DescriptionThis interview consists of one audio recording. Judith Hurney was interviewed on 03 November 2011 at the Whitlam Library, Cabramatta by Marilyn Gallo. Interview SummaryJudith was born in Sydney in 1941. She grew up in the Hunter Valley. Judith went to primary school in Scone and high school in Muswellbrook. She moved to Wellington in western NSW to work as a legal stenographer. She then moved to Sydney when she got married. Judith has three children, a boy and two girls.
When her youngest child started school, Judith went back to work. Through a friend she obtained a job at Pendle Hill High School. In 1974, she transferred to the offices of Bonnyrigg High School.
At Bonnyrigg High School, Judith had a busy job typing school reports, student reports, letters, exams, processing school rolls and monitoring student payments. She had a good rapport with the school’s teachers. She had great respect for her first principal, Mr Dwyer, and her last, Don Courts.
Over her twenty-nine years at Bonnyrigg High School Judith witnessed technological changes in the office equipment. When she started in 1974 she used manual typewriters; these later changed to electric typewriters and computers. Judith found these changes difficult at first but now says that given a choice between a manual typewriter and a computer, she would choose a computer.
Judith forged close ties with the other ladies in the office, some of whom have passed away. She also has had contact with some former teachers and students.
In 1974, Bonnyrigg High School’s students were predominantly of Italian or “Australian” backgrounds. In the 1980s, many South-East Asian students enrolled in the school. During the 1980s-1990s Bonnyrigg High School offered English classes to parents. Migrants in their twenties also tried to enrol at the school, but most were redirected to TAFE.
Bonnyrigg developed over Judith’s years at the school. In her early years she would retrieve excess vegetables from a local market gardener.
Judith retired in 2003 to spend more time with her grandchildren.
