouquets, cushions, anything is thrown down and the hero is obliged to toss them back—Norman nearly threw me down!—and [the matador] is given the ear of the bull. After the third kill, Norman asked if I'd like to go out as I looked white, but not likely. We'd paid our 50 pesetas[6] each, so I wanted my money's worth. It was really another leaf in our book of experience—but that's it.'

The next day they went to the monastery at Mount Monsarrat, adding what has become a regular theme throughout the diary that they were 'the only two Australians' on the tour. I have the feeling that, far from this being an alienating experience, it is a matter of pride. They seem to be feeling bold and adventurous; far from home, experiencing new and exciting things, and showing that Australians have a rightful place in the world.

            At a visit to a Mediterranean resort town 60 miles from Barcelona they 'walked along the foreshore in this lovely "sunny Spain"' and sat and ate their lunch on the beach. Olive reports that 'after seeing all the castles, palaces, churches, chapels and all, I feel about 20 years younger'. It's as if the memory of the tension of the war years has dropped away, and she is a young woman in her 30s again, full of energies and possibilities.

            After 12 days in Spain, they were on the train again for France. At the border she watched in amazement as 'the other passengers piled in with bags, cases, baskets, babies and loaves of bread – packages put through the windows. The whole of Spain seemed to come in through the windows. It's an education and a half. No one puts luggage in the vans, everything comes into the carriage and it's every man for himself. We had a reasonable night—2 Catalonians, 4 French and two Australians. Arrived in Paris at 8.30 am.'

            Departing Paris for Calais, they passed through the battlefields and the cemeteries of the First World War. One of the passengers, who had fought in the War, provided a commentary for them[7]. Olive writes that

'It makes one feel very glad to realise that we are so fortunate in Australia. I never imagined I'd be going over this ground and the places I had heard my Dad speak of; and the few phrases he used to say in French I would be using here myself and being understood.'

After a rough crossing to Dover, they were back in familiar territory. They returned to London a few weeks before Christmas, and marvelled at the decorations and lights. 'Regent street is just a dream … every shop has wonderful illuminations and window displays. We still think London is way ahead in neatness, quality, shops and price.' However, the weather was miserable. Fog and rain thwarted their attempts to photograph Westminster and other landmarks. It was 'cold and dark by 3 pm and pitch black by 4 pm' and they hankered for the long summer twilights of Vancouver. They called at the Post Office to receive letters and cards and were reminded how they had been cocooned in their travels and spared everyday occurrences. 'A big mixture of ills and ails, accidents and deaths. Some Christmas cards. Quite confusing, but good to hear all the news.' 

On December 16^th, they sailed from Tilbury on the 'Iberia' for their return home. Through the first week as they sailed through the Mediterranean, they experienced the familiar let-down at the end of travels and each day Olive notes their tiredness and lack of interest in shipboard events. This is such a contrast to their voyage 6 months earlier, when everything was new and exciting and they were seldom in bed before midnight. However, by Christmas Eve, they were through the Suez Canal, the weather had improved, and they were again in party mood, and 'music, dancing and entertainment until midnight was enjoyed with a glorious night.' On Christmas Day, they are in better spirits. 'Lovely day, cool sea breezes, everyone friendly, some lonely and a little homesick.'

At Colombo, as at Aden, Olive was confronted by the poverty of the people. 'The odour on the wharves was enough to knock you over …the bus took us along one the dirtiest streets we have been in … crowded with natives young and old, crippled and blind beggars, absolutely unbelievable … children begging everywhere and everyone trying to sell anything and everything, absolutely crowded and noisy.' Despite her misgivings, they still absorbed new experiences, riding in rickshaws, watching a roadside snake charmer, and soaking up the atmosphere.

On January 9^th, they were back on Australian soil, sailing into Fremantle in the early morning. They had booked on a tour of Perth and Olive reports that they 'felt very overjoyed and could have wept with pride on arrival.' On January 13^th, 7 months after they had departed, they were back at Port Adelaide. A crowd of friends was there to meet them and Olive notes that

'our biggest and most exciting thrill was to meet Charmie, Neil and our new little grand-daughter … they belong to us and we can see lots of them now we are home. [I am] "Cinderella returning from the ball" feeling a little like "Alice in Wonderland".'

As they had walked the London streets, she had reflected on their experiences. 'We never went hungry or got lost, and there were always actions by hands that helped a lot and now, it's rather nice to walk along Regent and Oxford streets and feel happy that we are what we are…'. Travel had worked its magic for them, showing them a world beyond the borders of their experience and imagination while affirming their rightful place in the world. They ended the Fifties feeling contented and fulfilled.

  Olive Quintrell 1960-1974