Childhood
From his birth in 1916 in inner city Tempe; a childhood in Cabramatta; adult years in Canley Heights and retirement in Green Point, Ernie managed to fit a lot into his life. On reflection it was a full life where he cared for others and was cared for in return.
Ernest was the 4th and last child of Frederick and Amy Steel, he was born at home in Tempe on 15 October, 1916 (also his mother’s birthday). Tempe 9 kms south of Sydney, was named after Tempe House, a mansion on the southern banks of the Cooks River. It was named after the ‘Vale of Tempe‘, a beautiful valley set at the foot of Mount Olympus in Greece.
The family moved to Cabramatta, about 1917 and this is where Ernie grew up. At this time Cabramatta was virtually a country town, unpaved streets and lots of bush, an area to explore and have adventures. With 3 older brothers and older sister Ernie must have been loved and well cared for. His parents ran the grocery shop so the family would have had a reasonable standard of living. Family photos show both a well dressed and casual family. There are several photos of Ernie as a young child – one taken in 1918 show Ernie (aged 2) and Joy dressed in a costume proclaiming peace;
Peace Proclaimed 1918
another taken in 1919 Joy and Ernie appear to be in new clothes. Ernie wears shoes and sox and a type of playsuit, he has a happy smile and looks pleased with himself.
Ernie and Joy May, 1919
In the photo where the family are all wearing face masks because of the flu epidemic, Ernie is barefoot.
Masked for the flu epidemic 1918
Another of the 4 children are all dressed up, the older boys in suit and tie and Ernie in a smart playsuit, shoes and sox.
Ernie with brothers Arthur, Roy and Fred and sister Joy.
He attended Canley Vale Public School, in the 6th class photo Ernie is one of 45 children. Again he looks spic and span while many other children look less well off. Look for him in the top row, 3rd from the left.
6th grade photo at Canley Vale Primary School
Because of the depression years Ernie had to leave school at 15. He worked for Beaver Company, a manufacturing importing and distributing business. It was located at 46-48 York St. Sydney. He travelled by train into the city until he retired in 1977.
A letter from his father to Joy relates how he walked to the railway station one evening to meet Ernie and Fred. There was an approaching storm and he was taking umbrellas for them.
Youth and Marriage
As a young man Ernie enjoyed cricket, rugby and tennis.
With his mates
The family home had a tennis court. He owned a BSA Goldstar motor bike which he loved.
Off to cricket
BSA Gold Star
Some experts consider the Gold Star to be the best bike ever built by BSA. The Gold Star first arrived in the years leading up to the Second World War, originally designated the M24. It was based on BSA’s sporting Empire Star model, and took its name from the award given to those riders who lapped the Brooklands circuit at over 100mph. The first Gold Star was an all-alloy 496cc engine in a light-gauge tubular frame (missing the sidecar lugs which were normally present on all workaday machines of the era), with an Amal TT carb and Electron alloy gearbox.
Handsome bikie
Unfortunately he had to give up the bike during the war, everyone had to contribute to the war effort.
He first met Olive when playing tennis, she was 16. Their first outing was to Taronga zoo, all dressed up and with a packed lunch in a small case. Other outings included Saturday night pictures and Sunday school picnics. In all the photos of Ernie at this period he is always smartly dressed and is a very handsome man.
Ern and Dale
He and Olive went to Canberra on the bike, with sidecar, with Norm and Marie Burling. They also had many holidays in Forster, swimming and fishing.
Forster holiday
They married on 31 December 1944 while he was on leave from his posting in New Guinea. They spent their honeymoon in a guest house on the Nepean, with lots of other newlyweds. They lived with Olive’s parents for a couple of years to save money for a home. They finally had enough to buy the house at 119 (later 125) Kiora St; Canley Heights.
Honeymoon
That’s a flathead
War Years
On 9 August, 1940 Ernie enlisted in the A.I.F. at the Merrylands Drill Hall. He trained at Ingleburn and Western Australia.
In the Army
Army camp
Ernie sent and received many letters from his mother and Olive. In one letter from W.A. (23/8/1942) he described life in the bush at Moora camp where some men went “mulga mad”. He also talked about a “stunt” (possibly an army exercise) where he rode the motor bikes around. On 15/3/1943 14 men were killed when a mortar bomb exploded. Here he commenced fulltime war service on 13 December, 1943 and went into the 4th Battalion AIF. He was promoted to corporal on 4/4/1943.
