Extract from oral history of Tom Fitzgerald

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John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. Records of the National Library of Australia. Interview of Tom Fitzgerald, 01/02/1998 - 3/09/1998. JCPML00658/1. Original held by National Library of Australia TRC 2247

One of my brothers, and then later [a second brother] became full-time milkmen. And we were out in the darkness and the dawn and came home usually about breakfast-time and covered all these districts -- Newtown, St Peters, Enmore, Marrickville, Annandale, Leichhardt, Erskineville. Just up to the precincts of the university.

And it had the effect of introducing me to a large number of people. We…we knew a lot of…my brother [Gerald] and I sometimes talk about it. We knew...we knew people of what I suppose are called mainly working-class occupations. We knew them well. We would call to collect money from them, talk to them. And we did know a great number of the people of that area.

Which accounts, I think, for the subsequent enormous tug that area has for me to go back. It was rather in a way beautiful even in unfavourable weather. Running around, very fit, going as fast as you could, spilling the milk quite often on people’s doorsteps. And meeting these people, it was quite enjoyable.

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