allcare client spotlight: Deanna - A woman of firsts
At allcare, we like to highlight the lives of our clients. We dedicate time to getting to know their stories and highlighting their achievements. Today we focus on Deanna, a woman whose life has been filled with “firsts” that have shaped not just her own journey but the lives of those around her.
Where were you born?
I was born in Mudgee on Christmas Day 1939, just as the second world war was breaking out. I was the first child of six and the first grandchild on my mother’s side.
What is your favourite childhood memory?
I distinctly remember going to my nanna Elizabeth’s house on Christmas day and listening to my aunty Edna and uncle Reg (who were only just dating at the time) play on her pianola (player piano). I can still recall a couple of the songs it would play – I was fascinated by it.
What did you want to be when you grew up and how did this compare to what you did as a job?
I wanted to be a policewoman or detective. My paternal grandad was in the police force and I was drawn to it. I ended up becoming a nurse in 1956. I was the first of nine in my family to choose this profession. Our family of nurses includes my three sisters, two daughters and three nieces. I like to think I inspired them.
Who was the most influential person in your life?
My grandparents, particularly my maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Pennell and paternal grandmother, Harriet McDonald. Elizabeth was a very strict and religious woman and taught me respect and manners. She was very protective of me, being the first grandchild. Harriet had a wonderful sense of humour and was a great woman. She married an Indigenous man (which was significant for 1904), James Gillies McDonald, a prolific police tracker of the time. I didn’t have the honour of meeting grandad McDonald as he passed away before I was born.
What has been the happiest time of your life?
The 58 years spent married to my husband, Neil. We moved around a lot thanks to his job promotions and my fondest memories come from our five years in Bathurst. We went to balls, dinners, numerous social events and reconnected with my country roots – my daughters even owned a horse! We moved to Mount Keira in Wollongong in 1977.
Who is the love of your life and how did you meet?
It was love at first sight when I met Neil. I was 16 when we met at Newcastle Beach and we had a bit of a stormy courtship, but by the time we were engaged, we were inseparable. I was the first in my family to be married, in Newcastle on 7 January 1961. Neil was a wonderful husband and just adored his daughters. Everybody loved him, from my younger sisters to my parents and friends. He died in March 2019 and is deeply missed.
What is your passion or favourite hobby?
Ever since I learned about grandad McDonald through an Australian History elective at university, I’ve been hooked on family history. I’ve spent hours at libraries, writing to people and travelling to learn about the people who came before me. Through this process I discovered I have a famous doctor in the family – Dr George Vincent Hall, one of the doctors who trained the famous cardiologist Dr Victor Chang. I’ve gathered all this information, and now it’s over to my sister Genette and daughter Tania to pull it all together.
