I remember...

I was very young when admitted to the Sunshine Camp, possibly around 4 or 5 years old. I spent a number of years at the Camp and subsequently the Rehabilitation Centre in Pleasantville. Some of my memories as a patient at the Sunshine Camp are:

- Crying, or rather ‘screeching,’ when I was told I would have to be admitted because I didn’t want to stay and ‘screeching’ when discharged because I didn’t want to go home!!

- The chip man who came every Sunday afternoon and handed out chips and bars to all the patients.

- The watchman who shined our shoes during his night shift. We would wake up in the morning and our shoes were lined up outside our ward door looking quite new and shiny!

- Going to ‘the fence’ and waiting for neighbourhood children to come by so we could ask them to go to the store (“Sharpes”) across the road for us. We were not allowed to leave the property and so gave our money to neighbourhood children to shop for us. Occasionally we lost our money but the majority of the time our treats were purchased, delivered and often with change.

- Spending time at the ‘large’ playground and going to the swimming pool which was really a small pond located a short distance from the large playground.

- Once a week watching movies in the physiotherapy room.

- Going to Guides and my main memory is the drive to and from because we had so much fun singing and laughing.

- The ‘care’ package(s) received from my family. They always had lots of sweets and toys. I always felt so special whenever I received them whether I was a patient at the Sunshine Camp, Orthopaedic or Rehabilitation Centre”.

- Doing a lot of crafts and I remember most especially marionette puppets. I know we did a number of skits at the Camp and one of these was a performance with the marionette puppets. Also remember we did a wedding skit once and Freddie Stuckless was the bride and Sammy Pink was the groom. Another skit that is really foggy however I remember dressing as Elvis – with my hair slicked back!!

- Foods I remember are chocolate pudding, “hard tack”, and beans,