Eighteen months into World War II, Nerida Chayter was born on 17 May 1941 in Perth, Western Australia to Henry William “Rollo” Chayter (33) and 31 year old Norma (nee Henley) much to the delight of her seven year old sister, Marcia.
CHAYTER–On May 17, at St. David’s Hospital, Mt. Lawley,
to Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Chayter – a daughter (Nerida).
At the time the Chayter family were renting a house at 31 Longroyd Street, Mt Lawley, a house owned by Marion and Gordon Campbell, their three wild boys Andrew, Bruce and Stuart and Australian terrier “Spider”who lived around the corner in Braeside Road.
The Longroyd Street house had a huge tennis court area at the back our back fence adjoining the side fence of the Braeside house belonging to the Coombs family of five girls: Judy, Caroline, Elizabeth, Diana, Patricia their father, Harry, who was a major in the army. Their mother Thelma was a lovely lady who was always in need of help (and a sherry). They lived in a rabbit warren adjoining their back gardens, where a gate was installed to allow the constant intermingling of the two families.
Rollo was the manager of the Felton, Grimwade and Bickford chemical factory (which had amalgamated with The Drug Houses of Australia) in Perth. The laboratory and works section manufactured drugs, galenicals, pharmaceutical and proprietary products in Charles Street.
Nerida was apparently a large baby over 9 pounds. Many doctors had joined the war effort and Norma had a difficult time. Norma’s recovery was slow and Marcia can remember having to battle with the washing and hanging the water laden towels on the line.
Household stress levels didn’t improve when Norma faced Rollo going to war. Nine months after Nerida’s birth, Rollo enlisted on 2th February 1942 and was accepted into the Australian Military Forces Western Command. Shortly after, Rollo was given an exemption from overseas service in order to stay in Perth in the Citizen Forces as Laboratory Manager to continue manufacturing much needed pharmaceuticals. As a result, he received white feathers in the mail (a sign of cowardice) and the family was regularly abused by grieving peers judging him for not fighting for his country.
Marcia was attending Lawley Ladies’ College when Nerida was born. The following year this college was evacuated to the country and the only alternative was Inglewood State School with Mr. Chandler as headmaster and aged 8, Marcia was put up a class from grade 2 to 3. There was a “rough” element at Inglewood school and Norma continued to dress Marcia in her Lawley Ladies’ College uniform for which Marcia was bullied and had stones thrown at her being called a “College Snob”. She often used to run home as she was so frightened.
Each year the Chayters had a two weeks holiday at Waterman’s Bay at the Sandy Croft guesthouse. When this place closed down they spent one holiday in a friends shack at Trigg Island. At that stage they had no car and were deposited in this place by one of their neighbours.
Nerida and Carolyn Coombs were of a similar age and played together a lot. One of their favourite past times was “carry around shops”, spending hours making coloured potions from starch and cochineal, or gleaning old jewellery and bits and pieces from long suffering neighbours, in order to present a tempting tray. One of enterprising neighbours utilised her talents and produced dolls, the heads of which were made of plaster of Paris, solid enough to fell their owners to the ground with a single blow.
Over the road from the Chayters and scattered along Longroyd Street lived three married sisters: Arthur and Frankie Avery and their son Bob – Frankie was a member of the Red Cross; Bill and Amy Jennings and their daughter Ann who was Marcia’s age; Marge Cameron and her three children – Marge’s husband died of berri berri in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
Although the local Mount Lawley children were not aware, the Japanese war machine was creeping down the West Australian coast. The war dragged on, windows were fitted with blackout paper and air raid wardens patrolled to make sure no chink of light was visible in case the Japanese, who were bombing Darwin, might catch a glimpse.
Each household was required to have an air raid shelter and from time to time air raid sirens would sound as a precautionary measure. An air raid shelter was installed at the end of the Longroyd tennis court in their back yard. The first hint of a siren would find the Chayter family sardined in this half buried 44 gallon drum. Norma used to pack milk arrowroot biscuits in a Mills and Ware’s case to keep Nerida quiet while they were in the shelter. Nerida, being a toddler, was stuffed with food to keep her occupied until Gabriel blew the “all clear”. The Coombs shelter was a large underground affair which the children used it as a cubby.
On a Saturday Norma and Rollo went to the horse races. Marcia, Nerida and the Coombs girls would either go to the Astor pictures on foot which was about 2 km or would cook fried bread or make honeycomb at the Coombs house. The price of entry into the Astor Theatre was sixpence and ice cream was threepence. Lollies were scarce. The only chocolate available was made locally at Plaistowes.
