Scribe with a Scalpel: From Merrylands to Macquarie St.

By Mark Killingback

Scribe With A Scalpel is the biography of an Australian surgeon who practised in Sydney for
41 years (1961-2001). It is diarised in chronological sequence and includes memoirs,reflections,
achievements and disappointments.Aspects of family life are detailed. The book refers to some
aspects of the training of surgeons in Australia and the United Kingdom. Initially practising as a
general surgeon Dr Killingback became the first surgeon in Australia to practice exclusively as a
colorectal surgeon,a professional move that was not greeted with enthusiasm by most general
surgeons. The book illustrates the development of colorectal surgery as a specialty in Australia and
includes the authors contributions to Australian and international colorectal meetings.The book
includes 225 illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jun 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524522377

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Mark Killingback. 748294

ISBN:   Softcover   978-1-5245-2238-4

   Hardcover   978-1-5245-2239-1

   EBook      978-1-5245-2237-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 10/13/2017

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

www.xlibris.com.au

CONTENTS

CHAPTERS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

LIST OF APPENDICES

CHAPTERS

MERRYLANDS

THE ENTRANCE

GOSFORD HIGH SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY - BASEBALL - BOBBIE - CLINICAL TUITION - COURTSHIP

JUNIOR RMO AT SYDNEY HOSPITAL - MARRIAGE.

SENIOR RMO AT HORNSBY HOSPITAL

GP IN DRUMMOYNE - DR. AT SEA - STUDENT IN LONDON

FIRST HOSPITAL APPOINTMENT - SCOTLAND TOUR - EALING

HAMMERSMITH HOSPITAL - CONTINENT TOUR - FRCS EXAM (1)

CENTRAL MIDD-X HOSPITAL - CONTINENT TOUR - FRCS EXAM (2)

ST. MARK’S HOSPITAL - A MURDER CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY

SENIOR REG. S.H. - FRACS - ‘MACQUARIE’S FOLLIES’ - No1 SON

ESR HUGHES - A GOSFORD PRACTICE - HON ASSIST SURGEON

PRIVATE PRACTICE - No2 SON - ‘BORBORYGMI’

EPPING - A FAT FORENSIC FEE - No 3 SON

DOUG’S CANCER - NAUGHTY JOHN - COLITIS IN CANBERRA

‘THE ENGINE’S FALLEN OUT’ - D-ITIS SURVEY - ? WARRANGI ST

WARRANGI ST - ‘DON’T TELL TED!’ - A MISCARRIAGE

ADELAIDE CONVOY - ?LONDON GROUP TRIP - FAMILY CRISIS

No.1 GIRL ARRIVES - PROCTORAMA - MK ‘ABANDONS’ PATIENT

CRUSH - CRASH - TORNADO TURNBULL - A MARRIAGE ENDS

CONFERENCE CHAOS - GUEST LECTURER NEW ZEALAND

SHOAL BAY - USA STUDY TRIP - VALE TWO COLLEAGUES

MARSHAK KEEPS HIS PROMISE - MK IS NEEDLED

BOBBIE TO USA - PERCY TO SCG - A SPONGE TO BUCKET

AN INQUEST - THE DISMISSAL

MIAMI - NEW ORLEANS - A COLORECTAL   PRACTICE

NEIGHBOURS - SCOTS COLLEGE - EUROPE

MK IN ASIA - GOLIGHER IN SYDNEY - GOLDBERGS IN AUSTRALIA

CHARLES STEWART KILLINGBACK

ATLANTA - LONDON - WATTS WATCHES - DANGER OF DANCING

LECTURES IN MINNEAPOLIS - A JAGUAR IN TURRAMURRA

EUROPE - FIJI - BRISBANE - DUNEDIN - JOHN RAY COURSE S.H.

SANFRANCISCO - VILA - MACKAY - FAREWELL DINNER

SYDNEY HOSPITAL IS VANDALISED BY POLITICIANS

SYDNEY HOSPITAL AN HISTORIC INSTITUTION

20 YEARS IN MACQUARIE ST

NORTH AMERICA - EUROPE WITH SARAH AND JOHN

GOLDBERGS SYDNEY - ST MARK’S BIRTHDAY - PHILADELPHIA .

HAMILTON (NZ) - HONOLULU

KUWAIT - HAZEL - BOBBIE SELECTS A HOLIDAY

MOYNIHAN - MINNEAPOLIS - MEMORIAL LECTURE

FIRST TRIPARTITE - A.M. - ST. MARK’S HOSPITAL

SANTA BARBARA - LAS VEGAS - BERLIN - ULURU - TAIWAN

TURRAMURRA STORM - USA - MOTHER’S DEATH - UK LECTURES

BARBARA CHRISTINA KILLINGBACK

USA CANADA - TONY BISHOP - MAUI - CRETE - EGYPT

TERROR PHOENIX - WEDDING MINNEAPOLIS - CRANKY SYDNEY

BREAST CANCER - CHAOS IN KAKADU

TWO WEDDINGS AND A RETIREMENT - BALI

22 YEARS AT HORNSBY HOSPITAL

VICTORIAN TOUR - SEATTLE - LONDON - AFRICAN SAFARI

LAKE DISTRICT UK - ITALY - UNHAPPY ADELAIDE SURGEONS

SCANDINAVIA - ST. PETERSBURG - SURGERY RETIREMENT

MAYO CLINIC - CLEVELAND CLINIC - ASCRS ¹00TH BIRTHDAY

VICTORIA - IRELAND - SYDNEY OLYMPICS - BOBBIE’S ⁷⁰th

FISHING WITH CROCODILES - 9/11 - FINAL RETIREMENT

SYDNEY ADVENTIST HOSPITAL 37 YEARS A PRIVILEGE

CONSULTING ROOM PRACTICE IN HORNSBY

BYRON BAY - SPAIN - CHICAGO - LAC LA CROIX - MELBOURNE

AN AUCTION - GOODBYE TURRAMURRA - HELLO FAIRLIGHT

WE ‘FLUKE’ A FLAT - GOLDEN WEDDING - MK’S MUSIC

MK’S FUNNY TURN - IRELAND - TERROR IN LONDON - ALASKA

BREAST CA - NORFOLK ISLAND - BROOME - JOHN LUMBAR DISC

AMSTERDAM - RIVER CRUISE - VERBIER - JOHN’S DISC OP

BOWEL OBSTRUCTION - BOSTON TRIPARTITE - MACQUARIE ST.

