SOME little-known facts about a historic Millicent street were shared at the recent South East Family History Group October monthly meeting.
Guest speaker Marion Galwey told of growing up in Grigg Terrace, which was the second regional project of the South Australian Housing Trust.
Ms Galwey’s family lived at number 15 Grigg Terrace and she was born nearby in the Thyne Memorial Hospital in 1943.
“After I was born, my mother declined a taxi and walked me around the corner to our home,” Ms Galwey said.
“I lived there until I was married in 1963 and there was a great community spirit.”
In 1942, the State Government built 23 timber houses on a greenfield site as accommodation for workers at the newly-built Cellulose paper mill at Snuggery.
There were three stone homes in Grigg Terrace for butter factory workers, as well as some privately-owned houses.
As the occupants were mainly young families, Grigg Terrace was playfully known as “incubator alley”.
During her two decades of living in Grigg Terrace, Ms Galwey estimates there were 60 children along the street.
She shared memories and details of other Grigg Terrace residents during her time there, along with photographs.
Among them was league footballer Fred Bolton, Anglican priest Father Don Miller and sporting identity “Jackson” Roberts.
According to Ms Galwey, Grigg Terrace was the first Millicent street to have numbered houses as well as a multi-coin public phone box.
There was also a nearby cool drink factory which has long closed.
In days when motor vehicle ownership was much less common, Grigg Terrace residents would have bread, milk, groceries, meat, newspapers and mail home-delivered.
The street took its name from Joe Grigg who was a prominent local businessman and past chairman of Millicent District Council.
There were moves to have it named in honour of American president Franklin Roosevelt, but they were rejected by the council.
Among the other past residents of Grigg Terrace at the talk were Tony Henderson (a resident from 1945-49), Jeff Sinclair (1946-57), Wayne Sutcliffe (1953-66) and J.L. “Fred” Smith (1984-1996).
The last meeting for 2019 at the South East Family History Group Research Centre in Millicent will start at 6.30pm on November 23 and will feature the customary pre-Christmas function.
