Yvonne Sayers
A single bed and a table with three legs…

I moved into Minto on 1 July, 1989. I remember because that was my husband’s birthday. I moved from Lurnea, a private home of my parents. We were running out of room.

My first impression of my house was that it was small, as was the backyard, but the front yard was large and there was no fence.

I had no furniture, I had a single bed and a table with three legs under the other leg was a box. I had an esky to keep milk and meat cold. I put up with that for 9 months. I got no help from my neighbours. You learn very quickly whom you can trust.

The neighbourhood has changed over the years from single parents to bikies to single men with no children, to people renting their home privately.

When my daughter Elizabeth started school I started in the school canteen one day a week and ended up working 5 days a week for 5 years. I went back to TAFE and re-did my School Certificate, then CEEW [Career Education for Women], WOW [Working on Women], and finished with Office Administration and Real Estate.

Liz attended the Grange Public School, Sarah Redfern High until Year 11 then went to Leumeah High for a subject she needed. But she never completed Year 12 because the teachers refused to teach an out-of-area student.

I had a blood clot in the lung and had a collapsed one as well about ten years ago and while I was in hospital Liz had to spend time with her aunty. It was hard for her. Some of the neighbors thought I went on holidays. I was in hospital for 15 weeks!

I am on the committee of Remembering Minto, Kids Community Park, and the Garden Club. I was voted first, Community Neighbourhood of the Year in 2005.

When I moved from Barratt Way, I had a large garden shed and I didn’t want to leave it behind so I dismantled it and moved it in a box trailer to my new address. I rebuilt it and then friends said, “How did you bring that around?” and I told them I brought it around on shopping trolleys and a police escort to the new house. The rest is rumour.

I will not miss the police chases or the burnt-out houses but I will miss the domestic disturbance — it shows me what I don’t have and don’t want.

I have asked for Minto in the relocation because I have very good friends who are more like family than my own. I want to stay involved in the community for the Halloween and Christmas carols and any other community events.