Ken Gamble

Do you remember feeling scared as a little kid of your dad?

No, no, I don't ever feel being scared.

I think that Dad was never physical with us, myself, my brother or my sisters.

He certainly was physical with other people but I didn't have any time when I felt scared of him but he was a big man and I was a little boy so whatever Dad would say, you know, I would follow.

What about life for your mum while the family was in Mount Isa?

What was it like, do you think?

Well, she was the secretary for the building company, so she was working very hard at home with the kids.

She was also an organ teacher and piano teacher.

She used to perform at some local places.

You know, I remember Fiddler on the Roof was one show she did.

And so between that and running the business and us kids, it was a full-time job and mum worked so hard.

And she had a tough start to her life too, your mum.

She did.

She was an only child.

Her mother passed away giving birth to mum.

It was in those days before they could treat these types of issues.

And 1936 she was born and the mother passed away.

So she entered the world without a mother, had a very loving father, but grew up with a stepmother as an only child.

You mentioned, Ken, that your dad's business was booming until he had some health problems.

What did that mean for his company once he got sick?