DescriptionThis interview consists of four audio recordings and transcripts. Len Robert Gould was interviewed on 06 August 2003 at the Whitlam Library, Cabramatta by Shirley Kingsfor McLeod. Interview SummaryLen Robert Gould born in 1933, in Coffs Harbour. In his very early years he grew up on his parents Banana Plantation in Coffs Harbour, which failed due to the depression years forcing the bank to foreclose. The family then moved further up the north coast. His father then found work, with the Department of Main Roads as a bridge builder.
During the war years, they settled for a while in a small country town called Crystal Creek, outside Murwillumbah and went to school there. His father was away working in North Queensland building roads for the war service. They then moved to Lismore, finished school and spent most of his teenager years there. Len got job in a small department store in Lismore. When he lost interest working there he decided to leave and go to Sydney.
Len lived in a boarding house in Randwick and was employed by Winns, in Oxford Street, which was another department store. After proving to them that he was a good worker, they offered him a position as Display Manager, at their new to be open store in Fairfield. The new store open in November, 1955 the same year Len came to Sydney and the reason why he came to live in Fairfield.
While still living in Randwick, Len met his wife at a dance at the Ashfield Town Hall. When the position came up, they decided to get married and rented a house on Polding Street, Fairfield. When they save enough money, they purchased land in Smithfield, off the agents plan because they could not access it, due to thick bush and eventually built their family home and raised their three children.
After working for many years at various stores and cities Len was sad to lose his job when the store was taken over by another company. He then started to work for himself, doing floral arrangements and selling them at local markets. Eventually, he was offered a job at Flowerama in Castle Hill, started as casual and then became full time.
Due to his interest in floral art and flowers Len was a member of the City of Fairfield Garden Club. The Garden Club also runs gardening competitions in conjunction with Fairfield City Council who provides the money for prizes. Len has won several Grand Champion Competitions. Len has also been involved in many other community clubs, volunteered at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics as well as the Fairfield City Museum and Gallery.
Oral History ProjectThe Way We Were - People of FairfieldCollectionAll Oral Histories
Len Robert Gould Oral History (1933-2021). Fairfield City Heritage Collection, accessed 27/07/2026, https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/2651
