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> HISTORIES > RECOLLECTIONS BY KARL
WILLIAM LUDERS
RECOLLECTIONS
By Karl William Luders
(19 Oct 1906 – 2 May 1980)
Childhood Lakemba shop and Gyp the dog. The door step on the corner and
cold rides on the double decker horse-bus to Campsie for the "flicks".
Move to Burwood. Sitting on the gatepost, trains, trees at the back.
Belmore School. Kindergarten-Miss Olds? Sunday School at St Alban's.
Boring old Shaw the Rector.
Then to Lakemba. A pre-constructed building moved from Redfern? Dowe
the Rector. Sunday School (Cookson superintendent). Band concerts on the
paddock after Sunday School-a long walk home.
A detestable straw boater broken on the rim by a football.
Mrs Kensert's paddock and the games played thereon. Billy Swift, Mackeen
from the corner house. Bobbie Richardson and Florrie, Ettie Rich and sister.
Trouble in the harness room. Reproof from Mum and the burden of shame
ever since.
Piano bought for the family. Frieda learned. My heart was not in it.
Nor in schoolwork. Moved to Canterbury School but that made no difference.
I was just not interested. Miss Craig the only teacher I ever liked: she
was friendly and gentle. Watts (headmaster) was short-tempered and handled
me unwisely. Screwed my head around. Teachers were enemies ever after.
His treatment was unjust.
In the primary school period I once fouled my trousers (Mum had given
me medicine the night before) and I ran home crying all the way. Mum put
me in the bath.
Novelties interested me, e.g. when a man came to the school with a "working
model" of the universe.
Sport was becoming popular. Running was my first choice but I never could
better Syd Williams. Mostly we tied in races.
"Prisoners base" was a favourite game played by competitive
sides. Football was relegated to the allotment at the back of the school.
Not the ideal "field", for the hump in the middle hid the lower
half of the goal posts from the other end. But we played hard and enjoyed
it. Sometimes our teams matched with visiting school teams. But competition
was not highly organised and the team spirit was not very strong. There
was no coach;-we learned from experience such points as we did learn.
I was given a choice of going back to Canterbury or to Tempe Continuation
school. This latter had most appeal and so to there I went because practical
things had most appeal to me. There I learned a bit about woodwork and
workshop practices. The free train rides may have had some appeal, I do
not know. Some "kids" mucked up in the train but I can say that
I was not guilty. I don't know why.
About this time my thoughts were attracted to the wonders of electricity,
just becoming common knowledge, and they were supplemented by books which
my thoughtful Mother supplied. This led me to serious reading. Previously
I had not bothered much with any reading apart from "time wasters",
i.e. fiction. Now my thoughts were more serious. I realised that I should
be prepared to take a man's part in the affairs of the world.
I was not surprised that one requirement of an apprentice was that he
should attend night classes at the Sydney Technical College! This I did
and it did much to develop my self confidence and put me in touch with
members of society of whom I had no previous knowledge, and who did not
always impress me favourably. The class members were a mixed bag, some
came from good homes, some from inferior ones, scattered through the Sydney
suburbs. Similarly the men in the workshop were a mixed lot from mixed
backgrounds: associating with them changed some of my ideas.
At about this time a "depression" in business put many out
of work and I was numbered among this group. Such an experience depressed
me too and taught me that life does not always go along smoothly and that
fate can be harsh as well as smooth. I was burdened with a sense of shame:
although I recognised that my being out of work was not due to any fault
of mine. I was a victim of circumstance. The best thing seemed to be to
get another job.
This I tried to do but everywhere it seemed the answer was the same,
"No openings at present, try later when business picks up a bit".
Well there was one other thing to do:- work at something else. But again
I was met with frustration. No one wanted me. A kindly woman of the congregation
offered to ask her relative if there was an opening in his business of
making petrol pumps. But this did not appeal to me and so I turned to
"selling". In the daily papers there appeared advertisements
for job-seekers who would show enough enterprise to go from door to door
selling (or trying to sell) various articles. I decided to give it a go.
And tried hawking clothes pegs (wire ones) but no one seemed to want such
things. Then there were garden hose stands. These were a well-finished
products that seemed to me to be quite good for they were sturdy and adjustable,
and they were to cost a reasonable price. But though many admired them,
no one wanted to buy them. Vacuum cleaners came on the market so I decided
to try selling them. I succeeded in selling one.
This experience gave me an insight into not only the difficulties of
persuading people to part with their cash, but also the shabby tricks
some humans would play to make their own case look better. The firm for
whom I worked so hard had a team of female scouts going ahead of the salesmen
in each district and pre-preparing the "prospects". They summarised
their findings in writing on prepared forms supplied by the firm. New
salesmen assumed that each person named on such sheets was a certain buyer.
