Letters & Stories
MY LIFE AT SEMAPHORE. A profile of Janet Sutherland
– Feb/March 1994 Issue
I was born in July 1942 at Henley Beach to Colin and Dora sutherland who had married at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide, four years earlier. My father was serving in the AIF at the time and travelled by rail for several days from Queensland to see his first born. Unfortunately, I was 2 years of age before Dad came home permanently. Three years later my brother, Robert, was born. I have always lived at Semaphore (in the same house) and attended st Bede’s Church from an early age. Aileen Salmon has told me that when she was a Sunday School teacher, she took her class to see a baptism, which happened to be mine. I was confirmed in 1954, a year which I consider a highlight of my life, that included my last year at LeFevre Peninsula Primary school, and being the leader of the school’s hoop dance which performed with other South Australian schools for Her Majesty the Queen at the Wayville Showgrounds.
I attended Adelaide Technical High School where my uncles were students and gained my leaving commercial certificate. At this time, my dear mother was secretary of st Bede’s Mothers Union and I often helped her with relative correspondence and minutes. Hence I feel I have been a member of Mothers Union for many years even though, I was only formerly admitted two years ago. In 1959, I commenced work at the ES & A Bank where I always worked in administration, mainly in the personnel field, which was most interesting. I retired from the resultant ANZ Banking Group in 1985. I was a Sunday School teacher for eight years including Superintendent for a time. During the 1960’s when st Bede’s GFS was temporarily revived, I was a leader.
In the past, my hobbies have been calisthenics and ballet dancing. For twenty two years I was a serving member of the St John Ambulance Brigade, where I met fellow parishioner, Nancy Fahey. Nancy and I have recently holidayed on the Gold Coast and Bali. Speaking of holidays, as most people know I was fortunate to win a trip to San Deigo, USA, to see the 1992 America’s Cup. For over thirty two years, I have played competitive tennis and it was a thrill to play in a premiership team. I am a long-serving management committee member of the Port Adelaide Tennis Club. I gain enormous pleasure from seeing my three beautiful nieces grow up.