Working and Travelling on The Orient Ship Line:

Reginald Havill and Nerelle Norman and their young daughter Rosemary lived in Toorak at 'Taormina', the name of the Orient Line's property at Stonnington Place in Toorak. Reginald was Manager of the Orient Line's Melbourne Branch. In early 1939 the family travelled to London on the Orient Line, something the family appeared to do frequently as part of Reginald's work.

Purchasing a Doll:

For her sixth birthday in July that year, Rosemary's mother Nerelle took her to a large toy store there, possibly Hambley's. Nerelle selected a doll for Rosemary but she didn't want that one, she saw the doll she would name Sweedie and wanted her. Her mother was disinclined and Rosemary recalls she stood in the middle of the shop and threw a tantrum, screaming and stamping her feet with rage, until her mother said she could have Sweedie.

Rosemary loved Sweedie and shows some wear and tear, including a couple of finger ends chewed by the family dog. Rosemary believes that might be why Sweedie was 'put away in a cupboard' until she was older. The precious doll was donated to the Museum by Rosemary in 2022.

A Beloved Nanny:

The extra knickers and pinafore that came with the doll to the Museum's collection were made by Rosemary's nursemaid/nanny Nellie McKay. Nellie was a trained chef, recruited in London to work for the Normans at the Orient Line property 'Taormina' in Stonnington Place in Toorak. The Normans entertained frequently to generate custom for the Orient Line and Nellie cooked for those occasions as well as for the family. Rosemary spent her early years with Nellie, often in the kitchen and Nellie taught her to sew and knit.

A Nursing Career:

Rosemary was in the third intake of the Melbourne School of Nursing (MSN). This uniform is different from hospital-based schools of nursing. The school had its own badge. The MSN was in existence for only 10 years. It was a new style of education in which students studied in blocks throughout their training and were not attached to one hospital, but spread across several. MSN was at Mayfield St in Malvern. In around 1955, Rosemary was recruited as a Staff Nurse (a first year out position) by the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She was about 23 years old.

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