Helen Winsome Burgin OAM's life story, (1926 - 2019)

Here is Helen's life...

October 18, 2019

Enjoy this summary of Helen's incredible life - in eight sections: 1- 8.

There is a PDF of Helen's life with lots of wonderful photos - you can download it here. The following is taken from the PDF...

Helen's early life... 1

October 18, 2019

Helen Burgin was born in Sydney on 28th April 1926 to Grace, nee Anderson, and Graham Shirley. She was the middle child of five siblings: an older sister Betty, an older brother George and two younger siblings Graham and Rosalind.

Father’s family... George Ferris Shirley, Helen’s paternal grandfather, arrived in New Zealand from England in the late 1800’s where he worked asa trader on the Auckland docks. There he met a merchant navy captain from whom he bought a sack of Guano from Nauru from which he developed a superphosphate fertilizer, founding a company Shirley Fertilizers.He arrived in Australia in 1890. Helen’s paternal grandparents lived at Wollstonecraft on the North Shore in Sydney.George Shirley married Annie Sinclair and was instrumental in saving Berry Island from development resulting in the land being retained as a reserve at Balls Head Bay.Her Father’s’s brother John was an architect who designed a beautiful chapel at The Armidale School. Helen recalls him as a moody fellow who moved around a great deal. He died of a heart attack leaving behind five children. Helen still speaks to one of his daughters from time to time.

Mother’s Family... Her mother's parents, Walter and Violet Anderson lived at Chatswood but also had a small farm at Penrith.. Her mother was one of seven children - Marjorie, Tom, Ernestine, Grace, Maude, Andrew and Daza. Helen has memories ofher grandmother Anderson dating back to her childhood. She lived at Chatswood on a property with a tennis court where Helen had tennis lessons and also played tennis. Helen remembers enjoying collecting the eggs laid by her grandmother’s chickens

Ernestine, one of her mother’s sisters lived at Castlecrag. A brother Andrew, was in the Australian army in WW1. After being injured at Gallipoli he was sent to England to recuperate and then back to the frontline in France. While in France, he met young French woman, Louise whom he married. After the war, as a returned soldier, he was given a grant of land at Kulnura, near Gosford where he raised oranges and tomatoes. The couple had 2 children, a girl and a boy, cousins with whom Helen is still in contact.

Father... Helen’s father, Graham Ferrers Shirley ran a grain store at Macpherson Street, Waterloo which stocked feed for cattle. The shop was next door to a brewery so he used the remnants of grain, barley etc from the brewery to turn into cattle feed. Her father travelled by car around the country selling his feed to dairy farmers. During the war, when petrol was rationed hehada charcoal burner on the back of his car to provide power and save petrol. Helen’s father also served as a judge ofmilking cattle at stock yards and agricultural shows

The family had a farm at Penrith where they bred pigs and grew cattle feed, mainly lucerne. The family went there at weekends, so Helen’s brothers could work on the farm.As her parents went together to country shows one of the grandmothers would come to look after the children. Her father was the president of the Royal Agricultural Society for many years and was given an MBE for his service to agriculture.

Helen's early life... 2

October 18, 2019

As a young girl, Helen lived at Wollstonecraft but frequently visited the family farm at

Penrith where her father was breeding pigs. She was a pupil at Wenona and caught the train to school daily from Wollstonecraft to Nth Sydney. During the war she became unhappy with the standard of teaching, as the good teachers had all been called up, leaving the older retired ones to be recalled to teach. As a result she spent one year boarding at New England Girl’s School at Armidale. A younger paternal cousin was also a pupil there to whom she became very close. She still talks on the phone to this cousin from time to time. While at Armidale she remembers having her birthday for which her mother sent a birthday cake by mail.

After a year she was sent went back to Wenona as the boarding school was too expensive. On leaving school Helen went to a business college at Crows Nest, a 20 minute walk from home. On completing the business course her first job was in an office at Nth Sydney followed by a job in the office at Hordern Brothers department store inin the city. She caught the train to Wynyard and then walked to work.

Trip to England... Helen has a vivid memory of at the age of 23 going on a 9 month trip to England with her parents and sister Rosalind who is 10 years younger. Her parents bought a car and hired a caravan in which to travel around, visit relatives and sightsee both in the UK and Europe. Among the many places they visited were Paris and Venice. At the end of the holiday her father brought the car back to Australia.

