Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House Kitchen Tapes

The Kitchen Tapes No. 19

Recorded on 9 June 2018

Other Craig House Stories

[ GM: This was one of the longest recordings at 1 hour and 6 minutes.  In it Trenna sounded less tired than she had in other recordings, especially in the ones that were to follow. To see why this one was a bit different I looked at Trenna’s diary for this date and was surprised to see that she was not at all well, and had not slept much the night Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 19”

Categories
1960s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Marfan

The Kitchen Tapes No. 14

Recorded 12 May 2018

Violet Crumble Bars from the Catholic Church

GM: OK. Today is Saturday, the 12th of May. We are with Trenna Mahney, talking about her memories of her childhood, at this stage. 

Tren, there were a number of things we were  just talking about before we started recording.  They were things that happened mainly at your primary school.

Would you like to tell us some of those things? 

THM: Before Helen came I was a pretty meke, … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 14”

Categories
1960s Kitchen Tapes Mofflyn Homes

The Kitchen Tapes No. 13

Recorded 7 May 2018

[ GM: Note before we start.  In these recordings of Trenna’s early years I can hear that she almost puts herself into a trance like state, as if she was channeling a very young, and a very different Trenna.  She gave this whole account speaking quite fast and with almost no breaks.]

[GM: In this recording, perhaps more than others Trenna has retold stories she has already covered (although there is also new material). Trenna and Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 13”

Categories
1960s Craig House Grief Kitchen Tapes Mofflyn Homes

The Twelfth Kitchen Tape

Recorded 5 May 2018

Sadness Warning

[GM: I found this perhaps the hardest transcript (as well as the hardest recording), both because of the sad content, and it shows how Trenna blocked out a few years from when her dad died until she went to Craig House. I don’t think when we started the conversation that either I or Trenna had any idea where it would lead.]

GM:  Today is Saturday, 5th of May 2018.  We’re talking with Trenna Mahney.… Read the rest ... “The Twelfth Kitchen Tape”

Categories
1960s Kitchen Tapes

11 – Trenna’s Favourite Number

The Eleventh Kitchen Tape

Recorded 4 May 2018

Greg’s Notes:  During this recording Trenna started to remember more details about her very early life as she cast her mind further and further back.  You can “hear” this is some of the sentences in this transcript. At the end she told me that it had felt like she had been talking for an hour, but in fact it was just 30 minutes (which was our usual target time). 

GM:  Today is … Read the rest ... “11 – Trenna’s Favourite Number”

Categories
1960s 1970s Kitchen Tapes

The Kitchen Tapes No. 10

Recorded 22 April 2018

Early Years at Craig House and with the Andersons

GM: OK, today is Sunday 22nd of April, 2018.  We are with Trenna Mahney.  I think Tren you wanted to talk a bit more about the early years at Craig House.

Craig House

THM:  Right.  I don’t really remember getting to Craig House. I knew I was getting excited to go to where my sisters and brother were, and when I got there I didn’t … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 10”

Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Visually Impaired

Number Nine, Number Nine…

This Kitchen Tape Recorded on 21 April 2018

GM:  OK, today is Saturday, 21st of April, 2018 and I’m with Trenna Mahney.  Tren, you were going to tell us a bit more about Craig House, I think? 

THM:  Alright.  The main house – I was talking about the kitchen and the back enclosed…  well, I guess, in a way it was a bit of a pantry, where it had the fruit cupboard, and all that. 

Sleeping Arrangements

That leads into … Read the rest ... “Number Nine, Number Nine…”

Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House Kitchen Tapes

Tape 8 from the Kitchen

Recorded on the 20th April 2018

Mainly About Meals

[GM: Before we start. Also see the post “Floor 7 1/2” as it contains a player to hear “Tape 8 from the Kitchen” spoken in Trenna’s own words.]

GM:  OK, today it is Friday the 20th of April, 2018.  Tren, yesterday we were talking about Craig House and meals.  Tell us a bit more about Craig House. 