Such was not the case and one after the other disclaimed and intention
of buying and told us to "shut the gate" as we left.
For the past many months a few of the Church members had been trying
to influence me towards entering the Ministry but for various reasons
I had decided against it. I ventured to conduct a few services at a small
Church at Belfield, after assisting in some services in St Andrew's Lakemba
where I had operated as a Sunday School teacher and then as Superintendent
of the Sunday School. The Revd. W (Bill) Kingstone was the rector at this
time and did his best to influence me into entering the Ministry. Others
acted similarly, whether spontaneously or in collusion I shall never know.
However, some pressure was brought to bear by the frequent references
to my services.
In addition I had been to a small North Coast village called Wyee where
some "Bible Bangers" had a head quarters of a free-lance Mission
and to which groups of young folk went to "camp" each period
of public holidays. This Mission got along on a "shoe string"
for those who attended were not charged for their food or board, nor for
anything else. The meals were wholesome but not lavish. The beds were
simple and satisfactory, bagging stretched on saplings, and the bedrooms
were huts built of similar material and whitewashed. Roofing was corrugated
iron and the floors were plain earth. There was nothing that could be
damaged or was worth stealing. Meals were eaten at regular times and the
diners collected at the dining room with its long tables and forms at
the sound of a bell. Visitors had healthy appetites and one wondered how
the place was subsidised because it was left to each one's conscience
to decide what payment to offer. Apparently most of the "visitors"
paid a fair amount for the Mission kept going for many years and spread
a wide influence for good.
Between meals services were held in the chapel. They were of a simple
order and called (if my memory is correct) Sanctification meetings. Those
who had problems were invited to go forward to a "penitent form"
at the front and below the elevated stage from which the speakers conducted
the services, and there a brother or a sister would kneel with the penitents
and learn of their troubles, doing what they could to minister comfort
(bolster moral) finishing with a short prayer. After this came "testimony
meetings" when those who wished to do so could stand where they were
and say what their "Faith" meant to them. These were sometimes
quite moving. I never had the courage to venture into such publicity.
Most of us went to bed early, although some strolled off into the bush.
What happened then was their business and not ours so we never "spied".
No doubt a good many friendships were cemented at such times. Visiting
the old haunt in 1977 after a lapse of many years I found that the place
had improved in many respects, and expanded to the other side of the railway
line into a number of cottages where lived various people connected with
the mission.
Of those operating in my day those I can remember are Sister Rose who
was the number one speaker and Appealer. Sister Rose was afflicted with
a raucous voice and a dark skin, but her heart was solid gold. I have
no doubt that she was instrumental in guiding many young people in the
"way of righteousness". Elliot Rein was the son of the house
and a power for good. I am not sure that he was married at this time but
certainly he was afterwards, and I have no doubt made an excellent father.
If those who were at the Mission for any time and then faced the journey
home and back to work felt the same as I they were resolved to try harder
and do better in living as Christians should in the future. Some of the
orthodox church folk took exception to some of the features of the Wyee
Mission, but the reason for this was not easy to discover. I could not
find any serious fault with what was done or said during my associations
with these folk. I think they deserved only praise and I give it to them
without reserve. Certainly they supplied some of what was lacking in the
orthodox churches by evangelising. I have not heard of anyone who seceded
from the Church as a consequence of their activities, and I do know of
a number of young folk who were led to strive to live more Christian lives
after their contact with the Wyee Mission. Some entered the Ministry,
some became Sunday School Teachers and perhaps some became Missionaries.
Re these latter I can not say for sure. However, I am pleased that the
Wyee Mission still flourishes and exercises a good influence. People and
scenes connected with the Mission will never fade from my memory.
One activity into which I entered at the invitation of a work-mate at
this time was visiting the residents in an Old Folks Home (managed by
the state). This gave one some shocks but moved one to sympathise with
the elderly people. Many of those I met were pitiful and if there was
no such institution as the home their plight would have been pitiful.
The group with which I as connected paid their own expenses and gave what
they could (either of their own meagre means or collected from sympathisers)
for comforts for the "patients". And some really were patients.
The staff of the institution were very kind and dealt patiently with the
residents, nursing and comforting them in an exemplary way.
At this time too I was active as a Boy Scout in the First Lakemba Troop
under the care of an assistant to the local Rector, "Bill" Kingston.
This man (whose name I shall not mention) subsequently left the ministry
under pressure and no one took his place. Mr A.A. Mutton took charge of
the Scout Troop and later I became Troop Leader. "Mutt" worked
as a railway porter at Darling Harbour and lived with his wife at Punchbowl.