PHIL DOUGLAS - HONG KONG /CHINA   - SYDNEY C/R SURG SOC.

BK’S SERENADE - MK’S ‘OBE’ - ROBERT’S CALCANEUM

MOTHER’S POETRY - LAKE EYRE - TRIPARTITE - A380 USA

OPALS IN TOWN - GOLDBERGS IN MANLY - PMR IN FAIRLIGHT

CELLULITIS 13weeks - CSSA 25years - SCSS 26years

GRANDPARENTS in MANLY - GRANDPARENTS in SINGAPORE

RAIN DAMAGE -   RENAL CANCER -   RENOVATIONS STALL

BOBBIE KILLINGBACK

EPILOGUE

THE GRANDCHILDREN

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Cleveland Clinic 1988

MK at 7 ½ months

MK circa 5y

1st class Merrylands East primary school

Shop: The Entrance (L)

Fancy dress at 10y

Family 1943

Burlington Bertie (MK) at 14y

The Entrance SLSC

Surf Carnival 1947

Rescue-Resuscitation Team

SLSC March Past

Gosford High School

GHS Bobbie 2nd year 1945 *

GHS Prefects 1946

GHS MK’s mates

GHS boys with girlfriends

GHS concert 1947

GHS 1st cricket team

Commem. Day 1948

Botanic Gardens

MK Med 4 1951

BK:MK 1951/1953

Budge King, Reg Hession

Uni/Sydney 1st baseball team

MK’s Graduation 1954

Sydney hospital

Resident Staff Sydney Hospital 1954

August 7 1954

Newly Weds

Wedding Party 1954

Honeymoon cottage

Honeymoon boy

Hazel’s Graduation 1955

Family :Peakhurst 1956

Port Phillip

Ship’s officers

Bobbie, Jan, Regent St. London

Why aren’t they at work?

MK,BK : Queen’s Club Gardens

Bobbie,Jan : Queen’s Club Gardens

Lunch : Loch Fynne

In the heather

Picnic with baby Philip

5 Corfton Rd. Ealing

SHOs Hammersmith Hospital

Feltre Hostel, Italy

St Thomas’ FRCS Course

Central Middlesex Hospital

Necrotising Colitis

New FRCS Fellows

MK : FRCS

MK : Best Man (Proxy) Tony’s wedding

BK : Tony’s wedding

St. Tropez : Washed Out

St. Tropez : ‘Buckingham Palace

St. Mark’s Hospital (1854)

Sen. Surg. Registrar 1961-62

‘Our First Fair Lady’ 1961

Edward (Bill) Hughes

Edward (Ted) Wilson

Notice: MK Hon Assist Surgeon

Borborygmi program

Ballerina Filmer

Mk in Romper Room

Hair Restorer : Consequences

P Francis, B Crohn, P Greenwell

37 Warrangi St. : Front Porch

Bobbie and Boys 1967

Operating Mentors – Hughes and Wilson

Returning from ‘Proctorama’

Boys in Blue with Sarah (6m)

Rupert Turnbull

Turnbull operating

Sarah 3y

Fish trophies: Shoal Bay

Sarah and brothers 1972

Jim Pryor : ‘Surgical Innovations’

Willie Slack visits CRUSH

Coloanal Anastomosis

Vic Fazio with members of CRUSH 1976

Learning Proctology

Needs a good proctologist

Doesn’t trust his proctologist

Three Titans of Coloproctology

Bobbie checks John for ‘Formal’

‘Lowest gun in the West’

George Killingback 1905

Charles 18y

Charles : labourer 1920s

Dad- waiting to bat *

Dad 48y

MK and Stan Goldberg 1980

MK’s Jaguar

Hunterian Lecture : Sir Alan Parks

Hunterian Lecture Medal

Sydney Hospital Surgeon’s Farewell Dinner

Neville Wran

Logo: Sydney Colorectal Surgical Society

Sydney Hospital 1816

Sydney Hospital 1894

Soldering Iron Surgery

Dr Norman Rose

Brass Plate : CRUSH office

John,Sarah in the Mall 1984

Neuschwanstein Castle

John accepted for Qantas

Honey destroys cushion

Honey

David’s Graduation

Guest lecturer: Kuwait

Program : Kuwait course

Susan and David’s wedding

Three sons at a wedding

Mother of the groom

CSSA Working Party 1988

CSSA Working Party 1988

Moynihan Lecture : Sir Ian Todd

Moynihan Lecture Medal

Formation meeting CSSA

Logo : CSSA

Turnbull Memorial Lecturer

Letter from Vic Fazio

MK as seen by Red Moore

Receiving the AM

Medal : Member Order of Australia

Grand Canyon USA

Hanging Chamber Berlin

MK at 60y

Visiting lecturers :Taiwan 1990

Frederick Salmon Lecture Medal

Ogston family in Australia 1923

Barrie plays tennis

Mum in her mid 30s

Granny and Grandad Ogston 1940s

Mum and Dad circa 1959

Gisa Egypt

Egypt team in Cairo

Nile river Boat

Bobbie enjoys the Nile

King Farouk K-Back and slave

Goldberg’s Synagogue wedding

At Martha’s wedding reception

MS (Hon) conferred on MK

Sarah - Richard’s wedding

Kathryn – Robert’s wedding

Hornsby Hospital and 89 Burdett St. (Aerial)

John,Alice,Bobbie,Mark : London 1996

Ritz Hotel : Picadilly London 1996

African lion

Tent in Botswana

Watching Hippos

A watching Giraffe

John and Claire’s wedding

Church : St. Petersburg

Catherines Palace : St. Petersburg

Guest professor Mayo Clinic

Harper’s Ferry Virginia

Hilton Head : Mike and Sheila

Hilton Head : Mark and Bobbie

Bobbie;s 70th with Elyse

Bobbie and Robert

Last colonoscopy

Last patient at the rooms

Sydney Sanitarium 1965

Leone Radley ward 3

MK in theatre

Warren Millist (Anaethetist)

Jenny Searle

Pam Rodrigues

Colonoscopy panic

Colonoscopy room

Burdett St.

