Eugowra CWA – Margaret Sharp

I belonged to the Eugowra CWA Younger Set and loved it – Margaret Sharp

‘Eugowra has been good to me, most of the things I need are here and when you need help there is always someone there to help’.

Margaret Sharp, Eugowra

I was born at Canowindra on October 4, 1928 and am often called Marg. We lived in Canowindra for a very short time before moving to ‘Nerida’ at Nyrang Creek, which is near Canowindra. I started school there and the family left there when I was 6 years old, and went back to Canowindra.

When I was 10 years old we moved to Eugowra. My maternal grandparents were here. I lived with her grandmother in Oberon Street and started school at St Joseph’s Catholic School. I attended school there until I was 14 years and 8 months, then I left.

My main memories of Eugowra are of John W Lees Store in Nanima Street, the old wooden bridge over the Mandagery Creek, where the new one was opened in 1941, and Ticehurst’s Bakery.

I remember the picture theatre and the School of Arts where socials and dances were held, and the Central Hotel when it was owned by Jep Matherson. The most important buildings in town were the two banks, the Bank of New South Wales and the Commercial Bank.

I remember the turning on of town water and the visit by John Howard when he was Prime Minister for the opening of the Rural Transaction Centre. Water is the most important influence in Eugowra, in the past and still is to-day.

Wheat, peas and lucerne were the main produce of Eugowra. The food we ate on a typical day was porridge and toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, stew for tea and a special treat was a chicken and plum pudding for Christmas. During my youth we would make savoury pies and was one of the favourite foods for the family.

Most people did manual work, and for women it was mostly waitressing and babysitting. In the 40’s after the war ended there was an increase in the building of houses, more people were able to purchase a car to travel about.

Eugowra has been good to me, most of the things I need are here and when you need help there is always someone there to help. It’s a wonderful town. My favourite place is St Matthew’s Anglican Church.

Interviewed by Judy Smith