Marcia helped enormously with the care of her sister, Nerida, so much so that when she started at Perth College, her 3 year old sister Nerida cried distressingly when separated from her. Taking pity on both Norma and the weeping toddler, Mrs Talbot and Mrs Broadfoot ran the Perth College junior school and offered to take Nerida into the kindy, even though she was under age. Norma pushing her there in the pusher. Nerida was put to bed every afternoon on a little stretcher with patchwork quilts made by the sisters and was often still asleep when Norma returned at the end of the school day.
Both girls attended Perth College from then on, Nerida for both her primary and secondary education.
In May 1945 the war came to an end, bringing with it joy for some and misery for others whose loved ones didn’t return. Marcia’s health was always poor and she remembered attending a play put on in the Perth College Hall with Nerida. Halfway through the performance she felt unwell and made her way to the door. Sister Patricia was standing at the door and as she reached her, Marcia collapsed and passed out. Norma and Rollo were playing poker at the Campbell’s who mercifully had a car and came to take her home.
Perth College, as a school for novices, was a very religious school. They attended chapel every morning and nativity plays were produced at the appropriate season. In one of these plays. Berwyn Allen (who was living with the Chayters as her Dad was running a pub in the country and her Mum was unwell) was the angel in the annunciation scene and Marcia was an apostle, complete with a breadstick prop stuck on with Tarzan’s grip. The Perth College Boarders’ quarters were out of bounds for day girls which tended to create a “them and us” feeling. Mrs Russell-Smith, a large bullfrog type lady, was the boarding house head mistress. This formidable lady conducted the reading exams and everyone was given 100%.
The Nevard family lived on the corner of North Street and Braeside Road. Bill Nevard owned “Nevada Shirts.” Theirs was a splendid house with an equally splendid garden and tennis court. They threw fabulous parties. The Nevards had two children: June a few years older than Marcia and Brian about Marcia’s age. They played good tennis as did Bruce Robinson who Norma correctly predicted would make his name in tennis. North Street was a continuation of Longroyd Street and down it a little way lived Bruce’s Mum, Mrs Blanche Keturah Robinson (nee Truscott) and her sons. Jeannie McGregor lived at the end of Longroyd Street in a huge house with her parents and Aunt and Uncle (Auntie Mim and Ubagah). Ubagah was the manager of the Plaistowe chocolate factory.
The Perth Cup horse racing carnival was held each year on New Year’s Day Norma and Rollo loved to go. They bought tickets for their children to attend a pantomime at the Tivoli Theatre (near His Majesty’s Theatre) and would drop them there and they would catch a train home. It was a fairly sleazy area and as much as Marcia loved the pantomimes and imagined that one day she would be a musical comedy star, she was always so glad when we actually were on the tram heading for home. The tram stop was in Walcott Street so they still had to walk another kilometre before reaching home.
About 1946, Rollo bought their first car – a Vauxhall Tourer – which had been part of the traveller fleet at Felton’s.
Rollo permitting, the car meant the family could go down to Scarborough or Trigg beach for a swim on a Sunday and an added treat was a chocolate ice cream from a shop in Scarborough, the only place in Perth where they could be purchased. Anne Jennings (neighbour) sometimes came with them.
Marcia, Nerida and Diana and Cally Coombs took ballet classes, firstly with Linley Wilson and then Evelyn Hodginson (daughter of Shirley Halliday). There they met Vera Berlstein (who later married John Kohn). Vera and her family had fled to Europe and remained in a refugee camp in South Africa until the end of the war. Vera’s mother was a skilled tailor a wonderful lady and her father had a second hand furniture shop. He was a nervous wreck as was Vera’s sister Eva.
Nerida remembers breaking her wrist during a ballet class and being told “Come on, you’re alright, get up” which she did and continued the class. When Rollo picked them up Nerida was as white as a sheet and was taken to St Anne’s for an xray. Ballet exams were held by The Royal Academy of Dancing (formerly The Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain) and Marcia attended her exam at The McNess Hall, Pier Street, Perth.
Longroyd Street was on a bus route which ended at Stirling Street on which the Chayter’s medium sized Pomeranian type dog called Topsy was unfortunately run over and killed. Norma just sat on the curb and cried. Jimmy, their next dog was part dingo and he tended to kill the neighbour’s chooks.
Rollo played cricket for West Perth in is spare time. He was the wicked keeper and every weekend mum and the girls would go reluctantly to watch him play. Norma took scones for afternoon tea on one occasion when Rollo was at death’s door with Brills disease – the plague – but he still played cricket.
LOWER. GRADES.
Teams for the B and C Grade finals are as follows:
B Grade.