Glenys Millist MK Jenny Searle

Xmas at Burdett St.

Prue : complication registers

Di Murray

Wal Hughes

Warrangi St. for sale

1 Lauderdale Ave. Fairlight

View from our balcony

Manly, Fairlight, North Harbour (aerial)

FACS (Hon)

Stan Goldberg and MK FACS

Family : Golden Wedding year

Sister Jenni and husband Stan Ryan

Daughter Sarah and husband Richard

Our dear friends, Jan and Harry Learoyd

Intrepid French Aviator

MK at 75y

Bastille Day (Probus )

Saint Mother Teresa

Sinner: von Hindenburg

Rothenburg

Rhine, Danube cruise

Rhine, Danube cruise

Budapest Parliament

The Citadel : Budapest

Above Verbier, Suisse

Brush up your Shakespeare

Peter Manners as Shakespeare

John with Airbus A380

John on fl ight deck A380

Bobbie and David : Hong Kong

On the Great Wall

‘Sailing to Trafalgar’ (Probus)

Vic Fazio : Tripartite Meeting

MK with John McKessar

MK with Stan Koorey

Graduation Class of 1954

MK, Bobbie and Susan K in Singapore

With Tom K in Singapore

Robert K : Managing Director

Water damage in Unit 18

Noise Protection in Unit 18

Bobbie : Hong Kong 1983

Bobbie : Kalakilani Hotel Honolulu 1987

Bobbie : Surf Room Royal Haiwaian Hotel 1990s

Bobbie : Manly surfside 2015

Grandchildren 2008

Ali,Olivia, Sarah Waddington

Carly,Robert K

Maddie,Susan,Anna,David,Tom K.

John,Elyse,Marcus,Millie K.

Gene Salvati

PREFACE

I have always had an interest in historical documentation, which means that I have collected rather a lot of paper over the years. Despite this ‘foible’ I have never wished to develop a day to day diary, and instead kept a list of the years happenings and more detail about points of interest eg: travel, meetings and special events. At University and during postgraduate study I always took copious notes,which at times, some of my colleagues found intriguing, saying ‘when are you going to read all those notes?’ Later in life I have also summarised factual books,usually biographies of notable persons and events eg Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln,Florence Nightingale. American Civil war, Boer War, and the Stalingrad Siege 1942-3.I have regarded myself, in this context as a scribe (I like the old fashioned inference) and thought it was appropriate to include this term in the title of this book. The book is a combination of diary,autobiography and memoir, and might be better regarded as a ‘Di-ography’ (my term). The book is for family and maybe selected friends and not for public distribution. The raison d’etre for the project is a strong wish to leave a footprint which establishes my existence. A patient once said to me Doctor, are you going to publish your life story? She was referring to a publication for community distribution, to which I replied no. Why ever not? was her response in surprise. My explanation was that I did not think my life was of sufficient interest to embark on an account that would attract the general public, even though I,personally, have had an absorbing career as a surgeon full of professional satisfaction. I look back on my life as a standard and orthodox experience, albeit full of affection and respect from my family, friends and colleagues.The dull aspect of this life is because :

*I have not had several wives but have been happily married to Bobbie for almost 62 years

*Any acheivements in surgery are not those which would interest the lay public.

*I have not indulged in feats of great adventure courage or danger.

*I have not achieved any pinnacles in sport that would deserve admiration.

*‘Criminal’ activity has been only fines for moderate speeding on the road and twice going through a red light.

*I do not gamble seriously,drink alcohol to excess,use drugs or associate with shadey characters.

*My life has been free of scandal.

*I have been anything but a celebrity as we know them today.

This book is therefore an account for the family to which they might refer to now and then, particularly if they become interested tracing family history. I make no apology for the inclusion of surgical meetings, presentations,lectures etc as such activities have been such a large part of my professional life and involved many hours of work. I realise that these sections are of least interest,but they were important events to me. I hope the anecdotes and stories will be of more value to any reader. I started a diary listing from 1961 and that has been most useful. Some regrets I have are the missed opportunities to have conversations with parents,and grandparents about their early life which are stories which have now gone forever. This work will therefore ensure that my children will not have similar gaps in their family history. I hope to persuade my wife Bobbie to also document her recollections.As a family we have been fortunate to avoid any devastating losses, although Bobbie,in particular, and I have weathered serious health challenges.Two of four marriages of our children have failed and one of these has led to four years(so far) of bitter disputation,dishonesty and crippling financial loss.Such events seem all too common in families at the present time.On the other hand these unfortunate family disruptions have strengthened the bonds between family members as they do their best to support one another.I have not included any detail of these ‘domestic’ difficulties in the text.The long term partners of two of our offspring are people for whom we have great affection but I have not included any detail about them in the text, I hope they will forgive me for that omission.

Readers may be interested to know of the alternative titles for the book:

A SURGEONS JOURNEY

ALONG THE WAY

DEALING WITH LIFE’S LUMPS AND BUMPS

SURGICAL EXPOSURE

BLOOD SWEAT AND FEARS

A SURGEON OPENS UP.

I hope I made the right choice.

I should acknowledge the assistance in producing this work. My wife Bobbie has frequently added important details from our past life and has patiently tolerated the lack of companionship while I remained ‘buried’ in the project. Rachael Kerr’s help with the electronic manipulation of the text and illustrations has been indispensable and there would be no book without her enthusiastic and willing assistance. Our son John has improved the quality of most of the photos which has been an important contribution.

