Australiana: Sun, surf and Ardmona tinned peaches.
Beverley Cox arrived in England and was searching for work when she came across a wanted poster for “Australian girls”. She ended up joining a roadshow promoting healthy Australian produce from the Ardmona Cannery.
In 1964 I was working in the United Kingdom — I’d just spent a year in Canada after emigrating to the country so I could work in Toronto.
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I was born In Geelong and at the age of 10 we moved to Sarina, near Mackay.
Then again farther south where the family settled in Toowoomba.
Good times: The passing of Ross Turnbull brought back memories for Beverley Cox.
After I turned 21, I set off on board a ship, the Willem Rhys, out of Sydney bound for New York, via South America and through the Panama Canal.
After much adventure in Canada, United States and Mexico, I headed back to Montreal and sailed for Liverpool.
Fruitful trip: The Ardmona roadshow in England, 1965, with Don Turnbull digging a hole for a fake fruit tree.
I knew no-one in England but made some friends on board the ship that took me to London.
I had little money and knew I had to find a job.
I immediately found work as a chambermaid just around the corner from Australia House in the Strand.
I had asked my family and friends to send mail to there and I rushed around three days after arriving in London to check if I had mail.
I noticed a sign, “Australian girls wanted”, so of course, I hurried over to inquire.
I was directed to a lady, Mrs Cook.
She spoke about the “Golden Girls” program and the Australian government support on many goods — wine, butter, canned fruit etc — to grocers in the UK to buy Australian goods.
This was long before the UK joined the European Union, when they were then required to buy locally.
After a lengthy interview, I was asked to attend a three-day training seminar at Ealing to prepare for a position travelling throughout the entire UK promoting Ardmona canned fruit.
Three days later I picked up a mini van, with Ardmona advertising over the entire vehicle.
It was May 1965, and in the second week I was assigned to Exeter, at the County Show.
Now I’m getting to the point of my story and my tribute to Ardmona.
I did not meet Ross Turnbull, who was the centre of the newspaper obituary, but I met and worked with Don Turnbull in Exeter in May 1965.
He was a wonderful young man; I’ve so often thought I must look him up but here I am, maybe too late to talk to him face to face.
I am not aware of the relationship of Don to Ross, but I’m thinking maybe brothers.
I actually worked at the Mooroopna factory for a week, during a working holiday there in the 1970s.
I was picking tomatoes for White Crow, just up the road.
I’m sending the photos I took, including of Don digging a hole for a fake fruit tree.
