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Shirley Kingsford McLeod

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SummaryShirley McLeod is a prominent member of the local community. She was born and raised in Smithfield. Shirley has donated a collection of photographs to the Fairfield City Heritage Collection, she has written several local and family histories and was interviewed as part of the Oral History project, The Way We Were. BiographyShirley Kingsford McLeod was born at Fairview Private Hospital in Fairfield on 6 March 1934. Her parents were Norman McAlister McLeod of Smithfield, who was a quarryman at Widemere Quarry at Wetherill Park and Edith Gwendolyn Hunt (Gwen) of Wetherill Park, a secretary at AGC in Sydney. Shirley also had two brothers: Norman Frank and Kevin William (Bill). Her father later became a part time journalist for The Biz newspaper in Fairfield where he wrote a news column about the people of Smithfield. It continued until his death in 1978.

Shirley first lived at 33 Neville Street Smithfield and after World War Two moved to a newly built home at 81 Oxford Street Smithfield. Her education was at Smithfield Public School and later at Parramatta High School. On leaving school aged 14 she attended Burroughs Business College in Sydney where she learnt to be a comptometer operator.

Her only position before marriage was at The Metropolitan Meat Industry Commission at Homebush where she did wages and bonuses for the slaughtermen. She resigned in June 1955 to marry.

Her husband was Ernst Willi Jurgeit who had migrated from Germany in 1953. They were married in St James Anglican Church in Smithfield. The marriage produced 5 children: Chris born 1956, Lisa born 1957, Steven born 1958, Helene born 1960 and Martin born 1968. The marriage ended in 1973 and she reverted to her single name of McLeod. The family has increased and by the end of 2019 she also had 10 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

She worked mainly at wages and bonuses being employed by Bonds, Rheem and Rexona. She also obtained a cab driver’s licence and drove at night after work and at weekends to help support her family. She semi-retired in 1989 after suffering a heart attack on a holiday at Geraldton in Western Australia.

Always an adventurer at heart she took up gliding at RAAF Richmond in 1977 where she had 24 flights. Then came skydiving where she survived 36 solo jumps at Wilton. In 1988 she also signed on as a crew member with the Bi-Centenary Fleet of square riggers and sailed from Hobart to Newcastle on the Swedish barquentine ‘Amorina’.

Having been forced to leave school at the age of 14 Shirley had a very strong thirst for knowledge. During her marriage she completed a Dressmaking course at East Sydney TAFE and completed her Certificate in Human Resource Management at Granville TAFE in 1987. But it was her love of Australian History that had the largest impact on her life.

In 2000 she decided at go to University and enrolled at University of New England at Armidale. She graduated in Advanced Diploma of Local, Family and Applied History in 2005 aged 71 years. She has since done another 3 subjects towards a BA but ill health put a hold on that.

It was because of her interest in local and family history that she was employed as a volunteer for Fairfield City completing over 200 interviews of local and past local citizens. She has also assisted in the editing of some of their publications. The latest was that of the history of St John’s Park.

Before her interest in Australian History began she became one of the first group of Volunteers in Policing in NSW in 1993 and assisted at Seven Hills Police Station until its closure in 1998. She worked at victim support with them. She has also been a Justice of Peace in NSW since 1977.

During her years of interest in history Shirley was approached and asked to teach a class at U3A (University of the Third Age) and taught a class in Australian History. Another class was added so that for many years she taught a class a week to retirees. Both classes were as a volunteer. Her interest in local history was added to by becoming a member of The Prospect Heritage Trust.

Photograph

Norman McAlister McLeod

The Hunt Family

Norm McLeod with dead snakes, Smithfield NSW, c. 1920

Members of the Hunt family posing at tennis court at their home at Hillview, Wetherill Park NSW, c. 1929

National Emergency Services, Smithfield NSW Division, 1945

Shirley Kingsford McLeod in a split sit pose outside the Smithfield Literary Institute, Smithfield NSW, c. 1943

The McLeod children, Smithfield NSW, c. 1908

Edith Gwendolyne McLeod (nee Hunt), Smithfield NSW, c. 1975

The McLeod children wearing dad's air-force gear, Wetherill Park NSW, c. 1938

Four generations of Robson/Hunt/McLeod Families, Smithfield NSW, c. 1936

Shirley Kingsford McLeod age 41, c. 1975

Shirley Kingsford McLeod- Sailing in Bass Strait on sailing ship "Amorina", c. 1988

Shirley Kingsford McLeod- Skydiving, Wilton NSW, c. 1979

Shirley Kingsford McLeod age two, Smithfield NSW, c. 1936

Shirley Kingsford McLeod dressed as a Powder Puff, Smithfield NSW, c. 1937

Family of Shirley McLeod and Ernst Jurgeit, Smithfield NSW, c. 1988

Wedding of Shirley Kingsford McLeod to Ernst Willi Jurgeit, Smithfield NSW, 1955

Norman Frank, Kevin William (Bill) and Shirley Kingsford McLeod, Wetherill Park NSW, c. 1938

Norman McLeod and wife Gwen McLeod, c. 1944

Portrait of Alderman Frank Richard Hunt, c. 1920s

Audio

Interview with Thomas Stephen Kneale and Shirley Kingsford McLeod

Interview with Shirley Kingsford McLeod - Part 1

Interview with Shirley Kingsford McLeod - Part 3

Interview with Shirley Kingsford McLeod - Part 2

Interview with Shirley Kingsford McLeod - Part 4

Publication

Bodgies, Westies, Homies: Growing up in Western Sydney - Publication

My Story - For my children and grandchildren

Getting to know our ancestors

About Smithfield, NSW

Oral History

Thomas Stephen Kneale (1923-2012) and Shirley Kingsford McLeod Oral history on Prairiewood history

Shirley Kingsford McLeod Oral History

Person / Family

Hunt Family

Details

Date of birth06/03/1934Date of death27/08/2024

Connections

PeopleHunt FamilyCollectionPeople and Families