                  Mark Killingback   May 2016

CHAPTER 1

MERRYLANDS

1930 - 1939

MY FIRST MEMORY

As was so common in 1930 I was born at home. Home was a small timber and fibro house rented by my parents, at St Anns St. Merrylands. Dr Cedric Swanton was the GP-Obstetrician and his practice was a short distance away in a street that ran from St. Ann’s to Merrylands Rd. (? Memorial Ave) into the shopping area. Some years later he moved out of GP practice and became a psychiatrist and eventually held the senior position at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. I also remember visiting Dr. Swanton’s home to play games with his son Bill. I think we both had small 3 wheel ‘Dinkys’ which we propelled with our legs to move about. Interestingly, many years later I met up with Bill who also was a surgeon, then practising on the North Coast of NSW. I think we would have lived at St Anns St. until about 1937. It is difficult in 2015 to be chronologically accurate, so I will document somewhat scattered memories of that period. Maybe my first memory is at the age of 3 y hearing my sister Hazel crying soon after she was born in 1933 in the front room of the house. I was on the small front verandah. My memory of this moment has always been very clear in my mind.

MERRYLANDS EAST PRIMARY SCHOOL

I attended Merrylands East Infants Primary School which was within walking distance, near the eastern end of St. Ann’s St. and I recall it as a light grey cement rendered,single storey building with a large adjacent area covered with ashphalt. It was here we assembled every morning before ‘marching’ into our classrooms. After we mounted the steps to enter the front hall we were facing a portrait photo of King George the Fifth. At that time the Australian community were loyal members of the British Empire. I think the level of schooling went as far as 2nd class. I have some memories of the Kindergarten class but not the others. I know I liked the Kindergarten teacher very much and sadly her name is no longer with me. I know she was not married because we called her Miss……… I do have three memories of that class. I was the big bad wolf in a Red Riding Hood play. My parents had made me a fearsome paper mache head to wear. I have always remembered part of my ‘performance’ where I crawled around the floor in a circle saying ‘quite right! quite right!’ I was very thrilled to have a gold star stuck in my book occasionally by the teacher and on one occasion I discovered a box of these in a cupboard in the front right hand corner of the classroom (I can see it there still). I plastered the stars all over my book which was soon discovered. My parents must have been told because they confronted me as a bad boy on the verge of a life of crime.The final memory is being sent home from school at the age of 5y with abdominal pain. Dr Swanton diagnosed acute appendicitis and subsequently performed an appendicectomy. Years later I was told the appendix was not inflamed.

AUNTY DAISY AND FAMILY

Earn and Daisy Simons lived with son,Colin, and daughter Enid,in Military Rd. opposite the railway line. They had become friends with my parents when living in Albury district (late 1920s),when Dad was working as a labourer on the Hume Weir. Dad used to enjoy ‘card nights’ at their home. When the Cricket Tests were being played in England,these card nights were arranged to also listen to the radio broadcasts of the cricket, while they played cards. Dad, being a ‘Pom’ used to field a lot of heckling if the Aussie team were in difficulties. I remember Enid as a playmate from time to time. Years later (1948) I would be a boarder in their home at Balmain while I attended 1st year medical school at the University.

MY PARENT’S RECREATION WAS TENNIS

In the latter part of the 1930s I recall Mum and Dad playing tennis at a home on the eastern side of the railway line, about a ‘stone’s throw’ from Aunty Daisy Simon’s home. We children would play beside the court. I remember these tennis afternoons being happy social events for my parents, which their marriage did not experience often enough. Occasionally the tennis ball would land in the backyard of the neighbouring house where there was a ferocious cattle dog. It was attached by a lead to the washing line which could slide along it so that the dog could run up and down the yard snarling at intruders. Retrieving a tennis ball required courage. Fortunately this was never expected of me, but the vision of this very angry dog is still with me.

CHARLIE KILLINGBACK AT WORK

The early 1930s were still affected by ‘The Great Depression’ which was an awful time for unskilled men. My father had a small truck with which he worked as a carrier of various goods. I doubt it was rewarding financially. I am not sure of his work in the middle 1930s, but I suspect he may have been a door to door seller of fruit and vegetables. I can remember travelling with Dad along Parramatta Rd. back and forth to the City fruit and vegetable markets to purchase goods. In particular I recall the day in 1936 when the death of King George the Fifth had been announced and the flags along Parramatta Rd. were at half mast. My first contact with Asians was in the City markets. Dad used to buy a box of bananas from a wholesale store on the corner of Quay St. He dealt with a chinese man by the name of Ki Chong who always gave me a banana and on firecracker night (Empire Night) a box of crackers. That experience gave me a long lasting friendliness towards chinese people.

MERRYLANDS WEST SCHOOL

In 1938-1939 I attended Merrylands West Primary school in 3rd and probably 4th class. I have almost no memory of that school experience except I remember the schoolyard bully. He was a large aboriginal student and I made sure I was always well clear of him.

THE FAMILY MOVES CLOSER TO THE SHOPPING AREA

During this time we moved from St Anns St. to a small house in Miller St. which ran off Merrylands Rd. I recall there was a mulberry tree in the back yard which I climbed to pick the very tasty mulberries. I also met Dad’s Mother, Mrs Vickers, in that house and learned she was suffering from cancer. If you walked along Miller street and crossed Merrylands Rd. you would be standing in front of the shop where Dad had a fruit and vegetable business in 1938-1939. We moved from Miller St in 1939 to live in the residence of this shop which was the last ‘home’ before we left Merrylands for The Central Coast. I have one painful memory of our time, living at the shop. I borrowed a friend’s bicycle on one occasion and unfortunately damaged it so that the front wheel was badly bent. I do not recall why this deserved corporal punishment, but Dad was very angry and took to me with a strap. This was the only time I received a ‘belting’ from my father.

MY BILLY-CART

During the later period in Merrylands I had a billy-cart which Dad made for me. With two or three friends we would travel on the roads with impunity as cars were relatively few and travelling at moderate speed. The road we mostly ‘billy-cartered’ on, Pitt St, ran beside the railway line to the outskirts of Parramatta. I cannot recall my parents ever voicing any concern about the safety of this pastime.

BLACK FRIDAY

January13 1939 At the age of 8 years I was aware this day, and can still remember, the high temperatures and strong hot winds experienced in Merrylands. Fortunately NSW escaped the bushfire devastation that occurred in Victoria that day when 75% of the state was affected, 71 lives were lost and 3,700 buildings destroyed. Ash from the fires reached New Zealand.

