When I buy this sofa I manage to live somehow how I am.
You have a lot of beautiful photos of your grandchildren and children. So what do you do during the day?
Sometimes I go out, with the older people mostly.
What is it?
Mostly to Hobart; they come and pick me up and bring me home. And next time I do, sometimes I do reading and television looking and radio listen and something do a little bit of sewing and a little bit of washing and take care of the house.
Yeah, that‟s enough to keep you busy I‟m sure. So you don‟t think of selling and getting a smaller place that would be easier to look after?
No, no, no. Not so. I feel comfortable here. I‟m used to it here.
Do you know what your house is worth?
I don‟t know.
It‟s a better than average house for this area so it must be worth more than an average house price around this area?
I never try to sell, you see. I don‟t know.
So this is the place you want to grow older?
I think it‟s happened [laughs].
It sounds like because you know this area so well, comfortable in this house, know so many people here and, do you have visitors to here?
Oh I have visitors sometimes mm, say, from Melbourne, priests, nuns sometime.
Come and stay here?
Stay with me and my friends also, they come visit me and go.
So these are friends you‟ve had a long time? You had your children together and that sort of thing?
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Yeah, I have still friends like that but we come together, even we in the one boat.
Even though you‟re older and living on the pension?
Yeah, when we come we say in the one boat, we come all young and maybe some with families, some single like me and now growing old.
So it must be pretty nice to have found that in the one place with some people you‟ve known all that time?
And once with husband three months in Canada for holiday that‟s all what I did.
And did you have family there to visit?
My husband had family, a hundred people in his family, there was a family reunion and we used to go. They invited us to go to Canada and spent three months there.
[Conversation about Canada deleted.]
So do you find now that you‟re older, do you find that people treat you differently?
Here?
Yeah. Do you find that people treat you differently now that you‟re older?
Not really.
So you still feel like the same person.
Yeah.
So some people have said to me when they go to hospital or something that people tend to talk to them as though they‟re not very smart. Because they‟re older they assume they‟ve lost their marbles.
Mmm, so far I don‟t know. Maybe somebody else can realise how I am but for me so, I feel I am the same only forgettable a little bit now. It is not the same memory it used to be.
That usually happens a little bit.
You understand.
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Yes.
Oh you were very pretty. And is this your wedding photo or is this your parents?
That is my wedding photo.
[Checking the photo.] It is, yeah.
And that‟s my daughter.
Oh that‟s your daughter and this when you came, and so your daughter‟s very pretty. I suppose you must be pleased that you came out here and you were able to give your children an opportunity of a good life?
Ah I used to love it, I used to love it and they treat us all right. I didn‟t know ways, any, how that called, called in Hobart. I didn‟t know where police live. I didn‟t talk anything with police. I never got into any trouble. My husband had a little bit accident here on the road. He had something trouble with insurance or something but they pay him and after it‟s all right.
Your husband‟s fault?
Not my husband‟s fault; somebody else‟s fault, and I never been this time in trouble.
And do you drive yourself?
No.
You‟ve never driven. So you‟ve always got around by bus to travel or your husband drove you?
Yes, my husband drive. Kids was here. Daughter was up to 23 years with me and boys was up to 27 years with us. Never go any uni, anywhere, savings.
So you looked after them. Well they were lucky weren‟t they?
Yeah.
I suppose it was too good for them to leave.
Yeah.
What sort of jobs have they got, your kids?