They were a pair of "battlers" and had the respect of the community.
I was a frequent visitor at their humble home. "Mutt" subsequently
entered the Ministry. This happy couple have long since departed this
life and left serious gaps. They were both from England.
"Mutt" took the Scout Troop on various excursions and camps,
some of which were quite memorable. Anxious to attain perfection in the
Troop, I exerted more than enough authority! Possibly overstepped the
mark and saw my popularity shrinking. I realise now that this was inevitable
but no one sought to give me guidance, however, the lessons thrust upon
me were of my own making and no doubt helped towards my maturity. It soon
became apparent that the Scout Master (a new arrival) and I were incompatible
and my enthusiasm waned. This was regrettable for the scouting activities
gave an outlet to the local lads and helped develop their initiative.
I faded out of the scene. Night classes at Sydney "Tec" and
daytime work were enough to keep me occupied.
By this time I was becoming more interested in girls. Hitherto they had
been part of the furniture of creation. I had five sisters all older than
I and there was only one left at home. As was to be expected the sisters
were a "mixed bunch". One married a muddler who tried to run
a butter and cheese run, one married a "pom" who enlisted with
the army when war broke out. One became "entangled" with a persuasive
dentist and landed herself in serious trouble, and died trying to get
out of it. Frieda, the youngest, was a real trier and married a local
lad who worked in Sydney. Jess became a nurse and rose to fill the place
of an "acting matron". Her work took her away from home into
hospitals in far away places. Hilda was my favourite, a gentle soul full
of the milk of human kindness. Care of the family fell to Mum because
Dad was away quite often working at whatever he could find to do in the
way of unskilled labour. He preferred a local job if such could be had,
but was ready to tackle anything that offered. To ease a situation, the
block of land abutting the two at the lower end of our property was sold
and later a cottage was built on the block adjacent to our home block.
This was sold later when things became more difficult with the setting
in of the "depression", something about which few knew the explanation,
and no one knew the remedy. It was accepted as one of the "inevitables"
like colds or some minor sickness. It was a very unpleasant period which
put a heavy burden on the women-folk. All unnecessary expenses had to
be pruned away and pleasures kept to a minimum.
I was fortunate at this time to have the company of Muriel Neild (later
my wife) which amply compensated for such other things that I had to forego.
Muriel was a Sunday School Teacher in the same Church of St.Andrews, Lakemba.
She and her two sisters and step-sister (her father married twice) were
fine folk and welcomed me into their house.
Mary was the eldest sister, and Liela the youngest. Mary was not robust
but had a great spirit which saw her over many difficulties. Those that
knew her best admired her most. Liela took a position in an estate agent's
office in a next-door suburb, and Muriel found a position with a jewellery
firm in Sydney. There she served for years as book-keeper and sales girl.
When business became extra bad she was asked to leave but then was asked
to return when business picked up somewhat. Muriel took the place of a
"man about the house" and the other members of the family looked
to her for their guidance.
It must have been at about this time that I dabbled in photography. My
efforts were very "amateurish" but some of the pictures taken
in this period I value highly, notably those of the Sydney Underground
Railway being constructed through and under Hyde Park as seen from the
top of the "T & G" building where I was engaged in doing
maintenance of the electrical equipment in the flats housed in the building.
One mishap in this period sticks naggingly in mind. It was the dropping
of a pair of pliers due to a shock received from the electric sign which
had to be maintained and visited for inspection regularly. The pliers
fell onto a curved roof on the front of the building and disappeared earthwards.
In a state of consternation thinking of what damage could result should
they strike a pedestrian, I hurriedly rushed downstairs to the ground
level and expected the worst. But down below everything was normal and
the fate of the pliers is still a mystery. They fell what must have been
200 feet and anyone struck on the head from such a height must surely
have sustained a cracked skull. There was absolutely no sign of any accident
even to marks on the footpath. I was very thankful.
Physical fitness was a special interest at about this time too and to
help me "keep in trim" I joined the St John's Campsie gymnasium.
The instructor was sympathetic and conscientious (a member of the Salvation
Army) and wielded a good influence on the members. I enjoyed what I attempted
but was never more than mediocre. Many were poorer even than that, but
we were a happy gang. If the train to Belmore was late or had gone, I
ran home rather than wait for the next train. This was rather strenuous,
but at that time I enjoyed strain. Arriving home after the three mile
run I had a cold shower and fell into bed.
How I became "caught up" with Lay-Reading I can not now remember.