THE FRUIT SHOP FAILS For a time the shop did quite well. Dad was no stranger to hard work and always had the shop looking good. He was able to stack the fruit and vegetables so that they looked very attractive. There was only a brief period of success with the shop. Unfortunately the business failed in 1939. Another fruit and vegetable shop opened up in Merrylands Rd. which became successful at our expense. This shop owner used to walk past our shop noting the prices and then sell his goods more cheaply. The shop’s takings steadily decreased to a point where the business was no longer sustainable. Dad must have been at his wits end to decide what next to earn a living? I do remember two or three trips in Dad’s truck to The Entrance at this time, (bouncing about in the back tray for three hours) when he was obviously investigating the next family/business move. We were about dead broke. Dad borrowed 90 pds from Norm Purnell to buy a small shop at The Entrance and soon we left Merrylands.

1.1.jpg

MK at 7 ½ months

1.2%20(2).jpg

MK circa 5y

1.3.jpg

1st class Merrylands East primary school 1935

MK back row centre (note formal attire)

CHAPTER 2

THE ENTRANCE

1939 - 1948

LONG JETTY then THE ENTRANCE

Our first accommodation was a rented cottage ‘Carinya’ (belonging to Norm Purnell) at Long Jetty on The Entrance Rd. The back yard ran steeply to the foreshore of Tuggerah Lake. This pathway down to the back gate had conifers either side and as a result spiders had made their webs at head level (not a good thing at night if you used the path). My only memory in that first house is the early morning fishing on the lake. Dad, in the summer at 5.0am accompanied by one or two friends would row out 100-200yards from shore directly in front of the house and fish for whiting. At about 6.30am I would join them by wading out to the boat in the broad expanse of shallow water, be helped into the boat and start fishing. The team always caught fish and would catch a bucket of whiting (it was -my first experience of fishing). It was a very pleasant interlude which I can still visualise. We only lived in ‘Carinya’ for a few months until we moved to The Entrance. A short distance from the house was the home of the Duncan family. Perc Duncan was a boat builder with his boatshed next to the long jetty. I used to stand at the front door of the boatshed watching the various boats being built. His daughter Coralie and I were contempories at School and as teenagers played quite a lot of tennis together. Coralie became a good tennis player and as an adult was the club champion for many years at the Killara Tennis Club. Both Coralie and her husband were briefly patients of mine. They suffered an awful tragedy when their daughter (in her twenties) was murdered a few yards from her home in Milsons Point. The murderer was caught 15-20 years later by DNA detection.

HOME IN DENNING ST THE ENTRANCE

Our next home was a modest flat attached to the Commonsoli residence in Denning St about 200yards from Dad’s shop. Mr. Commonsoli those days had the ‘Night Soil Carting’ business which set him up to be very successful in a variety of businesses. A sewerage system was not established at The Entrance until 1969, thirty years later. We also depended on tank water for our needs. My only memory of the Commonsoli residence was the day a block of wood fell on my right big toe while I was chopping wood. I was awake all night with the pain with my mother keeping me company. The nail has not been normal since.

THE ENTRANCE SURF CLUBHOUSE

Soon after we moved from Long Jetty to The Entrance,still in 1939, at the age of 9ys I was allowed to spend all day at The Entrance beach provided I was home before dark (how differently we manage 9y olds today). The new clubhouse was being built and I felt very proud to be allowed to carry a few bricks around the building site for the ‘brickies’ (what would Health and Occupational Safety Inspectors think of that now). I have maintained since that I helped the build the Entrance SLSC! The clubhouse has always looked a grand structure to me viewed from the beach and I have kept that vision in my mind since leaving the Entrance in 1948. In 2014 when I revisited the beach area again I was really surprised how small the clubhouse appears as you approach it via the front door in

Marine Pde. One of my favourite photographs is one taken from the beach at low tide which shows the SLSC building to advantage. In front of the beach there are beautiful reflections from a thin layer of water on the sand from the retreating wave. My mother had a great affection for this photo as it brought back memories of living in Ocean parade right on the beach. Where ever she was living this photo was always on view. It is now among my photos, it was taken by Ern Clements in the 1940s when he was employed at The Entrance Commonwealth Bank.

THE MEMORIAL HALL The Memorial Hall is a place I remember well. It was the site of dance nights where I was intrigued for the first time, with the progressive Barn Dance. I think many boy-girl relationships began at these functions. The hall was also the venue for various community occasions such as Concerts and Fancy Dress competitions. At my first fancy dress function in the hall, aged 10y (1940) I was dressed as an Arab.

WE MOVE HOUSE A FEW TIMES

In Searching for cheap accommodation we rented in several more addresses: I recall the house in The Entrance Rd,opposite the Primary school, set back from The Entrance Rd on the hill. In this house I heard the radio broadcast from London on 9 September 1939, when Winston Churchill said those fateful words ‘ we are therefore at war with Germany’. I had my 10th birthday in a house in Taylor St. My birthday present was a book ‘The Wonder Book of the Navy’(which I still have) and a birthday cake made in the shape of a naval ship. It was spectacular.These naval items appeared because at the age of 10y I had told my parents that I wanted to join the Navy one day, but only if I could be a Captain! We also rented a house in Park St (opposite the Oval) for a short time. This was the house that a frightened wife burst into one night, seeking protection from her threatening husband. Everything was ‘OK’ because uncle Billy Fisher was with us at the time. He stood at the front door (all 5ft 5inches of him) and said ‘look here my good man, you cannot act like this!’ I don’t think the husband was frightened but he took his wife home shortly after without further trouble. We next moved to a house behind the Service Station that was next to Newlings bakery loading yard. Memories from this house are having a cocker spaniel dog, Paddy, who was uncontrollable, earning pocket money to buy my first cricket bat, and starting to build small balsa wood model planes. I remember a twin fuselage Lockheed Lightning (P38) I was very proud of until Paddy chewed it to pieces. I also recall lying on the floor with my head next to the radio to hear ‘First Light Fraser’ from 2GB at 6.0pm. About 1943 the family purchased a beachfront house at 114 Ocean Pde for approx. 3000 pds. It was timber and fibro. The ‘dunny’ stood alone in the back garden. The Heatheringtons were our neighbours on the northern side. It was a wonderful place to live and enjoy the proximity to the beach. Our land from the front of the house to the beach was steep and covered in low scrub. As you walked through the front gate, you were on the beach. Attached to the garage was a small ‘granny flat’ where my mothers parents lived for 2-3 years. Granny Ogston was a difficult old lady who dominated mum. Grandad Ogston was a quiet agreeable man who was obviously my mother’s favourite. After a disagreement between mum and Granny they moved and it was years before they spoke again. Apart from this family problem my mother was very happy to be in our own house with a view of the ocean. I remember her singing Scotch songs as she did the housework. We mostly frequented the ‘living room’ which was accross the full the width of the front of the house facing the ocean. The house was even better when a kitchen was added adjacent to the living room, with a great view.

