Walter Giles II (1906 - 1989)

Wally was my father. My mother used to call him the Street Angel and Home Devil. This was a fairly accurate description of Dad, as everyone liked him socially. At home, well that's private.

Wally arrive in Australia c.1911 with is Mother Eleanor Steele and his father Walter Giles I,. also his older sister May. They settled in Rose Bay, a suburb of Sydney. I was very young (4) when my grandparents died, but I have a couple of memories. One and the most lasting was being taken to see the Catalinas (sea planes) in the Bay. It must have made a strong impression on me as I have loved planes ever since. I can't remember who took me. It was either Dad or my grandfather. My other memory of Rose Bay was my grandmother's jelly, Made with real fruit it was a real treat and I have loved jelly ever since. When my grandparents died Mum and Dad moved to Armidale, New South Wales. A lovely town but very cold. My father was appointed Golf Professional. He had become a member of the PGA at age 17. He was a great golfer, but way back then golf professionals didn't make thousands of dollars as they do now, but were given the job of running a "Pro Shop" and giving member golf lessons at Armidale Golf Club. He was very sociable and living on the Golf Course, not too far from the 19th hole he made many friends. It got that way that if Dad and I walked along the main street of Armidale, that he knew and spoke to almost every person who went by. My brother and I as a result had many friends, and so did my Mum. At first we lived in a cottage on site at the Golf Club. I have two vivid memories of that time. Very young and very curious I loved to explore as most kids do. One day I saw something lying on the gravel path in front of the cottage. I went close and ,lay down next to it in order to have a closer look. It was long and sleek, had no legs, and a striped body. It looked at me then slithered off. My father came out to see what I was looking at so closely - it was a tiger snake ! The next time was when I got lost on the Golf Course. A small posse was assembled consisting of the golf club members. They searched everywhere, but I was nowhere to be found. There were many dams on the golf course. They were searched first. Then they heard my little voice - they couldn't see me, just a flock of sheep. Suddenly the flock of sheep parted and there I was in the middle of the flock, patting the sheep, telling my mother about the "sheepies".