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The History of Guiding in the Sutherland Shire

EARLY GUIDING IN THE SHIRE

Adapted from

On the Girl Guide Trail- Pioneer Guiding in the Sutherland Shire

By Merle Kavanagh
(pictures courtesy Peg Fenton, née Wen Paskin)

Members recorded in an early subscription book for the Robin Patrol were -

• Joyce Austin - East Parade, Sutherland
• Leila Phillips - Railway Parade, Sutherland (Postmaster's daughter)
• Florrie Riley - National Park
• Janet Gardner - Eton Street, Sutherland
• Dulcie Weston - Glencoe Street, Sutherland
• Violet Hislop - Railway Parade, Sutherland
• Wennie Paskin - Eton Street, Sutherland

A teacher at the Sutherland Public School, Miss L. Porter, had initiated the opening of a Guide company at Sutherland as she had been involved in the movement in the Blue Mountains. A news item appeared in a local newspaper on 2 April 1927 and response to this had led to the establishment of the Company in November that year. Over the next few years Wen would record all the activities of the "Giddy Guides" in a Log Book, including pictures, photographs and drawings

.

The Captain of the company, 1st Sutherland, was Miss Helen (Bonnie) McGregor-Robertson who lived with her mother at "Struan", The Boulevarde, Miranda.  Her father had been Major James McG. Robertson of the Rhodesian Field Forces and he was a native of Pitlochy, Perthshire, Scotland.  The family had moved to Miranda about 1907 and went into the business of poultry farming, which was widespread in the area. The Major died in 1916 and Bonnie lived on with her mother, Ruth, at "Struan".

Bonnie was an adventurous type. Once she drove to Canberra in an Overland car with friends and their dog on a 2.5 day trip, camping out on the way.

On the Guides' first hike to Miranda on 27 December 1927, they watched the old Cronulla-Sutherland trams whiz by and followed the tracking signs left by their leader. The next outing on 26th January 1928 was to Woronora River when they marched through Sutherland before walking into the bush and down to the river. There they had a great time in the water, though "Maggie had a good ducking, Ada disappeared under the waves and Vannie was stung by a blubber."

Their first Display was at the St. John's Parish Hall on 2nd February 1928 where each patrol took the responsibility for either woodcraft and bush uses, camp tent and outfit or kitchen equipment. But the most important event was their first enrolment, when they made the Guide promise, still considered to be the heart of the Guide movement. They made their Promises to Miss Dorothy Jones, Captain of 1st Mortdale Guides, firstly the Patrol leaders and then the rest of the girls, a total of 13 new Guides. Miss Jones gave a "beautiful Guidy chat", games were played and a celebration cake eaten with relish.

The Patrol Leaders were able to attend trainings at Headquarters and they would pass this expertise onto the Guides in their patrols. More girls were keen to be part of this enthusiastic group and some of those who joined in 1928 were Cara Phillips (sister to Leila), May Thompson and Christian Jeffrey.

However, owing to the illness and subsequent death of her mother, Bonnie was unable to continue as their Captain. Miss Porter helped out, attending one of their hikes to Scouts Gully on 4 June 1928 and they were supervised at meetings by the wife of the Rev. A. Rutherford Shaw (father of Seymour Shaw, elected President of Sutherland Shire Council nine times). Despite a deputation to Miss Elsie Smith, Head of Training at headquarters, the Company held their inevitable final meeting on 28 June 1928 and the Guides were encouraged to join up with 1st Mortdale until a Captain could be found. They were happy to join in activities with Mortdale Guides but to function as 1st Sutherland in the same patrols.

They still participated in local Sutherland events such as the church fete and hiked at Engadine with Austinmer Guides.

They were able to be part of 1st Mortdale for the Barter Flag Competition, awarded annually to the best all-round Company in Guiding and fitness activities. In 1928 it was held at Carr's Park and 1st Mortdale and the Sutherland group were delighted to come third.

Although they lost their Mortdale Captain in 1929, the company carried on under the Patrol Leaders and during the Easter Holidays 13 went to a "Civvies" camp at the property of the Swattridge family on The Boulevarde near Sylvania Road at Miranda. Ridge tents were available but no poles, so these were chopped from the trees on the property by the Swattridge men. Their new Sutherland Division Commissioner, Miss Roslyn Rutherford, visited the camp and held an Enrolment Ceremony.

Wen's younger sister Betty was keen to become a Guide but was not old enough. Soon her friends were visiting the Paskin home to learn some simple knots and other Guiding skills. Wen formed a "club" where the youngsters wore brown frocks, ribbons and brown bloomers! Their choice of emblem was a tree, but they settled for Gumnuts. It is interesting that 60 years later the 5 - 7 year old group of Guides were known as Gumnuts.

The Sutherland group continued to attend local events, Anzac Day Services and the setting of the Foundation Stone of the new Ambulance Sub-Station at Sutherland on 5 May 1929. They collected silver paper for the hospital, pennies for the Imperial Building Fund of the Girl Guides and they sewed items for the Barter Flag competition.

In October 1929 they joined 1st Kogarah at a camp in the grounds of "Willamurra", at Port Hacking, home of Roslyn Rutherford and the following year in January Wen was part of a group visiting Sutherland Division and Lone Guides (those who cannot get to a meeting) in camp at Thirroul. They lost their way back to the station and missed the last train. However, a few phone calls and they stayed the night, enjoying a midnight feast, a highlight of many a camp.

