DescriptionThis interview consists of five audio recordings and transcripts. Lorraine Maggs was interviewed on 11 February 2004 at the Whitlam Library, Cabramatta by Shirley Kingsford McLeod.Interview SummaryLorraine Lois Maggs was born July 1940 at Prospect in Adelaide, South Australia. Her father Albert was a carpenter and he and his wife Alice Elizabeth also had two sons who were younger than Lorraine. She was educated at Blair Athol Public School and then at Nailsworth High School. The school was a fair distance away and she reached it by riding her bicycle.
At the age of 16 she was to have left school but was awarded a teaching scholarship to remain. As part of the agreement she enrolled at Adelaide Teachers’ College where she studied visual arts for three years. The course was extensive and included not only art subjects but psychology and geometry.
In her primary school years Lorraine decided that she wanted to paint, which her father felt she would not be able to make a living at. Commercial art seemed the way to go. She had won a three year scholarship but she had to agree to be bonded and work for three years after that.
On completing the necessary time at art school and the University of Adelaide she was sent to Whyalla where she taught for two years at Whyalla Technical High School. When completing her time there she was transferred to Darwin High School in the Northern Territory and was also part of the adult education programme there.
Lorraine travelled overseas in 1964, boarding a ship for Naples in Adelaide, visiting Egypt and many other places on the way. She spoke no Italian but toured extensively in Italy and quickly began to pick up the language. Soon she was on her way to Perugia which was the University town at which she was to continue her study.
When her study time was completed in Perugia she back-packed to Greece, and from there she went to Germany, Belgium and then on to London. It was in England that Lorraine applied for a teaching position and was fortunate in being offered one in Dartford in Kent. She spent two terms there and left to continue her travels which commenced with Scotland.
Lorraine had intended going to Spain but romance intervened when David, a geologist whom she had met in Darwin, started working in Canada. Lorraine went there and they were married at Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side. In a very short time she found she was pregnant and that put an end to her travels.
She and David decided to return to Adelaide for the birth of their baby and boarded the ship in Vancouver. On stopping off in Sydney she met David’s family for the first time.
Their son Peter was born in Adelaide and David found work as a Scientific Officer. As soon as she could Lorraine returned to teaching and taught at Elizabeth High School. Financially, these were difficult times. David returned to Sydney to work as a geologist and found a brand new house in Fairfield. Lorraine and Peter soon followed and Lorraine found work teaching at various schools before being sent to Canley Vale where she taught for 27 years. They later bought a home in Canley Vale, which they found out the hard way was in a flood prone area. The 1986 flood came into the house and the car was flooded as well. Lorraine slept that night alone with water all around the bed legs. In 1988 the flood came into the house again and she and her husband David had to be evacuated by boat.
At Canley Vale High School Lorraine taught visual arts and remained there until the end of 1995 when she retired. She had always painted and that continued into her retirement. She particularly loves painting in oils on canvas. She has become very celebrated for her art and has entered in many exhibitions as well as holding her own exhibitions. She is particularly well known in the Fairfield district but has exhibited in many other places.
Since 2002 she has been a volunteer in the Council run Art Advisory Committee and at the time of the interview she was Vice President of the Fairfield City Art Society.
Lorraine is a grandmother and at the time of this interview she had two grand daughters.
