Fair enough at that stage I just didn't care anymore so they put me in Vaughan House, but I broke out of there too. I cut the fence. I ended up getting kicked out because they couldn't keep me there. I then found Hindley street. That's where my life of prostitution, stripping, living on the streets or couchsurfing as they call it began.
I was 17 when I first started stripping. I was looking after myself. I was on the streets. I started working and then I had Kylie. I used to sit there off my face after work and bead my costumes by hand, that's a hard job. That time I suppose was my bad times. I didn't know where to go or what I was doing. I don't even know how I survived this long with the way I lived.
I moved around fairly often every couple of years. I didn't have flings. I was having relationships and they lasted. With me being a drinker, I was a bit fiery and it did not help.
I followed a boyfriend up to Darwin and was there for about three or four years and had another child. He always said he’d have her by the time she was two and he did. He set me up very good. I was accused of murder. I was not impressed. It was all cleared up. But the damage had been done. He got Yvette, she hates me now. There's another grandchild I don't see. I just live with that.
After Darwin I came back down to Adelaide and went back to work as a working girl. I then just started moving. I spent time in Whyalla and Lincoln before I transferred here.
I moved to Cummins in 1989, I said I'd never move once the kids started school and I didnt. My son's father bought me here. I was living in Lincoln and he was doing all his work up in Cummins because he worked out on a farm. I got a Transfer with the Housing Trust to Cummins, so that Anthony could see his Dad more. Then he was spending all his time in Lincoln. It was really annoying. The kids started school. We broke up. I stayed.
I had the two youngest kids and they did all their schooling here. They both went to Lincoln to do another year of high school. Now I'm a grandma for five now. The youngest is two and the oldest is 18. I don't see any of them. It's just circumstances. One day maybe. I'm not holding out. It does hurt.
I first met Zorb in 1990 in the pub. We started going out in 1991, engaged in 1992 and married in 1993. 30 plus years is really good. You only get seven for murder! It was rocky in the start; breaking up and getting back together again. Throwing knives- It was a very volatile relationship. It's only like last few years that we've just settled right down and he does his thing, I do my thing. I prefer it this way.
I played softball right up until I was 49. I started with the Cummins team in Port Lincoln. We had a lot of fun together. I only played a few years for Cummins and then it folded. Just couldn't get anyone to play. I played with other teams until Zorb got cancer and that was the end of all my sports. I stayed the three months with him in Adelaide.
It was tough, it was scary. He had radiation and hormone replacement first and was in remission until last year when it started going up again. He has a regular blood test twice a year just to keep an eye on it. All he has told me so far is because his counts not too high yet, he's not going to start treatment. Its a nervous wait. You do worry.
I've got my own health issues also. I've got to keep the fluid off my heart and lungs. I'm on fluid restrictions and trying to stay out of hospital. I don't like this getting old, I've got so many things wrong. It's just not fun. The body doesn't recover as quick.
I don't really like going into hospital. I do know that when I have to there's nothing I can do about it. I had a heart operation in 2016. I had a valve replacement and I've had nothing but trouble since. First off it was we couldn't keep it in rhythm, it was going too fast. Then my heart was stopping for a few seconds so then I got a pacemaker.
Now it's more the fluid. I sometimes wake up and can't breathe and can only manage short little gasps. It's very hard. I don't like waking people up during the night. It's just something about me. I feel bad. I have been known to sit there fighting for breath until daylight. I don't even wake Zorb up. When you can't get your breath in properly. It is very scary. And I panic. Real bad.
One of my daughers was an alcoholic and she had liver disease. I used to go and stay with her in Whyalla. The specialist told her that if she didn't give up drinking she'd have a slow painful death. She used to always phone me during the night at her worst times and I would rush to Whyalla. The one time I did not go, I couldn't get hold of her for the rest of the week. I phoned Whyalla hospital to see if she was in there and I phoned the police to do welfare check. I was actually waiting for the phone call from her to abuse me for sending the police around. Instead, I got a police officer at the door to inform me that my daughter was dead. I accept it. Because it so easily could have been me. It was a tough time for the family and of course it was all my fault, according to Yvette, my daughter who I don't talk to.