By now the Guides were growing older and several of them moved on to begin leadership roles, Flo Riley with 1st Hurstville in 1929, Ada Swattridge with 2nd Hurstville and Wen Paskin with 1st Kogarah Brownies in 1930, Brownies being the junior section of the movement at that time. Wen with others also joined the Banksia Rangers which opened on 28 April 1930, as these catered for the older Guide, over 16 years of age.

The number of Lone Guides in the Cronulla area increased and 1st Cronulla Guides were opened on 21 June 1930 with Roslyn Rutherford as Captain. On 28th June the 1st Port Hacking Brownies were formed, but would later be known as 1st Burraneer Bay, then 1st Caringbah. Cronulla Guides held a Field Day on Cronulla Beach on 1 November 1930, with sand-modelling and invited all the St. George units. Screening was erected for changing into swimmers for bathing after their V.I.P. guest, Lady Game, the State President of the Guides had inspected the sand sculptures. The event ended with a memorable campfire by the sea.

Miss Rutherford married on 22 December 1930 and was replaced as Captain by Daisy Hopmeier of Nicholson Pde., Cronulla, who had been a Lone and a Cronulla Guide. Miss Minnie Sproule of Cronulla helped her as Lieutenant. It was also necessary for Miss Rutherford to find a replacement leader for her Brownie Pack and Wen agreed to do this, with Daisy as her helper. When Roslyn married Adrian Riordan on 22 December 1930 at Cronulla Daisy made her wedding frock and all that went with it, and the Brownies sprinkled rose petals.

The 1st Cronulla Guide Company grew throughout 1931 and even though Daisy had the help of Mavis Smythe, they had to form a new Company. 2nd Cronulla Guides began on 12 March 1932 with Mavis as Acting Captain until Miss Oxley was able to take over. It met at the C. of E. Hall, as did the 1st Cronulla Company. 1st Cronulla Rangers opened on 10th May 1932 under Miss F. Ivy Wilson of Cronulla and when Banksia Rangers closed, the Sutherland girls joined Cronulla. However, 2nd Cronulla Guides disbanded in 1935 and 1st Cronulla Rangers in 1936.

In 1931 there were moves to form a Local Association (Support Group) at Sutherland and as a result the 1st Sutherland Guides re-opened on 4 August 1931 with Wen training as an assistant leader, though she had to give this up by February of 1932. Leila Phillips continued with the Sutherland Company and went on to make Guiding her life, serving as both a Guide and Ranger Leader, State Extension Adviser (special needs children), State Treasurer and a member of State Council. She was honoured by the Award of the Beaver for outstanding service to the Association. The 1st Sutherland Guides were still operating in 1938, though when 1a Sutherland was formed on 17 May 1947 by Merle Beecroft (later Merle Kavanagh), the 1st Company had been disbanded for some years.

Ada Swattridge, Welshborn and living at Miranda where the family had a poultry farm, followed a similar path to Wen Paskin joining 1st Sutherland, attending Mortdale meetings, then working as an assistant leader at 2nd Hurstville in 1930. Eventually at the age of 21 she formed the 1st Miranda Guide Company, registered at Headquarters on 12 July 1932. She had a strong Christian background and loved Guiding. 1st Miranda began with two girls, increasing to eight. Meetings were held at the rear of the fruit shop on the corner of Kingsway and Kiora Road, Miranda, later at the R.S.L. and for a long time in a double garage belonging to Mr. R.L. Stevenson in Kiora Road, but by the 1940s they were meeting at the Methodist Church. " However, there were times ... when meetings were held during the evenings, by the side of the road out towards Yowie Bay and if it rained, all scattered helter-skelter to the nearest tree."

In 1941 1st Cronulla Brownies began and Ada worked with them in the late 1940s. She later opened 1st Miranda Brownies in 1950. Ada was leader to 1st Miranda Guides for many years and her devotion to the movement was recognised by the Award of the Oak Leaf in 1959, the first Guide Leader to receive this Award. On 8 October 1965 Matron Bonfield, the Commissioner at the time, presented Ada with an Award for 35 years continuous service to Guiding, making her at that time, one of only three people in Australia to hold such an Award.
In 1938 local Guides participated in the Shire's celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Australia, including the procession on 5 February and the combined Civic Service and they were part of the Guard of Honour for the Governor at the Opening of the electric rail line to Cronulla on 16 December 1939.

During the 2nd World War, Miranda Guides were active in the war effort, becoming National Emergency Service messengers for the Wardens. One Guide remembers being delighted to know that when the siren went she could put on her N.E.S. armband and legally commandeer a pushbike - any push bike - for use in her capacity as a Despatch Rider. Unfortunately she never actually did this. The Guides also took part in the Dedication Ceremony of Cronulla War Memorial in 1941.

Local Associations, or Support Groups of parents and friends, were established pre-war to support the Companies and their leaders, financially and otherwise. One was formed in 1931 at Sutherland and one in 1932 at Cronulla but though they were not officially organised, there was a good deal of parental support for the girls.

After the 2nd World War Guiding did not look back. The influx of newcomers to the shire ensured a continuous supply of "giddy Guides" ready and willing to jump in feet first to the activities of camps, hikes, stalking, tracking, bushcraft and other adventures that those early Guides of the twenties and thirties had taken to with such enthusiasm.