Garry Family
Paddy & Lill (nee Somers) Garry
1963-1977
Told by Christine Orrell (nee Garry) & Maura Garry
Dad (Paddy) was an Irish immigrant farm worker from County Meath who met and married mum (Lill Somers) in 1961. They spent a few years in Victoria before purchasing a “virgin” bush block of land at Nyabing. (block number 15085, on the Kukerin-Pingrup Rd, near were the Kuringup North wheat bin is now). They christened the farm ‘Glenloc’ but I think it is now called ‘Glengarry’.
They arrived with me as a toddler and went on to have two more daughters (Maura and Joanne). We all attended Nyabing Primary School and I have many fond memories of school sports days, Saturday morning netball in Katanning, the annual Nyabing show and getting prizes for the poster competition, the competition amongst the mums for who had the creamiest butter, highest sponge cake, and tastiest scones.
The Garry’s – 1971
Paddy, Lill, Christine, Joanne & Maura
School socials in the pavilion, and the weeks of dancing classes leading up to them. Catching gilgies in the dam, making cubbies in the bush and picking stumps for firewood (the picking stumps is not really a FOND memory!). Maura was a keen athlete at school and loved her time in the Girl Guides.
Joanne Garry front left big hat at Nyabing Kindy, also in photo Lynnette Hersey – 1974
One of the fondest memories I have is when Dad built his new garage/shed out of old reusable corrugated iron. He had just finished it when Mum got her licence. So that day Mum picked us up from school in Nyabing and drove us home instead of catching the school bus. When we arrived home Mum proceeded to park in the new garage/shed, but hit the accelerator instead of the brake and went straight through the back of Dad’s new garage/shed!
Dad and Mum sold the farm in 1977 and moved to Tuart Hill in Perth. Dad had a small lawn-mowing round for a number of years prior to retiring. They now live at La Verna Retirement village in Gwelup.
I am married to Peter and have two children Jaime (15) and Daniel (13). We are currently living in Bahrain in the Middle East. Peter is working in the Oil and Gas Industry and I am a registered nurse (not working at the moment). Maura is back in Perth working for Department of Conservation after many years working in the North-West for the Water Corporation. Joanne was working for the WA Police Department in administration, she is married to Steve and they have a daughter Jessica (4) and are currently living in Perth.
Garry Family – 2008
(Back R-L): Maura Garry, Jaime Orrell, Christine Orrell (nee Garry), Peter Orrell,
Jessica Leiblich, Joanne Leiblich (nee Garry) Steve Leiblich.
(Front): Paddy Garry, Daniel Orrell, Lill Garry.
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Garry Family