Vale - Nancy Eleanor Learmonth (Beech)

Nancy Learmonth (Beech) (1939) passed away on 11 January 2024 at the age of 101 years. We are fortunate to share with you her eulogy which was read by her daughter Anne Dixon, son David Learmonth and Anne's husband Steven Dixon at the funeral.

Nancy Eleanor Learmonth (23.05.1922 – 11.01.2024)

Her early years

Mum’s story starts on 23 May 1922, when she was born in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane.

She lived with her mother and father in Mansfield St, Coorparoo, in a traditional federation house, complete with toilet in the back corner of the garden, serviced by the Night Soil Man each week. These were the days of the butcher, the baker, the fruit man and the grocer all delivering daily to the house by horse and cart.\

Her dad owned a jewellery shop with his brother, and did pretty well.  Her early life is filled with picnics somewhere down on Moreton Bay, travelling in her dad’s large Buick, trips to Sydney and other places by car, even trips on a trading ship to Noumea and Fiji (where she was, by her own account, a bit of a hit with her fair skin and blonde hair). These were real adventures compared to today’s such trips.  The road to Sydney was mostly gravel, and they got bogged frequently, and river crossings were by ferry as there were no bridges. 

Mum did well at school.  She was awarded a scholarship to Sommerville House, and won a few prizes in her time. She then received a scholarship to a business college, from where she went to work at the Federal Mutual Insurance Company in 1938. This greatly expanded her social circle, and she was kept busy playing tennis and dancing.

The next year saw WW2 break out, with plenty of change for mum.  Many of the men at her work joined up, and those left filled the gaps.  Her dad tried to build an air raid shelter in the chook yard, but seemed to succeed only in drowning chooks. Her social life appeared not to suffer, however, with the large influx of Aus and US servicemen into Brisbane and a corresponding lift in nightlife.  She also did volunteer work with the YWCA.

After the war, the usual pattern of life returned, although rationing did appear to have an unwelcome impact on her fashion.  She compensated as best she could, for example with curtains repurposed as coats.

She had been taught singing when she was 18, and proved to be a bit of a hit.  As children, we knew she had been a singer, but only recently we discovered the extent of it, when we came across an envelope stuffed with letters and booking slips as a professional singer.  She had sung regularly on the ABC radio, at City Hall and at weddings and other events. This training paid off when she was able to make herself heard by singing more than shouting as she called us back for dinner when we were kicking a football around in a park more than a block away.

Mum met Drew at the Riverside Ballroom in 1947.  He drove her home, and that was, in her words, the start of it. A year later they were engaged.  Dad sold his car to buy the engagement ring – greater love hath no man! They remained engaged for two years until they could find a home – 21 Warilda St in Camp Hill became their first and only home throughout their married life.

They married on 29 April 1950, and were married 58 years when dad passed in 2008.

Her family years

The happy couple honeymooned at Yamba, but upon their return there was work to be done at the new house. 

Mum always loved her garden, so that was the first job.  She and dad excavated the entire back yard.  They put all the dirt through a sieve to remove the stones.  It was Mum’s job to wheelbarrow the stones down the hilly road and dump them into a waterhole.  This large waterhole later became the Warilda Street park which David and I played in when we were kids.  She was tough! They then laid concrete edging and formed the gardens that grew delicious vegetables and beautiful flowers, including Mums favourite, Roses, for many, many years.

Mum’s father died in 1953.   Her mother, our “grandma” moved in with them.  She brought along her father’s car, the Prefect, which became the new touring vehicle for the family, taking them all further than they’d been before – Cairns, Sydney, Bathurst. They seemed pretty relaxed tours, with no accommodation booked ahead, relying on luck.  Sometimes this caught them out, including once in Newcastle, where they arrived to find everything booked out.  They eventually turned up at the local police station, and the helpful coppers found them a bed in a hotel closed for renovation.

In 1963, David came along, and was joined by Anne (me) in 1965.  They thought about a new, larger home for the growing family, but decided on extending the Warilda St house, adding new bedrooms, a laundry and toilet. Dad did the building himself.  Mum would occasionally tell the story of the neighbourhood girls hanging over the fence to watch dad while he worked away in the hot sun.

Life continued onwards and upwards for mum and dad.  Dad got a new job as an insurance inspector and that came with a company car which meant more opportunities for travel.  They engaged in sport and society, with social tennis a few times a week and the Lions Club. 

Mum filled the spare moments of her days with school volunteering, Mother’s Union, Friendship service, and Meals on Wheels.  Mum was a voracious reader of mystery and crime books, and historical novels.  Recipes and dress patterns were carefully clipped out from magazines and kept safely for future use.  Knitting patterns were turned into jumpers and cardigans for the family to wear in winter.  Crochet and embroidery patterns were turned into beautiful tablecloths and handkerchiefs.  Mum taught me skills on how to sew using her vintage Singer sewing machine and from her I started making my own clothes.

