Maxine’s Story - The Thing Arrives
Oh, great excitement. Television had arrived in Western Australia at long last. It had started in the Eastern States some time previously but as usual, W.A was the last to come on board. No wonder W.A. was fondly known as "Wait Awhile" by the locals because we always had to wait a while for most new innovations.
My Dad was always one of the first to acquire anything electrical, be it electric kettles, coffee percolators, automatic washing machines etc. Labour saving, he called it. When it came to television he hit a snag. My Mother was adamant that bringing television into the home would put an end to conversation and family time together. There was no way we were getting a television. It was all "never, not ever, over my dead body" stuff.
In frustration, Dad decided that he would get a television for my Nanna who was now on her own and finding the nights very long. She was completely enamoured with her new toy and spent many happy hours watching all of the few programmes available. When we visited her every Sunday as we did without fail, Dad would at least be able to watch the odd show. This worked only for a very short time.
The fateful day came when Dad arrived home with a very large box in the back of the car. Mother got wind of this and promptly changed from the sweet gentle soul that was her normal persona to a very indignant and extremely cross women. With arms crossed and eyes glaring, she stood at the top of the front steps and declared autocratically, "Ron, you are not bringing that THING into this house". I'm sure if you could see a full stop, it would have been dancing in the air.
Dad, having the good grace to realise he had crossed that invisible line and Mum meant what she said and was not going to change her mind, he heaved the box out of the car and stomped around the side path to the back verandah. Well, strictly speaking, the verandah wasn't inside the house, was it?
His pride and joy was carefully unpacked and a spot cleared for it at the end of the verandah with my sister and I dancing with excitement, while trying to be useful, but getting in the way no doubt. The area was carefully swept and tidied and several spare chairs found and laid out cinema style. The television was turned on, tuned in and declared ready for watching. Mother did not appear to see what was happening because she had hidden herself in the kitchen mumbling and grumbling to herself. So Dad decided to share this momentous occasion with the neighbours. They arrived all agog, settled into the mismatched chairs and had a lovely time. They thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected treat and admired the new toy OOHing and AAHing in all the right places.
In the meantime Mum was still in the kitchen being very, very quiet. When the THING was turned off, being ever the gracious hostess she appeared bearing a tray complete with the teapot and a large plate of her legendary scones. It took Mum a long time to accept the THING was not going to disappear like a passing fad and she still refused to join us on the verandah to watch it.
One day a programme called My Favourite Martian went to air and Mum heard us all laughing, so curiosity got the better of her and she came to see what the hilarity was all about. From then on, she was the one watching the clock to make sure we didn't miss an episode, but she still refused to join us to see any other programme. Even the news was given a very wide berth.
Our back verandah was fully enclosed but that didn't stop the temperature plummeting come winter. The television made its displeasure known by hissing and crackling at inappropriate moments. Interrupting My Favourite Martian was totally unacceptable so Mother decreed that the THING could be moved inside. Not into the lounge room, oh no, no, no but into our large country kitchen where there was a wood stove and Mother could enjoy watching what she liked, when she liked and be comfortably warm at the same time.
Bless her.