No doubt Bill Kingstone had something to do with it. I do realise that
it was gradual involvement, through Sunday School teaching to reading
scripture at adult services and so on to sharing in services. I am grateful
to those who led me on in this period even if at the time I was the opposite
of grateful. My shyness was excruciatingly painful. But few if any, seemed
to realise it. As a Catechist I took services where it was required and
the operations took me to Lakemba (my home H.Q.) St.Peters, Belfield,
Port Kembla as curate somewhat later and Ultimo. I was involved in this
latter place because of being senior student at Moore College, a post
which carried with it the obligation of ministering at Ultimo.
Ultimo had a poor reputation quite unwarranted. There were some tough
characters there of course, but no worse nor tougher than could be found
elsewhere. It was just that Ultimo had a bad name but it was really not
deserved. Some of the college boys used to conduct open-air meeting in
the streets and at one, such a local "gent" pulled a knife and
held the back of it against the throat of one of the company, but no harm
was done. A couple of my congregation were prostitutes, but one in particular
was a fine and attractive young woman.
The services were not grand in any sense but one in particular is never
to be forgotten. I should explain that the building used as a Church had
been a livery stable and had been decorated by a predecessor of mine to
make it appropriate for worship. The side walls were tied with iron rods.
One of which was directly above the sanctuary steps. On a special anniversary
service the speaker was a celebrated former Rector named Cash. His voice
was an affliction and seemed uncontrollable for it fluctuated in an amazing
manner, rising to a high note at inappropriate points and sinking back
to normal immediately after. Anyone who did not know of this or who had
no delicacy of feeling was hard put to it to refrain from laughing. The
congregation comprised citizens who were unaccustomed to kerbing their
emotions so that when Mr Cash announced his text just as a rat ran along
the tie-bar over his head, stopped half way and preened his whiskers.
The strain was too great and a great guffaw burst forth. Poor Mr Cash
was non-plussed for a moment for, from his position, there was no apparent
reason for the mirth. However, he struggled through his discourse and
we explained things later. He bore no umbrage.
After leaving Moore College I became assistant minister at various places,
Cooks River was one place, Port Kembla was another. Along with others
I was ordained Deacon in St Andrews Sydney in 1932 and licensed to St.Matthew's
Manly on 2nd January 1933. This was a very busy time involving the conducting
of services at Harbord and Dee Why as well as teaching Religious Instruction
at various schools and managing the young folk of the Young Communicants'
Fellowship. Also I initiated a branch of the Protestant Church's Soccer
Football Association among some enthusiastic lads, helped by a few keen
men of mature years who could spare the time. Only one of these was a
misfit and had to be "eased out". An unpleasant development
and one which taught me the need of caution in the matter of appointments
and selection of personnel. The youth work was challenging and stimulating
and one aspect of it that was specially enjoyable was the Sunday afternoon
study groups. The Rector at this time was the Revd A.R.Ebbs who was of
the "old school" but was tolerant of my new fangled ideas. Upon
my departure from the parish he was quite gracious, as were many parishioners.
Their farewell gifts were more generous than they need have been and I
still treasure them.
My proposal of marriage was agreed to by my wife-to-be and the service
was conducted by my one-time Rector of Port Kembla, the Revd Tom Terry,
in St.Andrew's Lakemba on a memorable day made especially so by my forgetting
to pocket my pocket book in which was all my worldly wealth. Muriel's
brother whose car had been offered for transportation, obligingly turned
back before we proceeded very far towards Sydney. There we caught a train
for the mountains where accommodation had been secured for the "newly-weds".
We spent a happy and relaxed week at Leura.
Muriel being in agreement, I offered my services to the Bush Church Aid
Society. This was and is(?) a group of "do-gooders" within the
Church of England who were concerned about ministering to the Anglicans
in "outback" areas. Theirs was a challenging task and what I
knew of it appealed to me, so hence my offer. It was accepted, so Muriel
and I booked a passage by boat to Port Lincoln. It was a rough trip and
I was the sickest person on board the old "Westralia" and an
object of interest to many first class passengers who looked down on me
from their 1st class weather-proof deck to see the seas wash over the
forenose of the boat and cascade onto the poor miserable figure seated
with his back to the wall and the direction in which we were travelling.
The miserable figure would not have cared if the ship sank at any moment.
In Melbourne the streets seemed most uneven and I had great difficulty
in walking straight. We did no sight-seeing, and a cup of hot tea helped
to settle my tummy. Once on board I went to bunk and stayed there for
the rest of the trip.
