Doris Jean Dengate

Doris Jean Dengate

Doris Jean Dengate, November 2006

KEY DATES:

Birth: 19 January 1921, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

Married: 26 June 1943, New South Wales, Australia

BIOGRAPHY:

Written by Jan Westcott, December 2006

Doris Jean (Jean as she was known) was born on 19 January 1921 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, to Albert Edward Dengate and Lily Henrietta (nee Bateman).

Albert and Lily’s first born was a son, Horace Ronald, born in Wagga on 8 April 1915 (died 22 July 2002), Elsie, born in 1916 (died at 3 months of age in 1917) and Doris Jean.

Jean went to school in North Wagga. Some of Jean’s childhood memories are written below:

At a very young age, Jean was in the sulky with Albert (junior), George and Corrie (Coral Ida, Corrie as she was known, was Lily’s daughter) driving across ‘the flat’ in Wagga and they must have hit a rut and tipped Jean out and then ran over her with the sulky. No-one ever let on anything about the accident to their parents, but when Jean was in the bath, her mother noticed a red welt up her back and asked what it was from. Then came the story about how she fell out of the sulky. It took 50 years for the injury to come against Jean. An acupuncturist in Canberra asked if she had had an accident, and Jean told the story and he said that must have been what put all the vertebrae out of whack.

Their house in North Wagga had a very big front room where there was a billiard table and a pianola. Families used to visit and they had evenings around the pianola and that was where Jean learnt to dance and play billiards. Her mother was a lovely dancer.

When the family moved to Canberra in 1939, Jean worked at Barton House as a housemaid. In 1942 she worked at Mt Stromlo, as the person to whom the fire spotters reported.

Jean was married in Wagga on 26 June 1943 to Allan Wilton McDonald. Allan and Jean had four children, all born in Canberra, Janice Olga born 17 March 1944 , John Edward born 10 April 1947, David William born 14 November 1949 and Richard Arthur born 4 October 1953. Allan died on 19 March 1973 from cancer of the palate, and is buried in the RSL Section of Woden Cemetery in Canberra.

Albert Edward Dengate died in Canberra on 31 March 1966 and is also buried in the RSL Section of Woden Cemetery in Canberra. Lily Henrietta died in Canberra on 27 July 1957 and is buried in the Anglican Section of Woden Cemetery.

On a visit to Wagga during 2006, Jean’s cousin recalled Jean’s father as being very strict. She remembers him saying ‘you’re here to eat, not to talk’ while at the dinner table.

Grateful thanks to Jan Westcott for writing this biography and also for the photographs used.