I still see my son Anthony. He's in Port Augusta. He got hit by lightning when working for Viterra at Darke Peake. It got him at the back of the head, his helmet melted to his head and you could see the marks that went through his feet. He got flown out to the Royal Adelaide. He is lucky to be alive.
I used to be a cutter and a drunk, always thinking that I wasn't worthy of anybody or anything. I was always at the pub, it was my social life. Even playing sport my water bottle was a wine bottle. I was judged because I used to drink the way I drank. I had two young kids. I'd even turn up at school I’d been drinking. Thats how bad I used to be. I always wanted to get drunk.
Then I got involved with the Op Shop. That was my lifesaver. It saved me during a lot of stuff. It saved my mental health. I work every week. I used to be there all the time. You could rely on me. Anyone wanted to shift change? Phone Valerie. I was always there. During COVID I was lucky I could go there and just potter around all day.
Since I've got crook, I can't do it regularly anymore. I try to work a Tuesday afternoon and we have a great time. We have our little group thing. I look forward to Tuesday afternoons because I get to meet people and speak to people. I'm at the desk and I talk to everyone. I have some people that come in regularly and we crack up, talk and tell jokes. It's just nice to chat to people. I think since I've been working in the op shop and talking to people now I don't feel so self conscious.
I enjoy going to darts. This will be my last year because I can't walk. I play over in Tumby. We're called Drifters. We're not the best team. It's just a fun night. I've had to give up singles because I can't walk because my legs go. It pisses me off because I can't walk. I have to sit and rest on the fence when I put the bin out. I have to have a sit down for a while before I put the other bin out! I know I'm never going to get better. I just got to keep it that it doesn't get worse too quick. I'll get there.
I love the crows. I have right from the word go. I have always liked the football. I make sure on football nights I am sitting down ready, dishes done watching.
I like doing my nails different colours and I don't like my hair being white. I love colour. Ive always liked purple and people are used to me with purple hair. When people say they wish they could do it I just turn around and say well do it, own it!
I don't worry about what people say, that's where I am now. I don't care what people think of me. But I've got more respect now than I ever had before. So I have done something right over here.
I like the fact that we have got most of the shops full in Cummins now. Its good to see. I couldn't imagine moving away from here now. I love the lifestyle. I love the fact that the beaches are close. I love fishing and it's been hard lately as I haven't been out for I don't know how long. I used to like spending time with the grandkids where the phone lines go across to Coffins. There's a nice ledge there, deep one side and shallow the other. The low side, the kids would have a board and I'd skim them across the water. They could see the little fish and crabs and they used to enjoy it. We'd go fishing on the deep side.
I used to write all my feelings down and then they’d disappear. I would write in exercise books. I'd put them away and then forget about them. Every now and again, I've come across them and think oh my God. As I was writing what I felt at that moment and it doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense. It does help.
I've got a good friend Lynnie. I enjoy going down to Wanilla to the farm and see her and get out of the house. She’s who I talk to if I need to talk. We've got a friend in Miroma. Norma, she's 94 We take her for Chinese. That's our treat for her. She loves Chinese. We try to do it fortnightly.
I tried to help people, with talking and things like that because I know about mental health. I'm just living my life the way I am at the moment. I'm spending more time at home because I can't walk and that's strange because I'm usually a social butterfly. I miss my mobility but I can't complain.
There's not much people don't know about me, I've been on open book since I got here. I told them I was a stripper and a prostitute and I've done this and that. You can't change it. I'm not gonna lie about it. I don't worry about what people say that's where I am now. I don't care what people think of me. I've always said if you don't like me bad luck. I was shunned for a long time, but now people talk to me. I've got more respect now than I ever had before. Just take me as you see me. Because it's what you get.