Marriage to Ken Burgin... 3

October 18, 2019

Helen met Kenneth Raymond Burgin, the man who was to become her husband, just before she sailed for England. After the families overseas trip as she was returning to Australia by boat, and in a romantic gesture Ken met the boat in Melbourne and sailed with her to Sydney. After this they announced their engagement and were married a year later. Helen feels her mother in law was disappointed in her son's decision to marry. Having lost a daughter she was somewhat possessive of her son, thinking perhaps that no woman good enough for him. However, over time she accepted the situation and was close to Helen.

Ken Burgin... Helen’s husband was in the army during WW2 but the war ended just before he was due to be posted overseas. On leaving the army he received vocational training as a builder under the returned soldiers training scheme. His first house was a home he built for his parents at Robertson Street Newport. As his family lived at Newport, he built a house for his own family at Taiyul Rd, Narrabeen. As was the style of the day, it was built from fibro and painted bright pink!

This house was sold in 1956 as he had bought land on Powderworks Rd at Elanora Heights, where he built a three bedroom house for the family on the edge of the bush. It was an ideal place to bring up four adventurous boys. There was no phone only a party line. It was close to Monash Golf Course to which the family often went on Sunday afternoon to walk on the green. There was always a dog in the house which the boys loved. Over the years they had a series of gentle dogs - “Winky” was a kelpie and “Mike” was a miniature Fox Terrier.

Burgin family... 4

October 18, 2019

Husband’s (Kenneth Burgin) family... Her husband’s ancestor William Burgin came to Australia as a convict on the second fleet ship HMS Hillsborough in 1792. It was a perilous and brutal journey, during which fifty percent of the passengers perished. The Burgin family were in business in Parramatta for one hundred years from 1852-1952: first as the official clock winder and in later years as watchmakers and jewellers. Helen's husband, Kenneth Burgin was the only surviving child as his only sibling, a sister Joyce, died at the age of 15 from a brain tumour. His father Rowland was in electronics and founded the radio station 2BE which morphed into 2GB. Frederick Colwell, his mother Muriel’s father was a Methodist minister and Army Chaplain in WW1 at Gallipoli and in Egypt.

Helen's full life... 5

October 18, 2019

Although Helen had many interests her major concern and source of pride were her four sons. After her husband died of a heart attack in 1964 aged 42,Helen was left to bring up her 4 sons then aged 5,7,9 and 11 as a single mother.

She had the help of a Dutch cleaner. Mrs Rhonde, who lived nearby and came once a week and worked for Helen for 8-10 years becoming a friend of the family. Mrs Rhonde’s three very conscientious sons, who always did the right thing, worked as gardeners at Kirribilli House. After her husbands death as he had no siblings, Helen also took on the care of his elderly parents at Newport. She would drive there regularly and also visit them when they moved to a series of nursing homes in various parts of Sydney. She would pick up her children from school and drive them to visit their grandparents. Her own parents were always very helpful.

After her husband’s death Helen found Legacy very supportive. On Friday nights, Mark and Laurence went to the Legacy gym in Dee Why where they had excellent instructors while Ken studied at the local library. What did James do? While the boys were at their activities, Helen would have have tea and companionship with the other mothers - friendships which endured for many years after the boys grew up. Legacy also organised country holidays for the boys during some of their school vacations.

Although bringing up four boys on her own she still managed to serve on many committees and do voluntary work but her boys always came first. She always thoughtthere was something special about what her boys were doing. She had one guiding rule - if one boy got something the others would also get something - not necessarily the same but equivalent. She would often remind us 'I don't count!'.

Helen enjoyed researching different topics,writing up her findings and talking with great confidence at meetings about her interests. She also created a number of loose leaf books covering her interests with detailed information and even including her own poetry about each topic.

Helen's full life... 6

October 18, 2019

Helen’s Community Service... Despite her role as a loving and caring mother Helen, amazingly, found the time and energy to devote to many organisations and projects. She carried out her roles with incredible efficiency using her organisational skills and becoming computer literate to the point where she was able to develop and manage databases as well as produce newsletters.

The Rosemary Club... As a result of her involvement with legacy Helen realised there was a need for a social club for war widows. Consequently she became a founder of the Rosemary Club for women at Legacy in 1985. The club had vibrant Saturday afternoon social group meetings and organised bus trips around NSW and Victoria. Helen was always an office bearer of the Rosemary Club including the positions of treasurer and secretary and finally president from 1994-97. The club had 300 women on its books. Helen organised committees and big lunches for the women doing much of the preparation herself until eventually the club was sufficiently financial to hire someone to do the washing up. She also produced the club newsletter which for some unfathomable reason always had to be printed on green paper.

