Ethel Ozanne

A ‘resourceful new member’

What Ethel lacks immobility she more than makes up for with her lively mind. Born to a farming family related to the Cliftons who led the first settlement at Australind and Brunswick, Ethel grew up independent and resourceful. She describes herself as a 'Jill of all trades'.

Ethel's bright eyes sparkled as she told me her story. The third of eight children born over a period of 22 years to her parents Llewellyn and Dorinda Davies, Ethel was always considered her mother's helper. Any ideas she had about becoming a teacher were way beyond the family resources. In the late 1920s, schooling was limited in country Narrogin, even for bright young students like Ethel. The Depression put a further damper on opportunity. She left school at 13 and the family moved to 'Lowlands' on the Peel Estate where supportive relatives gave them a home and work.

A few years later the Davies' moved to their own dairy farm at Baldivis. Ethel milked cows, cooked, helped with the younger children and generally supported her mother. There was no telephone, no transport and it even took three years for her to get a horse. There was some time for relaxing though and Llewellyn, a keen tennis player, quickly put in a court. Her father and local teachers from the Baldivis School taught her how to play bridge when she was 16. Her mother's strong religious convictions made her disapprove of card games but Ethel took to it immediately.

Ethel's life changed when she met Brian Ozanne at a cousin's wedding and fell in love. It was 1940 before they could afford to marry but the Ozanne family from Bridgetown (originally from Guernsey) welcomed Ethel warmly. The next years were spent moving around the southwest as Brian worked for the Agricultural Department in Pemberton then at Muresk and Denmark Agricultural Schools. Finally, they moved to Perth on half pay so Brian could complete a two year teacher training course. They had a block of land in Swanbourne bought for £25 so they sold their car to get the deposit for a house and were soon able to move in with their two small children and another on the way. Ethel took in student teacher boarders to make ends meet.

When he completed the course Brian was appointed to the agricultural wing of the Harvey Junior High School. They let the Swanbourne house and spent five years back in the country. When Brian was due for six months Long Service leave it was too good an opportunity to miss. They splurged on a £900 return cruise to Europe while family cared for the children. It was a blissful four months, travelling around Britain and the Continent, very cheaply in a little camper-cum-ute. In December, they arrived home to a find that Brian had a transfer to Perth and settled in again to Swanbourne.

It was still a struggle to make ends meet so Ethel needed all her ingenuity. She was an excellent dressmaker (taught by two aunts) and began teaching night school classes and at Swanbourne High School. After a brief in-service course she also took on relief teaching at the South Terrace Primary School where her son worked. At 60, with the help of her husband, she opened a most successful jewellery business selling through Party Plan. For ten enjoyable years she made top quality jewellery sold without pressure and fully guaranteed.

In 1970 Brian retired suffering from slowly progressing Alzheimer's Disease. Ethel cared for him at home. She joined the Cottesloe Golf Club for respite and also began playing social bridge with friends. Brian and she had always played bridge together as they moved around the country. She joined Rosendorff's Bridge Club almost when it began, and her game improved steadily. By the time it closed she was winning trophies and playing very good bridge.

Ethel came second by .1 of a match point at the New Members Party. We wish her many more hard-fought games at WABC and welcome her to the club.

Val Krantz

March 2011 edition of Trumps Plus

Laura Coutts

I build kick-ass websites for small businesses, startups and not-for-profits.

https://www.hatchlabs.com.au
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