THE SHOP WAS SMALL BUT SUCCESSFUL

I can well recall standing at the front of our small shop looking across the road at Stewarts Grocery shop and up along Denning St. I have always liked cherries and would amuse myself by flipping the cherry seeds,between finger and thumb, aiming to reach the gutter on the other side of the road. The shop sold fruit/veg and some years later a milk bar was added. In those days without refrigeration the profits were significantly affected by the deterioration of the fruit and vegetables. Neither Dad or myself liked the job of disposing of bad fruit and vegetables. The worst smell came from rotten potatoes, particularly if they went off in the big bags from the markets. In the summer of 1946-47, I recall sorting out the good from the bad potatoes in two of these large bags while sitting on the back steps of the shop .The only compensation was the radio which was broadcasting the cricket test match in Sydney (December 1946)as Don Bradman and Sid Barnes were each scoring 234 runs. As the produce had to be ordered and bought in the Sydney Markets ordering just the right amount was tricky. It was offloaded at Tuggerah station and Dad would collect the goods twice weekly. The business did quite well because of the influx of holidaymakers periodically but between times income was meagre. In the holidays the population of the district increased from 5000 to 70,000. In the holidays the shop would be open from 8.0 am to 12 mn. I spent most of the holidays serving in the business from the age of about 14y. I would leave the shop in the evening at about 9.0pm. For a short time Dad employed Roy, a member of the Clifford family, to assist in the shop. Roy left to join the Navy and tragically died when the HMAS Canberra was sunk in the battle of Savo Island (near Guadalcanal) on 9/8/42.

THE ENTRANCE PRIMARY SCHOOL

In 1939 I was enrolled in The Entrance Primary School in 4th class and have almost no recollection of that class or the next year. During that time there was a day of considerable excitement when a very long black snake was caught in the boys toilet with the school cheering on the teachers who dealt with the problem. We were allowed to cross The Entrance Rd (unsupervised) at lunchtime to buy ‘goodies’ from a small shop opposite the school. Very popular was the double-barrelled chocolate covered ice cream, (‘Two in Ones’) which initiated a life long appreciation of these delicious items. I do have clearer memories of 1941 in 6th class where I did have difficulties with the teacher .It was soon apparent that he disliked me and he may have had cause to feel that way as I was inclined to be outspoken and could make my classmates laugh with various comments. Ultimately the situation worsened with the teacher ridiculing me in front of the class to a point where it became intolerable. The situation improved dramatically after my father visited the school and confronted, (‘had a chat’), with the teacher concerned. Years later (1954) when I was a 1st year resident medico at Sydney Hospital this same teacher was admitted to a ward where I had patients under my care. I did not renew the acquaintance. One of the activities at lunchtime at school in 1941 was the game of hockey. The hockey sticks were improvised (old golf clubs,planks of wood etc), the games were unsupervised, bereft of rules and the ‘hockey sticks’ were wielded in a wide arc unlike orthodox hockey. There was much enthusiasm for these lunchtime games until a player lost two front teeth and the game banned. It is small wonder that a few toes weren’t damaged as many of us attended school without shoes

MUM AND DAD’s GOLF HOLIDAYS AT KATOOMBA

Early 1940’s: For two or three years in the winter time Mum and Dad would have a golfing holiday for 2 weeks, staying at a guest house in Katoomba. Hazel and I would be boarded with Mr and Mrs De Gruchy. I remember that we slept on the verandah and that Mrs De Gruchy cooked beautiful lamb chops with a light coloured gravy…..delicious! They must have been good for the memory of them to last so long. I have in my ‘archives’ a letter, dated July 13 1943. I wrote to my parents whilst at the De Gruchy home: ‘I clean my teeth every night……… I get a hot breakfast every morning………… Mrs De Gruchy says I have been a very good boy because I’ve just asked her………… well I’ll close now as I’ve no more news…..’ a brilliant correspondent!

BUS TRAVEL TO AND FROM GOSFORD HIGH SCHOOL

I commenced high school in 1942. From The Entrance we travelled the 15 miles in one of the local Red Buses to Gosford Railway Station and then walked to the high school. The journey in the morning was usually tranquil but very noisy and at times turbulent on the way home in the afternoons. The bus drivers had a difficult job and some times had to stop the bus, and threaten the ‘passengers’ before continuing. A friend and I, Henry Steeden, (when senior students in 1946) were allowed to stand on the lower front step of the bus next to the driver. We both liked to sing all the popular songs of the day all the way back to T.E. The only song I can now recall was ‘I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night’ that was made popular by a newest singing sensation, Frank Sinatra! One cannot imagine Health and Occupational Safety allowing school students to bus travel that way today. There was no door between the lower step and the side of the bus. If we had fallen from that step as the bus sped along the,not very smooth road, it would been ‘curtains’. At the time Henry,myself and the bus driver never gave it a thought.