THM: Having talked about meals, there was something I haven’t mentioned, and that … Read the rest ... “Tape 8 from the Kitchen”

Categories
1960s 1970s 1990s 2000s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Travel

Floor 7 1/2

… and Trenna’s Voice, Recording Kitchen Tape No. 8

By Greg, and then Trenna’s own voice

The popular-culturally literate among you will immediately be thinking “Being John Malkovich“.

What’s this got to do with Trenna?

Well….

I have decided that in most cases I’m NOT going to put the original sound recordings on this website – at least for now.

However, I thought I should put up at least one, to provide an idea of what the original … Read the rest ... “Floor 7 1/2”

Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House Kitchen Tapes

The Kitchen Tapes #7

Recorded 19 April 2018

Meals at Craig House

GM:  OK, today is the 19th of April 2018, with Trenna Mahney.  Tren, can you tell me whatever you can think of about Craig House.

THM:  Well, Craig House was quite posh in some ways. It was formal in that we had to dress for dinner each night. 

In the large dining area there were three tables, one very big jarrah, which would have seated one at each end and about 5 … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes #7”

Categories
1960s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Marfan Mofflyn Homes Visually Impaired

The Kitchen Tapes # 6

Recorded on 15 April 2018

Primary School Days

GM:  OK, today is Sunday, the 15th of April 2018, I’m with Trenna Mahney, and she’s going to continue telling us about her memories of her past.  Tren, last time we were talking with you you were on your way to school …

THM:  I was talking about that slightly in the future, when Helen had arrived, I think. But I should go back to when I first came to Craig … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes # 6”

Categories
1960s 1970s Craig House End of Life Eulogy Grief Mourning

Eulogy Part 3

A Celebration of Trenna’s Life  –  15 January 2021

Below is the the eulogy delivered by Trenna’s friend, Helen Rice at the celebration of Trenna’s life.

Eulogy


I met Trenna in October 1967 when I moved to Craig House a hostel for Legacy children.We bonded instantly as we were the youngest at Craig House at that time. She became my closest friend very quickly, so much so that I remember not wanting to go on a visit with my mother … Read the rest ... “Eulogy Part 3”

Categories
1960s Craig House Kitchen Tapes Mofflyn Homes

The Kitchen Tapes #5

Recorded 14 April 2018

GM:  OK, so we’re here with Trenna Mahney.  It’s the 14th of April,  2018. Tren, you were going to tell me about when you left Mofflyn Homes and went off to Craig House. 

THM: Alright.  It is a blurr.  That time in my life was lost to me a little.  I was well… I thought I only went to grade 1 when I was aged six at East Victoria Park Primary School, but apparently not.  I … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes #5”

Categories
1960s Kitchen Tapes Mofflyn Homes

The Second Recording


Recording #2 of The Kitchen Tapes 10 April 2018

GM: OK we’re recording.  It’s the 10th of April 2018. 

Mofflyn

THM:  Right.  We’re back at Mofflyn Homes, some more things have come to my memory. 

In our cottage the older children looked after the younger children. They had responsibilities. 

Younger children had to be bathed by someone.  I know that we shared bath water, which was a common thing to do in those days, so it’s no big deal. … Read the rest ... “The Second Recording”

Categories
1960s Kitchen Tapes Marfan Mofflyn Homes

The First Recording

Recording #1 of The Kitchen Tapes 9 April 2018

[GM: This recording of 9 April 2018 was the very first in a series of 24 recordings]

THM:  The nineteen sixties were a decade of huge change for me and …  for the world. 

“…so my childhood was in some ways idyllic, in some ways terrible.  I didn’t know the difference between the two”  

My family had started to disintegrate.   I began to have my own memories of my … Read the rest ... “The First Recording”

Categories
1960s 1970s 2010s Craig House GFS Kitchen Tapes Marfan Mofflyn Homes

The Kitchen Tapes

Growing up in Perth in the 1960s and 70s

by Greg Mahney

Trenna always liked to tell a story. She knew that her life story was interesting and that some people could find comfort in hearing how she coped with what life threw at her.

We had talked about it for a long time and in April 2018 Trenna asked if we could record her tales. We didn’t have a firm view on what we would do with them. A … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes”