“Dead at 27 and Never To Marry”

Bonus Edition – Addition to the Kitchen Tapes

One of the heart warming aspects of putting this website together is to learn that there are a number of people who are reading everything that I put up. I’m also happy with the comments I am getting on individual posts.

One such person is Trenna’s only brother Colin Seckington, who for many years has lived in Europe. I received a message from him a couple of days ago, and I have decided, with his permission, to publish it in full.

It relates to the two oral histories Trenna recorded as part of a local government project. I’ll post links to the two recordings at the top here, and at the bottom of the post.

You should find the first recording here; and the second recording here.

So, over to our special guest blogger, Colin Seckington…

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Greg,

I would recommend to others to listen to the two interviews Tren had with John Bannister in August 2016. I had to transcribe this part of the interview for myself and thought others may be interested in reading it. To be told categorically, at the age of 15, that it was highly probable you would not get married and be dead by the age of 30 goes beyond my comprehension. Also at the same time you are turfed out of the place you’ve been living at for 7 years and literally asked to fend for yourself is unbelievable. 

Part of Interview No.2 with Trenna Mahney with John Bannister Oral Historian for the City of South Perth Oral History Project on 31^st August 2016

THM: I was told by Matron that I had a choice, well I didn’t really because Child Welfare would only cover my school expenses until I turned 16. Then I would have to go and get work. I was 15.

I was a bright student. They had the Achievement Certificate when I was in school and I was in Advanced. I also hated school because I was picked on quite a lot; that was separate from being at Craig House. It was because I was thin, and wore glasses, and that sort of teenage stuff.

She gave me sort of a choice but it was said in a way that some of the kids that were leaving school were going onto Swanleigh which was another hostel for children from the country that was in the Swan Valley. 

She said that I can go there with the others but you would change schools and have to go to Hampton High School, and the thought of that just terrified me. Going to another school and having to go through all this again.

However she put it to me as Child Welfare would see me through to only 4^th Year and not to 5^th Year which had been my intention.

She said that I could go to the Girls Friendly Society (GFS) which was a hostel in Adelaide Terrace in the city. I could also go to Key Personnel Business College and get a job earning money.

This was starting to sound good but the final killer was when she told me I need to earn my own way in life as I won’t get married and would be dead by the time I’m 30.

So this is how I made my decision.

Well the decision had been made for me. My Legatte was there as well and he said that you’ll probably won’t get married because you will die.

“I’ve only got 15 years – terrible”(interviewer speaking).

THM: Another girl staying at Craig House has also told me that Matron had gathered everybody and told them, being more precise, that I would die at 27 [Tren, chuckling with that infectious laugh as she spoke].

I was never aware of that but I do know that the doctors had told me that if I lived till I was 30 I would be living on borrowed time, and that was true as I have had heart surgery when I was 32.

So yeah it made me not develop any relationships in my 20’s (1977 – 1987) there I have no future. So here I am (Tren laughing) been married since 1989, but no children.

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Thanks to Colin for that transcription.

It was of course only a few minutes of the two, one hour recordings. I join Colin in urging everyone to listen to the rest of those two recordings.

You should find the first recording here; and the second recording here.

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To go directly to the next Kitchen Tape, No. 13, click here.