Shirley Dorothy (Wall) Priest (1927 - 2011)

Shirley Dorothy Wall Shirley was born in Sydney on 12 July, 1927.

Her Parents were Leonard John Wall and Dorothy Steel. Shirley grew up in the Warringah area and lived in Mona Vale (Green Hill) , Ocean Street, Narrabeen, Park Street, Narrabeen, and Narrabeen Street, Narrabeen, then Howard Avenue, Dee Why while her parent where struggling to pay the 15 Shilling rent per week.

Then when Shirley was about 10 her parent purchased a property in Lismore Avenue, Dee Why where she lived until her marriage with her 2 sisters Patricia and Wendy and her adopted sister Kerry.

She attended The Catholic School at Dee Why for Kindergarten and Year One but due to nightmares from the Sisters stories that the devil would get the children if they where naughty Shirley was advised by a doctor to be pulled out of the school. She started at Dee Why Public School for the remainder of Primary School then completed her schooling at Manly Girls High.

When Shirley left school at 14 ½ years old at the request of her mother to help out with the financial stress, she worked for a jewellery store in Manly making clay flowers for a Mrs Maree Gardener. Mrs Gardener taught Shirley how to make the clay flowers and was so good at it that Shirley ended up teaching all the other girls.

Shirley worked for Mrs Gardener right through the war. While working in Manly she befriended a lady that lived in the granny flat out the back of the store Named Daisy Avery. Daisy introduced Shirley to her grandson Warner Merton George Priest and asked Shirley if she would mind if she wrote to her grandson while he was in the war. Shirley wrote to Warner for the 4 years he served in the war and they were married on his return in 1945.

They had 4 children Christine, John, Cheryl and Lynne. The War Service allocated them a house in Lismore Avenue, Dee Why where they lived until the War department required the premises back and offered them 1,000 pounds to move. Shirley and Warner accepted the offer (Though probably did not have much choice). This 1,000 Pounds however enabled them to purchase a house in 85 Stella Street, Collaroy Plateau.

Shirley, through her determination and hard work made it happen on her own. Shirley continued to work at night for a Ennis White who owned a store in the city that made vases and lamps, making sprays of clay flowers at night and would often be up to 1am.

Once the children where of School age Shirley had to return to work so they could meet the demanding bills. Shirley had to pay her mother Dorothy to drop the children to school and pick them up just so she could work, which broke Shirleys heart to have to leave them.

She took on a job as a telephonist at David Jones in the city and worked there until her retirement. Shirley was very artistic by nature. Other than making small clay flowers to fit on jewellery boxes and lamps she also loved to paint. She had a real gift especially with birds and flowers. I have been lucky enough to have a lesson in how to make the clay flowers. Shirley worked hard, often keeping both jobs the one at David Jones and still continued helping out the jewellers. She also looked after 4 children did all house duties including mowing the lawn. This is something I really admire about her. Shirley and Warner loved to travel and take drives and would often drive to Wiseman’s Ferry way and purchase fruit and vegies from the farmers on the way.