I was glad to get hold of this. I wasn't at Jilly's funeral as I was in Iceland. I'm not sure its the full version but some interesting info re her early life.
The Jill Moody story (compiled from Jilly’s anecdotes and historical papers and photos)
Jill was born on 19 Feb 1935 the youngest daughter of Carl and Gladys Moody. Jill had an older sister Shirley and an older brother Bruce who had been born of a previous relationship of Gladys in New Zealand. Shirley was six years older and Bruce fifteen years older.
Carl Moody was an electrician who had served in WWI and was on all accounts quite scarred emotionally and physically by his service. Gladys was a wife and mother, home duties is listed as her profession in official records.
The family lived at 9 Warwick St Punchbowl for many years. According to Jilly, they kept chooks in the back yard for eating and eggs. Those were the days when everyone did and no one complained if a rooster crowed. The family didn’t have a car and don’t seem to have ventured far from the local area. When asked if the family ever went into town to see the Harbour Bridge the answer was no. Jilly nominated tennis as being a leisure activity in her growing up and noted that Shirley was good at tennis.
There is a photo of Jill smiling happily in the Year One class photo at Punchbowl Primary School.
The family seems to have attended the local Methodist church at times. Shirley can correct us as to how often this was!
By the time Jill was 13 the family was struggling. As Jilly put it “my father came back from WWI and was a mess. My brother came back from WWII and was a mess. They didn’t need me to look after. My mother went to the Methodist church and asked for help . . . the church we used to ‘go to’. I think that was very brave. She asked would they help and they did.”
So the way they helped was to organise Jills entry to Annesley School for Girls in Bowral as a boarder and in February 1948 she commenced her first term there. Her school reports indicate that she struggled with various subjects, presumably due to the different curriculum to what she had been used to.
Her reports generally also noted her talent and interest in music and drama and that she was good at games.
According to Jilly she slept on the verandah at Annesley which in those days was not enclosed. When asked was that for fun she explained it was her bedroom putting that down to her being there as a non-fee-paying student.
‘But I played the piano for them and sung and they sang and danced’ - she said she also sang them opera including the Mikado.
What Jilly didn’t say in that conversation was how talented a singer she was and how much music had been a part of her life in her teens in particular.
On lined paper with the Annesley letterhead and a crest including the words Annesley MGC School, Jill has written in pencil a School Song. Headed ‘School song (I made up)’. It goes like this.
And in the morn we rise at 6.30
We’re ready for our prep at 10 past s-e-ven and if you ask us why we have to do it
We’re at the MGC school
Far, far, away
Far away, far away, far away, far away
We’re at the MGC School far, far away.
I guess Bowral seemed a long, long way from Punchbowl!
Jill was only able to stay at Annesley for two years…1948 and 1949. According to a letter penned by her School Principal Miss Prater she had had to leave due to her father’s illness. The letter is here today. I think it is worth reading it in full.
In 1950 Jill obtained a position as Junior Receptionist/telephonist with American Travel Headquarters in Sydney. According to the reference the firm provided she resigned after three months to take up another position. The reference is also a positive one noting that Jill ‘had fully satisfied their exacting requirements’.
Another reference from 1950 is from the minister of the Presbyterian Church at Punchbowl. The minister speaks highly of Jill’s character and notes she is attached to the Young People’s Fellowship Association and attends the regular church services.
In 1951 at the age of 15 years and 11 months Jill underwent vocational guidance testing. The Vocational Guidance Bureau Report also makes for interesting reading. ..
“your own first choice of career – actress – is very difficult to enter and your present hobby interest in this work may have to suffice. On the other hand, your interest in beauty culture appears wise. Work as a saleswoman of beauty preparations is suggested as a congenial alternative. Other suggestions include hairdressing, general clerical work (including receptionist’s or telephonist’s duties), floral art and sales of artistic products…”
That report is dated 31st January 1951.
Five days later Jill signed her Apprentice Indenture papers for an apprenticeship as Beauty Operator with a Castlereagh St cosmetic salon owned by Maria Vadas Pty Ltd. This was to be a four year apprenticeship however the completion section of this massive document is not filled in. Maybe someone here today knows whether this was completed.
As well as working, young Jill was also pursuing singing. There are various certificates from Eistedfords held between 1951 and 1954. Newspaper articles outline Jill being soloist at Shirley’s wedding and reception in 1952, Shirley’s 21st party (which by the way had an impressive 130 guests!) and both Miss Shirley and Miss Jill Moody providing musical items at a friends 21st party. Bruce Moody is also recorded as “gate-crashing” this event as Mae West! It seems all three Moody children had talent!
There is a theatre program from Rowe Street Musicals July 1951 for a production of Maritza which lists Jill Moody as playing the character of Lisa and performing in three duets. Jill is photographed looking stunningly beautiful – it is the photograph on the front of our order of service.
Finally there are some newspaper articles regarding a concert in Bowral at which 18 year old Jill Moody was to perform. These were:
- The Four Mails October 23, 1953
- An Artistic Treat, Concert for Eisteddfod Society.
- The Bowral Eisteddfod Society Concert.
On the 6th November, 1953 The Four Mails front page reported on the concert under the heading ‘Talented Artists Visit Bowral’. Part of it reads:
Following the order of the programme, Jill Moody, also known in Bowral, especially in Annesley circles, gave a charming rendition of songs exactly suited to her pure, beautifully trained soprano voice and vivacious personality”. It finishes . . . ’the flower decked stage with our community grand piano made an attractive setting for the lovely young singers in their exquisite flowing dresses and the very enthusiastic audiences were very warm in their applause and vociferous in their demand for encores, in the second half, which were most generously given by the artists.
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