Aunty Gay Horton
I’m from Breeza, I was born in Gunnedah but brought up in Breeza all my life, until I was old enough to move out.
We lived in a little tin hut. We had some lino stuff on the ground over the dirt floor. We used to have to sweep it of a day, we had to make our own beds, we had to do everything before we went anywhere. We would go down the river swimming. My cousin would come over and say “Where’s the girls?” and Mum would say, “In there, cleaning”. She would say, “They can go when they’re finished their work”.
I was the eldest of the girls. Johnny and I were supposed to get water on a cart with drums on it but Johnny wouldn’t help. We got home, and Mum said, “Where’s Johnny?” and I said, “Hiding somewhere.” Then I had to go fill the buckets myself pulling it like a horse. So, he got locked in his room for the day because he didn’t help.
When I first come here, we went out doing the grapes. Then when they were finished, I went out doing the artefacts with Johnny and Margaret. They used to pick me up. I had to go to the doctors one day because I fell on the sieve. I didn’t hurt myself but blacked out because it was too hot. They wouldn’t let me go back out until the next day, it was good out there.
I have reared my kids. I told my kids about when I was growing up and they say,
“That’s your days Mum, not ours.”
“Thats your days Mum, not ours.”