West Perth: Berry. Chayter, Tyrson (2) Bridges, Grigg. POX. Grimbley. Waldock, Steel, Hawthorn, and Guy (12)
The West Australian Thursday 18 April 1946 page 5
In December 1946 and January 1947, Rollo’s brother Ray came to visit. Marcia remembered them getting a real Christmas tree and showing him the Perth sights in their car, including Kings Park and City Beach. They went on a picnic and Nerida remembered Ray being bitten by bull ants.
When Nerida was 7, Marcia finished her Junior year in 1948 and the Chayter family returned to Queensland for a holiday. It was 11 years since Norma had seen her sister and brothers and her mother had died while we were in Perth.
They stayed with Auntie Elsie O’Sullivan and visited Auntie Lillian Horn who lived in the same street. Lillian’s daughter was a fabulous dressmaker and made Nerida a little blue and white gingham dress which she had a perky little straw hat to go with.
Marcia remembers her cousins Brian O’Sullivan, Dot and Allan Dollar all going to Cloudland’s Ballroom. Marcia remembers one of the first places she checked was the bedroom in her grandfather’s house to see if his vast bed still remained. The golden bedspread had long gone, but the layout of the room was as she remembered it as a three year old and the sleepout where her Uncle Ray and Auntie Jean had sung and laughed was still untouched. This vision of gaiety and slumber was all Marcia’s memory held for her first years in Brisbane. Rollo stopped over in Sydney on business on the way back to Perth.
Late in 1949, Marcia started to date Jack Harrison.
1951
1953
On 14th December 1953, 12 year old Nerida was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her sister Marcia to Jack Harrison.
After a staffing reshuffle at D.H.A. Rollo worked for a short while with Rosen’s Pharmacy in Perth but then opened his own pharmacy on the corner of Coode Street and South Terrace in Como.
Norma worked in Rollo’s Chemist Shop as an assistant. At this time, in order to be closer to their new pharmacy, the Chayters moved to a housing commission house in Manning Park which they rented for 18 months with an option to buy.
In about 1955, the Chayter’s bought their first house at 44 Ednah Street, South Perth from Mr Gordon (who owned Gordon Cycles). Apparently it had been unoccupied for some time and still had black house paint on all the windows from WWII which Norma scraped off with a razor blade!
Sometime in the 1950s the Chayter’s also purchased a holiday home in Safety Bay.
In 1954, Jack and Marcia moved into their brand new home on a sand dune at 11 Dodonia Gardens, City Beach. Nerida frequently went to stay in order to keep Marcia company.
1955
On 17th March 1955, Nerida was provided with a nephew, Jay Raymond, the first grand child for Norma and Rollo.
When Perth College shut down due to the polio epidemic, Nerida went to stay with Marcia and her new baby at 11 Dodonia Gardens, City Beach.
Nerida remained at Perth College until she attained her Junior Certificate in 1956.
She and her mates, especially Penny Campbell, helped each other through.
Nerida studied shorthand and typing and got a job at the Daily News and was also a part time model.
Apparently Nerida lived off black coffee and cigarettes.
In Perth over from Brisbane in order to train prior to the 1960 Rome Olympic Games was a bunch of athletes, including Olympic silver medallist Charles “Chilla” Porter.
Chilla remembered going to the Daily News for an interview and laying eyes on Nerida, thinking she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
1961
Nerida married Charles Michael “Chilla” Porter on 12th August 1961 at Church of England Grammar School. Marcia was in the bridal party and travelled to Brisbane with her two smalls sons, Jay and Kim and her newly widowed best friend Berwyn Milner.
The Porters settled in Perth, their first home being in Hazel Street South Perth.
1963
In September 1963, niece Jody was born and Nerida and Chilla were named her Godparents along with Judy Mitchell, one of Marcia’s oldest friends.
1965
1970
On 11th July 1970, Nerida and Chilla had a son Charles Christian Porter.
1972
Rollo died at the age of 64 of bowel and liver cancer on 9.7.1972 and was buried on 11.7.1972 at Karrakatta Cemetery (Cof E).
Norma was a widow at the age of 61 and sold 44 Ednah Street and built a Granny Flat designed by Iwan Iwanoff at the back of her daughter Marcia’s property at 11 Dodonia Gardens City Beach and lived with them for 21 years until 1993.
1973
Daughter Shani Marcia was born to Nerida and Chilla on 23rd March 1973.
The family moved to 101 Hale Road for many years and then to Glenelg Avenue, Wembley Downs.
1984
1989
1993
1997
Nerida’s mother Norma passed away on 9th April 1997 aged 87.
2000
2003
2004
Exactly 8 years after her mother Norma, Marcia passed away unexpectedly on 9th April 2005 aged 71.
The Porter family moved to Birralee Loop in Innaloo.
Chilla passed away at home on the 15th August 2020.