Cars and sentimentality

I enjoy scanning my old photos and giving them new life on my computer. I find they help me with ideas to write about. Today I came across an old newspaper cutting from the car ads in the daily paper. I remember I kept it for sentimental reasons. I had to sell my car, for lots of reasons, but mainly that it had a Yellow Sticker and that meant I had to get some major repairs in a short space of time or it would be taken off the road. The paper is dated 12 October 1988.

It was an HR Holden and it was released in around 1965-66 so it was getting pretty old. We bought it for $200 while living at Fitzroy Crossing. The motor was as good as gold and the interior was in pretty good shape. It covered many thousands of kilometres across Australia in the time we had it. It was a great family car – Mum, Dad and the three kids fitted in perfectly.

Because of its age, we weren’t concerned about driving on dirt tracks and through creek beds. It was pretty safe too as it was big and heavy. I once took it out bush with some Aboriginal ladies from my Literacy Class. They wanted to go hunting. That is a big story all on its own and I won’t go there today, but I am including a photo of one of the ladies in front of the car, showing off her catches! We later cooked and ate them.

When I moved to the City after my marriage break-up I managed to keep the car. I really needed one with the three children. The police were a bit more vigilant in Perth than in the Kimberley and I was often worried they may put my car off the road – which they did eventually. It happened while I was interstate visiting my parents. My neighbour and friend agreed to look after my cat and the car while I was away.

The poor woman must have regretted her generosity. My cat unfortunately got run over – not her fault at all. As she drove to the airport to pick me and the lads up she was stopped by the police and they did an inspection of the car. It had lots of rust amongst a lot of other minor problems. They issued the dreaded Yellow Card. Poor Heather was really upset but I didn’t blame her at all. There was nothing she could have done. Looking back now, I can even understand why the police wanted the car off the road. It probably wasn’t the safest car on the road.

Anyway, I put an ad in the paper to see if I could get something back. I sold it to the best offer of $200! With that $200 I bought myself a bicycle and also learned about catching buses and trains.