THE ENTRANCE CONCERT PARTY AND AN ELDERLY PATRON

The Entrance Concert Party was formed in 1944.The group consisted of amateur performers, some of whom were talented and others who were less so. From memory the items were all musical. The name of the originator-MC is now unknown and the names of the performers forgotten with time except: Arthur McClure and a colleague sang the ‘Gendarme Song’ with great gusto and not much tune. Mark Killingback, aged 14y, sang ‘Burlington Bertie’ in appropriate costume.The group performed initially at the Memorial Hall and then the Prince Edward Cinema, as well performing at Wyong and Ourimbah. The ‘life’ of the concert party was less than a year, but it was great fun while it lasted. An older single gentleman who lived at Toowoon Bay had seen one of the concerts and told my parents I had a future on the stage and he would be prepared to assist me enter that profession. He apparently had been involved in show business in England. On one occasion he took me to the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney to see a variety show. The idea of show business as a career gradually subsided and dialogue with the gentleman ceased. When I look back on the situation the man’s proposition was somewhat strange to a 14y old boy in a country town. Paedophilia never entered the minds of my parents……..but could he have been ‘grooming’ me for nefarious purposes? A nasty thought as I think back on that time.

HAIRCUTS AND THE CHAPMAN FAMILY

Cliff Chapman’s barber shop was where I had my ‘short back and sides’ haircuts every 2-3 weeks. I remember very clearly sitting waiting my turn in 1945 when the news in the shop radio announced that an atom bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima. Cliff’s son Trevor (maybe 3 y older than myself) was an outstanding sportsman and so was a hero of mine. We played backyard cricket at the Chapman residence for hours with Trevor doing most of the batting while I did most of the bowling. I therefore take the credit for his success at school and later with the Northern Districts first grade X1 in Sydney.

GOLF AT KILLARNEY VALE

Beyond Long jetty on the southern side of Tuggerah Lake was the Killarney Golf Club where I first played the game. I eventually could play the 18 holes with a score of 85-90, so I was no champion. Dad played a good game. He had a lovely style to watch when he drove the ball. Dad was just beaten by Jack Glover one year in a final of the Killarney Golf Club match play Championship. I suspect it was his temperament and not his golf strokes that cost him the match. This was the only sport he played while at The Entrance and he stopped playing when we moved to Sydney.

THE FORD FAMILY

In 1944 the new headmaster of The Entrance Primary school was a very pleasant Englishman, Mr Ford. During this year, my parents arranged for me to have tutorials in English by Mr Ford which were enjoyable and helpful. Mr Ford’s daughter Pat and I (aged 14y) became an ‘item’ for a few months and our adventurous relationship consisted of sharing a ‘love seat for two’ in the back stalls of the Prince Edward Cinema on one or two occasions. We each paid our own way (6d admission and 3d for an ice cream) and met inside the Cinema to avoid exposing our friendship. In later years Pat married Lester Fuller whose family had a service station at Long Jetty. Lester had been Dux of GHS. He and I were the only local lads during the 1940s who enrolled in the Medical Faculty at the University of Sydney.

THE ENTRANCE SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB (SLSC)

I had joined the SLSC at 14y and was very proud to achieve my bronze medallion. The elite group in the club was the Rescue and Resuscitation team (R and R). The team consisted of a swimmer for rescue,(a beltman), three linesmen and a reelman. The drill had to be perfect when competing at surf carnivals against the other central coast teams and visiting clubs. A lot of practice was required. It was military precision in the sand. I became a member of the R & R team for two seasons at the age of 17 and 18y (until we moved to Sydney). The team members in 1947 were: (Garth Edwards,MK,Bob Viquerat,Ron MacClure,Jim Baker,Ron Fields.) and in 1948 : (Garth Edwards,Sam Anderson,MK,Ron MacClure,Peter Page,Les Smith). We met with reasonable success but were never Central Coast Champions . I did become the club’s second best swimmer in the senior open surf race. Peter Page was my nemesis in these surf races. I usually followed Peter out of the surf who was well ahead of me at the finish. My forte was still- water swimming in baths. I was lucky Peter did not attend GHS. I recently learnt of Peter’s death a few years ago, he had a battle for many years with a serious illness.

THE SLSC LOSES TWO STALWART CLUB MEMBERS

One of my memories of those days at the beach was Fred Cook, a middle aged member of the club who rented inflatable rubber surferplanes to those on the beach. In 1939, I was his unpaid assistant and felt very important retrieving the surferplanes and telling swimmers their time was up . Fred’s hiring business was situated on the sand between the two clubhouse steps to the beach. Fred was a keen surfer year round. My last memory of him (in the early 1940s) was a cold day in the off season with no one else in the surf. Fred was swimming alone and appeared to be in difficulties a fair way out in the breaking waves. Club members on hand rushed into the surf and brought him to the beach. They laid him on the wet sand near the waters edge where he was pronounced dead. I had never seen a deceased person and knowing Fred as I did this was a profound experience. Nobody thought Fred could have drowned and on the beach the ‘diagnosis’ was thought to be a heart attack. It was a sad day when the club’s Captain, Boat Sweep and March Past Leader, Les Hurley, was killed in 1946, aged 20y, when he fell from the boat trailer on the way home from the Australian Surf Championships carnival at Maroubra. He was a popular man of exceptional physique (6ft 4in) and strength.

THE LAKE REJOINS THE SEA

In 1946 when the level of Tuggerah Lake rose 6 feet,the blocked entrance channel burst through to the sea. I clearly remember standing in one of the two lines of people across the channel each with a hand fishing net between our legs to trap the fish being washed out to sea as the water from the lake surged past. We were surprised by the enormous size of some of the fish caught in the nets. I have a photo of this exciting day.

MOTHER NATURE ATTACKS THE ENTRANCE BEACH

In 1946 there was a significant storm and heavy seas which removed most of the sand from the beach. We were devastated to see from our house one morning the exposed rocks despoiling what had been a beautiful surfing beach. As far as I am aware the beach has never recovered. The gap between bottom steps of the clubhouse and the sand (possibly 2 metres) became a permanent marker of the volume of sand which was swept away. Dick Gee continued nevertheless to surf the waves between the rocks, with his super-long timber surfboard . I still have visions of him emerging from the small boatshed in the middle of the beach, in all weathers, carrying the heavy board into the water. When standing on its end it was so long it looked more like a telegraph pole. Dick Gee was a (if not the) pioneer of surfboard riding on the central coast.

