As in later life they were always busy, worked hard, methodically and set high standards for themselves. One task always bothered them, and Blanche remembered it into her adulthood — they couldn’t get collars to sit flat on the dresses they made!

Their father taught them to play tennis, golf and bridge. Tennis was played over a net strung across the kikuyu grass mowed by the sheep in the gully. Golf was played on a course around the house and sheds with sticks their father fashioned from tree branches and bridge was played at night by lamp light.

Blanche keenly played in the tennis bumper board competition before school, at playtime, lunchtime and after school at Winnijup.

At 14 she joined the Winnijup tennis and golf club and later went on to join the Bridgetown golf and tennis clubs.

After she married she played golf at Boyup. Her lowest handicap was 19 and she hit a hole in one as a teenager. Her many trophies filled the house.

“We had many fun times with Mum hitting golf balls around the paddocks,” said daughter, Glenys.

“Recently when I was at the golf club I listened with pride as some of the women Mum had taught to play golf, reminisced about her teaching them and Mum’s days at the golf club.”

She started playing golf at 11 years of age and her last game at 85.

Blanche played bowls, and became a top bowler and later a keen croquet player at the Lodge.

She also enjoyed the challenge of playing bridge and became a respected bridge player.

Not only was Blanche a keen sportsperson but she also worked hard and gave much time as a member and in leadership roles as vice-captain, captain and president of both the golf and bowls clubs.

We were proud and quite surprised when Mum helped establish the first Girl Guides, as Lone Guides, in Boyup and then later took on the responsibility of being District Girl Guide Commissioner.

During her married life Blanche was an industrious housekeeper, as she had been at Moss Vale. She brought up three daughters, cooked for farm workers and shearers and helped her husband Syd on the farm.

She never baulked at anything. In early 1950, when Syd was very ill, she ran the farm, with a newborn baby and a three year old. And when a fox was seen in a corner of the old orchard she daringly took the gun and shot it!

She also learnt cake decorating at night school and created beautiful cakes for many occasions.

Blanche loved her garden and often was so busy she became lost in a mountain of prunings. She often came home with cuttings and everything she planted grew. She provided flowers for functions and the grandchildren won many prizes at the Dinninup Show with her beautiful selection of flowers.

Blanche was a wonderful mother, who was always there for her daughters and the grandchildren. Her daughters are proud to say they are her daughters. Honesty, and integrity were so very much part of her and she could always be trusted in what she said and the promises she made.

She was a lady, refined but quietly strong in character. Social etiquette was very important and she was dignified, in the way she acted. Even though she never had wealth she dressed elegantly.

When Blanche was in her 80s and getting ready to go out, a young grand-daughter asked: “Will I need to still wear make up when I’m your age Nan?”

Like many young people of her time, Blanche’s upbringing was isolated, and her education was in small bush schools. There was no opportunity to go onto higher education even though she was very capable academically and enjoyed learning and discussing world issues. She knew the importance of a good education and insisted that her daughters went on to Methodist Ladies College.