Saturday mornings were put aside for baking delicious gem scones, traditional scones, pikelets, cakes and shortbread.  She wasn’t one for too many words, but she certainly showed her love in her cooking.   

The family was rounded out by the addition of a dog, the miniature French poodle aptly named (by me!) Pierre.  Mum was probably less excited about the new addition, knowing that she would be attending to all of Pierre’s needs even though as young children David and I insisted we would look after everything.   Mum grew very attached to him over the years and she loved taking him in the car with her when she picked us up from school.  We loved this as well.

Mum continued to look after her mother, the two of them were kept busy looking after our culinary requirements.  I remember the days when they bought sides of beef and the kitchen table became a butcher shop as they packaged up meal sized portions for freezing.  Rocklea Market trips were made at the crack of dawn to get the best quality fruit and vegetables for preserving.

Mum was really the centre of the family.  Under one roof, she was a daughter, a carer, a mother, and a wife.  She juggled the demands of us all.  She mediated the disagreements.  She ferried us all around.  She kept us all going one way or the other.

Her later years

I first met Nancy in 1994, the same year I met Anne in Mt Isa.  Drew was retired and they were making sure make sure Anne was OK following her new job and location change.

This came as one of many road trip holidays I later found out, and despite Nancy being a terrible passenger, often getting car sick.  Tasmania, a round Australia and 3-trips to NZ in a 12–13-year period. I arranged an underground tour, we went BBQing at Mary Kathline Park outside Cloncurry … to this day I’m the favourite if you ask my wife.

They returned in 1995, by this stage Anne and I had moved in together, being penniless we didn’t have a dining table so Nancy and Drew fixed that – how else do we eat and play cards after dinner?  And find out what this new guy is all about. It was a plastic outdoor setting it served us well for the next 5 years.

Spoon collecting replaced tennis and lawn bowls over time – much easier and less wear and tear on the body.

When Drew passed in 2008 Nancys underlying character took hold in her words ‘it was a rather frightening time for me as I had never been alone, ever.’  Yet she was determined to live independent often refusing help when it was offered.

She endured both knees being operated on, sufferred falls and even more than she admitted too as well.

Nancy turned 90 in 2012, Anne our kids and I were in Singapore but we made it back for a small morning tea.  Amongst the gathering there were a total of five 90-year-olds, and she was 1 of 3 to celebrate a 100.

We returned to Australia in 2013 and stayed with grandma for 3 months before returning to Pullenvale – although hectic she welcomed the extra hustle and bustle and the family life again, although I’m she enjoyed the peace and quiet when we left too. Grandma made favourites were on the menu again – baked spaghetti, Christmas pudding with thruppence & sixpence coins, shortbread to name a few.

Easter and Christmas extended visits to stay with us in Pullenvale were something of a holiday to Nancy – a family event and a custom of her past and an opportunity to have her favourite – sand crab.  But back to 21 Warilda Street she always went for the peace and quiet to read up to 10 books a fortnight not to mention the paper daily.

In 2017 aged 95 and after 4 years for ‘thinking’ about not driving anymore she finally stopped.  Apparently, Xavier our son had ‘dibs’ on grandmas’ car, and so it was on one of her extended stays at Pullenvale the keys were passed – no discussion as in the past, I’m done and no chat required thanks Steve.

Nancy welcomed four grandchildren into her life Ben, Max, Charlotte, and Xavier.

The last of her time, Nancy passed after 101 years, 21 Warilda Street was her home for 73 of those. Fiercely independent to a fault at times, modest about her achievements, and quietly spoken of others.

She will be missed by none more than her family left behind.  But thankfully at peace with family so long ago departed.  

To celebrate Nancy's 100th birthday on 23 May 2022, the OGA published the article below.

Nancy attended Somerville House from 1936 to 1937. She completed 2 years up to her Junior year and graduated at the end of her Junior year. In 1936 she came 2nd in her class and received a class prize of a book and in 1937 she came 1st in her class and received a class prize of a book.

Nancy lives independently in her house at Camp Hill and she still speaks fondly of her days at the school. Nancy's daughter, Anne Learmonth (Class of 1982) and Anne's daughter, Charlotte Dixon (Class of 2017) also attended Somerville House from 1978 to 1982 and 2013 to 2017 respectively. 

Pictured below are the three generations of Somerville House old girls at the celebration of Nancy's 100th Birthday celebrated with a high tea at Victoria Park. (From L to R Nancy Learmonth (Beech), Anne Learmonth and Charlotte Dixon.