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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.