FUN FROM THE ENTRANCE BRIDGE

One of our youthful enjoyments was to jump into the lake from the wooden bridge at North Entrance. There were few boats passing under the bridge at that point. The water was deep and therefore safe to jump into. In 1946 when the lake entrance was open to the sea there was tidal movement of water in the lake. With an out going tide the movement of water under the bridge was significant producing a strong current. We changed our tactics and would occasionally jump (illegally) from The Entrance end of the bridge and then be swept down past the boat sheds to the sandbanks on the right and emerge from the water and then do it all again! On one of these sorties I was swept under one the boatsheds on the right, fully submerged with the water level up to the floor of the boatshed so that there was no ‘airpocket’ to breathe. I was breathless, panicked and disorientated as well as being bumped about by the moving water. I was uncertain in which direction to swim but obviously made the correct decision and made it back to the open water. I decided not to discuss this mishap with my parents. After this experience we returned to the North Entrance end to continue the bridge jumping in calmer water.

CARNIVAL TIME IN THE XMAS HOLIDAYS

The Xmas Carnivals which were established at the end of year school holidays were a highlight for the seaside town and provided much entertainment for adults as well as children. At night the main street was packed with people visiting the various attractions, there were coloured lights everywhere, music playing and everyone in a festive and well behaved mood. Such times were a bonanza for our family business when thousands of holiday makers were in The Entrance. Parents often did not take their children home before10-11.0 pm. The Entrance was a popular town for Guesthouses which were packed during holiday time. The more notable ones were: Bayview (built in 1900) Lorna Doone (1921) Ozone (……….) Pinehurst(1903)

THE KING FAMILY

Dr King and family lived on the hill as you drove out of town (near the junction with Boondilla Ave). Opposite the home was an enormous estate of unoccupied land which extended down the hill to the lake shoreline. Dr. King was the sole practitioner for many years and was dependent on professional help from his wife Betty who was a trained nurse. Mrs King periodically spent days in bed when she was ‘unwell’(we lads,of course, had no idea of the diagnosis and in hind sight, I am not sure there was one). Rarely, Mrs King would emerge from her bedroom looking perfectly well. At times when we made excessive noise Mrs King would issue instructions from her bedroom which we obeyed temporarily. I spent much time at the home as I became good friends with their son Budge whose name was Wallace Robert Oliver King sometimes called WROK by his friends. The frequent gathering of Budge’s friends at the home was at times noisy and mischievous but his parents were very tolerant. We often gave Budge a hard time in a good natured way which he accepted as the ‘fall guy’of our small and harmless ‘gang’ (Budge,Ken Bond,Reg Hession,Bernie Morgan and MK). I remember one prank we subjected Budge to : we imprisoned him in laundry basket and then emptied all the ice cubes we could find over him. My friendship with Reg has continued since those days and must now in 2015 be over 70 years. In addition, from a health perspective we have been mutually dependent on each others professional expertise.

THE BEACH OCEAN POOL

Living as we did by the beach, the Ocean Pool was only 200yards from home and was a great attraction. Before a pumping system was installed clean water was not always a feature. I used the pool extensively for training under the guidance of my coach, Arthur Newling, which led to success at GHS swimming carnivals.

JENNIFER KILLINGBACK BORN                     Jan 25 1948

Jenny (now Jenni), was born at the North Entrance hospital which was a converted cottage run by ‘Matron’ Simpson. Either Dr King or Mrs King would have attended the birth. MK was 18y at this time. If the conception was intentional, I suspect that Mum was hoping that it might improve the quality of her marriage.

WE LEAVE THE ENTRANCE

In 1947 two or three mobile fruit/veg lorries began circulating in the town and the family business began to deteriorate. In the non holiday periods the weekly earnings fell to less than 10pds. In view of the impending failure of the business in 1947 my father made enquiries about starting a modest wholesale fruit-veg delivery business in Sydney. In early 1948 Dad walked away from the shop and started the wholesale-delivery business in the Kogarah-Rockdale- Hurstville area. He would return home to The Entrance at weekends. After attending medical studies at the University during the week, I would travel back to The Entrance with Dad on a Friday night in his large green lorry. This mode of life continued for most of 1948 but it became obvious that the family needed to move to Sydney. The family home in Ocean Parade was sold, sadly, and we moved to Hurstville. In Sydney the several homes my parents chose to live in after 1948 never matched the home they left at The Entrance.

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Dad’s Shop (left) 1939

(courtesy of Down Memory Lane by R Stewart and L Webster)

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First fancy Dress at 10y

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Family 1943

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Burlington Bertie

(Artwork: M Killingback)

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The Entrance Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC)

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Surf Carnival 1947 (our home top left)

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Rescue and Resuscitation Drill

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SLSC March Past Team 1947

CHAPTER 3

GOSFORD HIGH SCHOOL

1942 - 1947

1942 CLASS 1B

I do recall the first classroom in 1942 which was in the lower level of the western side of the main building of the school. While I remember few details of that year I can recall feeling overwhelmed at joining such big institution.The class size was about 30 pupils and I can still visualise George Hanson and Billy Hart being boisterous and disruptive at the back of the classroom. George and I became good friends as we progressed through the school classes, mainly due to our common interest in cricket. George was a competent batsman. One clear early memory is Miss Eve Parsons (French Teacher) talking to the class about air raids and advising us to be sure to visit the toilets and pass urine before proceeding to the zig-zag trenches which had been dug at the lower part of the school yard. How that would have been achieved in the event of a raid if one could imagine 800 students all trying to use the toilets at such a time. I recall Scripture classes for the first time at school in 1B. We were not very receptive to the minister and must have been very distracting.

1943 CLASS 2B

This classroom was a ‘portable’ wooden building, one of two, on the western side of the school grounds close to the Gosford Golf Club. The surrounds were unpaved and there were many trees. In the summer of 1943 the tree trunks were decorated with many dozens of cicarda nymphs which had emerged from the ground, a sight I had never seen before. Watching the adult cicardas slowly leaving the nymph ‘shell’ and expanding their crumpledwings was absorbing. I have no memory of lessons or other events in that portable room. My interest in cricket began in 2nd year initiated by the cricket played at GHS during recess. Half way down the school playground there was a disused loam tennis court with