By the time we approached Port Lincoln I was on my feet but groggy. There
we were welcomed by a small group of local Anglicans and of these, those
remaining have been firm friends for years. Mine was a tricky position
for there had been quite a rumpus going on with the Bishop involved, and
I knew almost nothing of the background to this. It took quite some time
to sort things out and I had to come to an agreement with two extreme
parties, each of which had a good case and each were aggrieved with the
Bishop. I had agreed to serve for two years, but we stayed for five. They
were happy years and our first baby was born in Port Lincoln Hospital.
Some of those the Bishop regarded as "rebels" became firm friends
and remained so for many years. Some still correspond.
The "parish", which was really a temporary provisional district,
extended up the coast to include Lake Wangary and Mount Hope. Of course
to do my work I needed a car and this the parishioners provided as was
the case required by the regulations. The car was a useful model of the
"Essex" make which did good service until it became obvious
that economical considerations made it advisable to obtain another. This
was another second hand vehicle obtained through a local dealer. It also
did good service, for the remainder of the time I was in the parish.
Being committed to work with the B.C.A. and feeling obliged to comply
with such requests as they should make I consented to move to the North
Coast to a place called Rappville. This post had not been manned for some
years but there were Church buildings in most centres the congregations
soon responded to visits. A different form of locomotion was provided
in the form of a horse and sulky. This was a challenge that appealed to
me, but the horse was not what one might desire. She was a contrary female
and had been independent for so long that she objected to being managed
within shafts. Having fitted the harness to the animal, I climbed into
the sulky and seized the rains in anticipation of an interesting excursion.
Alas, it was not to be. She stubbornly refused to budge. Various expedients
were tried but to no avail. So I enlisted the help of the Church warden
who had been instrumental in our purchasing the animal. He likewise met
with no success. By dint of manhandling the wheel and dragging at the
horses head we managed to get the animal and vehicle through the front
gateway and onto the road. But although she had spent many an hour looking
over the fence and at the grassed roadway, now she did not seem to appreciate
the freedom that was offered. Mr Warden became exasperated and determined
to use harsh measures. So he grasped the reins short under the horses
head and used the other end to flog the animal on the belly. The results
were not as expected. The horse went into reverse and rammed the sulky
up against a large log that was laying across the track, on which it jolted
with such force that I thought the wheels would be fractured. But they
remained whole and the sulky came safely to earth. With a triumphant grin
the Warden said "there you are Mr Luders, she will go all right now".
To this I responded "Oh thanks Warden, but I don't wish to have the
sort of performance every time we commence a trip". We never bought
the horse, but somehow the Church members managed to find the means to
buy a second-hand Dodge car (1913) Tourer. This we named Mona because
of the grumbling noises she made when persuaded to move on. But she did
a grand job and took me about in all weathers, even when other car owners
would not venture out. I served there for 20 months in 1940-41 and enjoyed
the experience.
At the end of 1941 I transferred to Wilcannia in Riverina Diocese chiefly
because the organising missioner of B.C.A. asked for my services for a
post which no one cared to fill. I hesitated to agree because of reports
current about the then Bishop, but then decided that it was my duty to
go.
From 1947 to 1959 I was at St.Paul's Culcain in the Riverina Diocese.
This was another parish that had a sorry history but was ready to do better
than in the past. From this same parish were recruited a man for the Ministry
(Rev. B.Schultz) and two girls for the Mission Field (Judy Webb and Valda
Kay) all of whom did splendid work for the cause they had embraced. Knowing
from experience how great as asset a Church Hall could be, and being handicapped
without such an asset, I gave some attention to obtaining such a resource.
This was a venturesome undertaking but had the backing of the folk who
were most active in Church life. The plans were for a building of suitable
size equipped for the best use by various bodies who would be using it.
It was a pre-cut metal-framed building raised on a low brick wall 3 ft
high. The cladding was fibro sheet, and the roofing was imitation tile
metal sheets. The whole building was assembled by local labour and served
admirably for many years. The main fault with it was that the flooring
was too tightly cramped when laid and expanded when dampness affected
the timber so that when it expanded a course of bricks on each side of
the building were pushed out of line by half an inch. However the wall
never showed signs of collapsing. It still stands secure in 1978, the
time of writing this report.
Another move in 1959 took me to Crystal Brook in South Australia. Willochra
Diocese, at this time was in the charge of the Rt. Revd. T Jones of B.C.A.
fame. He was a personal friend and his request was one I could not refuse,
so again we were on the move, this time back to the first area of ministerial
action- Willochra Diocese. In a parish called Crystal Brook. There we
were from 1959 to 1971, when my term of service in the Ministry expired.
Since then I have deteriorated and have had to do less and less of any
kind of work. This is irksome and a source of irritation as my wife and
friends can testify. However I will try to minimise their causes for concern.
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