Army training
On 23 November 1943 his battalion left Sydney on the S.S.Canberra for New Guinea. At Cairns the soldiers went up to the Atherton Tablelands and Tolga Camp for 6 weeks of intensive jungle training ready for N.G. They left Cairns on 10/1/1944 on S.S. Van Heutsz for NG. They landed at Finschafen. This place had been occupied by the Japanese and taken back by the Australian army on 2/10/1943. This is a description of the time spent in the area.
“We were only here until the night of the 18th January when we were packed into barges like sardines. The following morning, we reached a point near Nambariwa, near Sio and disembarked. The Battalion went into action on the 20th January 1944 at a point near Sio Mission and so began the advance to Weber Point. We had to contend with the usual mud slush and rain most of the way. At times the jungle was almost impenetrable and at other times the track led through tall Kunai grass. After leaving Nambariwa, we passed Sio and then had to contend with the crossing of the fast flooding Kwama River. We then marched into Wasu Anchorage and the village of Malasanga 1 and Malasanga 2. The next obstacle was the Timbe River and then onto Nabu Village and Singorkai. We proceeded along the coast and reached Butubutu and then crossed the Urawa River to Gali Village. Many of the troops became sick with dysentery, malaria and Dengue Fever, not forgetting skin rashes. We were a bedraggled lot when our operations ceased on 10th February 1944 to be relieved by 30th Battalion in the vicinity of Weber Point. Battle casualties throughout the operation were light”
A newspaper article listed him on the seriously ill list. His mother contacted the Red Cross; she received a reply which stated that “Cpl. Steel’s condition was good, awaiting further news”. She must have been relieved. Ernie did not tell us much about his time in NG, we do know the battalion spent time building bridges. He learnt to swim here but also contracted scrub typhus, malaria and was very sick. He was able to get leave in December 1944 to return to Sydney. He married Olive Rose on 31 December 1944. His sister Joy also married a few weeks later. He returned to N.G arriving Lae on 2/2/1945, and then by Salamon flying boat to Madang on 1/2/1945. His official discharge was on 21 January 1946.
Post War
In 1955 he took part in the Redex trial, Geoff Hancock owned the car, a Holden. The photo was taken by John Pomroy. The 3 men had many hilarious tales to tell on their return. eg because they didn’t have time to stop they used cans to urinate in and then threw them out the window. One time the can can hit the glass and bounced back all over them.
Redex Trial 1955 FJ Holden
The Round Australia Trial was a motorsport rallying event that was run on multiple occasions between 1953 and 1998. The theme of the event was to stage a rally which circumnavigated Australia. Its early years were tremendously popular as the roads linking large portions of the country, particularly west of Adelaide, were not in good condition. Automobile manufacturers enthused over the event as it provided a particularly test event for their products, proving their cars were able to stand up to whatever conditions remote Australia could provide. Early editions of the event were heroic tests and were front-page fodder for the newspapers of the era.
I remember my mother reading the postcards he sent from each town, and the excitement of going to the showground at Parramatta to meet the team on their return.
Ernie was a helpful and caring father and husband. He always helped with the caring of the growing children, housework, cooking as well as the garden and house maintenance. As we kept hens Ernie sometimes had to chop their heads off. He always took the opportunity to show how this was done and explain the chook’s innards.
He was proud and supportive of his daughters. We were lucky enough to have family holidays every year, often twice. We went to the central NSW coast (Long Jetty, The Entrance, Koolewong), Forster, Lake Conjola and once to Queensland and the Gold Coast.
When he moved to Green Point he took up golf and got several holes in one. He was also a keen fisherman; he and Olive often went fishing in his “tinnie”.
Catching mud crabs
He loved his life there, pottering in the garden every day, going to “the Club’ and enjoying visits from his daughters and grandchildren. BBQ’s were his speciality and at one stage brewing Cooper’s beer.
Family at Green Point 1992
He loved nursing and soothing crying babies, and doted on his grandchildren.
Ern and Joel 1992
Ern and Marlon 2000
Ern, Olive and baby Lewis
Ern and Olive made many trips to Sydney to visit the family and several trips to Adelaide to visit Susan and Joel.
Xmas 1999
Xmas 1999
They were very pleased to be in Adelaide when Susan and Peter surprised them with their marriage.
In May 2004 he was not feeling well while playing golf, he went to the Dr who put him into hospital, and he died, aged 87, on 23 May from a heart attack.
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