Warringah Shire Council... Helen was an elected councillor on Warringah Shire Council where she attended weekly meetings. She was instrumental in setting up the Elanora Community Centre, which ran a preschool and library and provided a hall for community activities such as dance classes. She was also a member of the building and works committee which was heavily involved in developing the area. When standing for reelection, despite her sons handing out how to vote cards on her behalf she was unsuccessful. Helen says she was on the wrong ticket.

Helen was able to follow her instinct to help people by being employed as a welfare officer for the War Widow's Guild from 1974 to 1983.

Helen's full life... 7

October 18, 2019

Warringah Women’s Resource Centre... As well In 1970 she was a foundation member of the Manly Warringah Women’s Resource Centre, becoming board chairperson in 1977, a position she held until 1981. On her retirement in 1982 she was made a Life Member. She set up a database of women living in the area including relevent details such as their occupations.

Dalmar Childrens Home... After a friend invited Helen to become a member of the Dalmar Children’s Home she served as a board member from 1981to 1984. For many years she took children from the orphanage home for weekends. She still has contact with some of them and has attended baptisms of their children and is regarded as a grandma to them. She remembers that she and the boys had a lot of fun with these children and always brought them to her home for Christmas. She recalls going to a family in Orange to pick up their children and take them back to her house for several weeks holiday. She gave these children many different experiences which they had never had including going to the beach, things her boys took for granted. Her sons welcomed the orphans and did not resent their mothers involvement and never exhibited any rivalry.

Amongst the committees with which she was already involved Helen found the time and energy to be an executive member of the National Council Of Women between 1978 and 1982. During that period she also was the convenor of the NSW International & Peace Committee and its Vice President 1981-82. Adding still further to her activities she was a member of the Seaforth TAFE Education Committee and NSW Senior Vice President of the War Widows Guild of Australia from 1977 to 1983.

Awards... For her tireless work Helen received Certificates of Appreciation from Warringah Shire Council in 1974 and 1997.

Her devoted and selfless involvement in the many organisations to which she had contributed so much was recognised when she was awarded a Medal in the Order of Australia (OAM) in May 2000. She was immensely proud of receiving this, and received hundreds of messages of congratulations.

Helen the collector... 8

October 18, 2019

Helen’s interest in collecting was aroused when at the age of 4 her mother gave her a doll house sized jug followed by similar ones each year. She has treasured the original jug all her life. and added to it over the years with other jugs.

Sydney Needlework Tool Collectors Group... Helen has a large collection of thimbles in all sizes and shapes, which she houses in a customised display cabinet in her room at Monte. The thimbles are part of her collection of needlework tools, which includes needle holders, hooks and many other tools of the needleworkers trade.The collectors group was based in Melbourne but the Sydney group held three monthly meetings and attended the annual meetings in Melbourne.

Helen wanted to start an official Sydney group but not wanting to threaten the Melbourne group called it a collective.and so became the president of the Sydney Needlework Tool Collective. The annual general meetings then alternated between Sydney and Melbourne. She wrote a poem about her mothers ? Dorcas thimble as well as producing a looseleaf book about thimbles.

NSW Doll Collectors Club... Helen had an extensive collection of dolls, many of which (at least 60) she has given away over time but still has a collection of 40 dolls. She has given one to every resident of the Woollahra Monte Campus who all treasures them. Some of the dolls were knitted dolls made by Helen. herself

Helen is a life member of the NSW Doll Collectors Club which recently celebrated its 40th birthday.. She was a committee member of the club from1994 taking on the position of assistant secretary in 1996 and Secretary in1998. At the recent 40th birthday celebration of the club which Helen attended Helen gave an impromptu speech thanking everyone for the years of support she had received while active in the club. Even though she hadn’t attended a meeting for some years everyone was very pleased to see her.

One of Helen’s favourite dolls is a Bordeaux doll, an elegantly dressed doll with blonde curls typifying the dolls women used as accessories in earlier years. Helen was sent this doll through the post but has no idea who the sender was.

The Apron Collection... James started Helen’s apron collection when he brought her a gift of a Dutch peasant apron from a trip to Europe in 1970. Helen still has this apron. She wrote one of her many books on the history of aprons and has given many talks on the subject. Whenever Helen gave a talk on aprons she always concluded with a fashion parade of everyone wearing an apron.When her needle tool group signed an apron Helen embroidered the signatures. Her hubsand had a favourite saying as he arrived home for dinner which was always served at 6.30pm “There’s Minnie in her pinny”

The Fan Collection... Helen has an extensive fan collection from all over the world which are displayed on the walls of her room at Monte. The fans are all gifts brought home by her sons from their travels as when she was asked what she would like them to bring back as gifts she always said a fan.

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