Two weeks ago when Nola Andrews moved into All Saint's Court retirement village she may have created something very special – Singleton's very own three sisters.
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Nola’s move meant she was joining her other siblings Joan Cousin and Nerida Merrick who already resided at the village.
The trio are over the moon that they all live together once again and love the idea that they have become the town’s living three sisters.
Born and raised in Singleton the sisters have a combined age of 258 and eldest sister Joan is a sprightly 94-years-old.
They have seen plenty of changes in their homework during their lifetimes but nothing like what they saw on Wednesday morning just around the corner on George Street.
“I heard a loud bang and wondered what on earth was happening,”said Joan.
She went to her back door which looked down Market Street and saw all the commotion.
“A policewoman was telling the school children waiting to cross the road that they couldn’t and the children asked if that meant they could have a day off school, that made me laugh children always wanting a day off school,” she said.
“It was a shocking event.”
The trio are the daughters of Francis and Ethel (nee Spinks) Burke whose only son Bernard died a few years ago. Mr Burke served in the 6th Light Horse during Word War I.
He was a horse trainer but sadly died when Nola and Nerida were very young and Joan was called on to help raise her little sisters.
“She was our second mother,” said Nola.
The sisters described their relationship as being very close adding that before they were all together in All Saint’s Court they used to telephone or see each other daily.
When Joan married 73 years ago and lived in Dunolly she continued to care for her siblings.
Living in Dunolly during the 1955 flood meant Joan’s family lost everything but highlighting their resilience she did not describe her life as particularly hard just typical of the era.
“The flood had a huge impact on everyone so you just had to rebuild your lives afterwards,” she said.
Now reunited in All Saint’s Court they like the atmosphere of retirement village and the fact their sisters are literally just next door.
Between them they have 14 children and 33 grand-children and many great-grandchildren so visitors are a regular part of their lives.
Asked who is in-charge they all laughed with Nola saying as the middle sister maybe she should be the boss.And no one disagreed which shows their great love and respect for each other.
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
