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ReConnect Bathurst:

June Paton

You never have a single bed.
You have a double.
And then you put your husband’s pillow next to you.
The one that he slept on next to you.

How did you meet your husband?

I met him when I was 15. At a footy match. But his family didn’t approve. I was from the wrong side of the tracks. His family were wealthy and mine weren’t.

And then we met up again in 1970. I think it was about ‘76.

It was at a tomato factory. He just walked up and said “I found you.” He’d been married twice, but it hadn’t worked out.

Mum said that we were always meant to be together.

I found out that I have this very rare disease.

It made me live faster, and do things that people would never dream of doing.

I liked freedom, I went AWOL twice.

I had seven cousins in as well, the boys. 

They were paratroopers and engineers and all that. 

And yeah, they were a bit wild as well. 

If there was a dare well, I put my hand up. 

I swam in the El Alamein Fountain in Kings Cross for a bet once.

I’ve never been one for rules. 

Even today, you know, someone says you can’t…

The heart specialist here. He said, “You’re not allowed to drive for 12 weeks.”

After the first heart operation, I came home and it was 21 days. 

And I’m driving anyway but he caught me. He saw me drive past the surgery.

If you do dishes with your parents you’ll will be surprised what you can discuss.

You know, it might be old-fashioned but you sort a lot of problems out.

What does it feel like to be out of the road for you?

It’s freedom. 

All your troubles are gone unless you get a little old granny that thinks you only need to do 50 kilometres an hour when it says 110.

We don’t kind of think of ourselves as old. 

We’re absolutely not old.

When we travel. I’m the driver. Jenny, she’s the backup driver and navigator and Cheryl’s our accountant.

We’ve had some wild, wild, wild times. 

They are never quite ready for us when we arrive in town.

Have you heard of the $5 dollar club? If you get a $5 note, never put it in with your ordinary money, slip it into a side pocket.

When you get home, you put it in a jar. Our $5 club takes us on holidays every year. It has paid for two trips to Broken Hill, balloon flights and lots of other stuff. 

And so what you do is you save your $5 and put them in lots of 50. 

That’s how it’s done.

Listen to June share about the $5 club:

You never get old. 

Like I say, how many people my age have two children, six grandkids, 27 great-grandchildren and one great, great-grandchild?

I was a grandmother at 37 years.

Age isn’t a marker of time for me. You just get one day older if you want to get one day older. 

We don’t kind of think of ourselves as old. We’re absolutely not old. 

It doesn’t bother me.

This project is proudly funded through the State Government’s Local Government Social Cohesion Grant Program. ReConnect Bathurst is an And Then project delivered in partnership with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

Current: June Paton

Next: Gus Gorton

Uncle Bill Allen

Bev Cooney

Cheryl O’Brien

June Paton

Gus Gorton

Lonnie Edwards

Yvonne Morgan

Enn Muller

Jan Sheppard

Edgar Coello

Aunty Shirley Scott and Aunty Sandra Peckham

Mike Hardie

Frank Smith

Clive Brabham

Eddy Suttor

RECONNECT BATHURST PARTICIPANTS’ INDIVIDUAL STORYBANKS

PROJECT INFORMATION


WHEN

April – November 2022

 

WHERE

Bathurst, NSW

WHY

We believe that stories matter and that stories like those shared here hold power and significance. 

The vision of the project is to use photo-storytelling and cultural preservation practices to develop social and creative connections and experiences with older people from the Bathurst area. This project celebrates the participants' lived experiences while encouraging dialogue around ageing, isolation and ageism. 

Social-arts projects like this are important as they transform public spaces and help to build a sense of community. It’s been wonderful to reimagine Pedrottas Lane in Bathurst and to create an online representation of the physical exhibition with a project made with the community, for the community.

WHO

We were honoured to be invited by Bathurst Regional Art Gallery to create and facilitate ReConnect Bathurst.

16 older people from the Bathurst area. Many of the participants were nominated by local community organisations while others serendipitously came to be a part of the project. We’d like to thank The Bathurst Aboriginal Land Council, The Wiradjuri and Community Aboriginal Elders, The Neighbourhood Center, Bathurst Business Chamber, The Woodies, Bathurst RSL Sub Branch and the Country Women’s Association.

With special thanks to Dinawan Dyirribang (Uncle Bill Allen), Bev Cooney, Cheryl O’Brien, June Paton, Gus Gorton, Lonnie Edwards, Yvonne Morgan, Enn Muller, Frank Smith, Jan Shepard, Edgar Coello, Aunty Shirley Scott, Aunty Sandra Peckham, Mike Hardie, Clive Brabham and Eddy Suttor.

HOW

Our stories are a wonderful connection point. It’s through sharing them with each other that we make space for conversations that can inspire, that can expand our understanding and in some cases, leave us changed.

During this project, we spent time with each person, we talked, reflected on old photographs, made images together and worked through various ways of co-authoring. Socially-engaged practice empowers participants to participate in the creation of their stories, allowing them to represent themselves in the way that they choose.

We often leave a camera with participants and invite them to engage in their own image-making. There’s something raw and revealing about the images made this way, about seeing the world through the participants' eyes.

AND THEN

Through their stories, we see facets of vast lives lived. We witness the snapshots and threads that when woven together create a rich tapestry. Our hope is that as stories wash over us we’re able to make space to contemplate connection and the beauty of community.

This project is proudly funded through the State Government’s Local Government Social Cohesion Grant Program. ReConnect Bathurst is an And Then project delivered in partnership with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

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ReConnect Bathurst: Cheryl O'Brien

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ReConnect Bathurst: Gus Gorton