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ISSUE 31 | OCTOBER 2014
Judith Maloney (nee Kelly)
VMC 1945 – 1950
Our Mum died when I was 4
½
, leaving our 28 year old father to
care for his three little girls under five. One sister was 21 months
old and the youngest was just nine months. A decision had to be
made as to who was going to look after these three little people.
Dad had to continue working to support us, as there was no
Social Welfare to support people with benefits in Dad’s situation
in those days.
A decision was made that at 4
½
years of age I would be able to
go to boarding school and Villa Maria College in Christchurch
was chosen. A large wooden two storey building set in grounds
with lots of lawn and fruit trees.
I can still see the dormitory at Villa Maria where we all slept.
There were about 20 beds in the room where I was. Each cubicle
had a curtain that you could pull around for privacy. There was a
larger cubicle at the end of each dormitory that one of the nuns
slept in and it was great fun to wait until Sister was in bed and
sneak a peek at her big bloomers on the end of her bed!
My sister Barbara came to Villa Maria College when she was five,
quite a while after my move there. She slept next to me in the
dormitory. One night, she got out of bed to use her potty when
she knocked this over and it spilt all the way down the length
of the dormitory. Looking back now I feel very sad for that little
seven year old big sister (me) who had to mop the floor in the
middle of the night.
St Patrick’s Day at Villa Maria was always great fun. To wake us
up each morning, Sister would walk down the dormitory and ring
a bell. On St Patrick’s Day we were allowed to have a pillow fight!
Then we had sausage rolls and tomato sauce for breakfast. All
the flaky pastry and sauce getting everywhere. This was such a
treat!
After leaving Villa Maria I went to St. Mary’s College. My sister
and I lived with various housekeepers for a few years while our
Dad was away working in Tekapo. During my Form 4 and 5 years
I was at Sacred Heart College as a boarder. I left there when I
OUR ALUMNAE
Judith a nd her sister Barbara at her first Commu nion
turned 15 at the end of November 1955 so I could begin working.
I started at Public Trust Office as a shorthand typist and at night
went to Gilbys Commercial College to obtain further commercial
qualifications. I have been extremely fortunate in my working
life as I have had four administration positions over the years
and have absolutely loved every role. I have worked mainly with
mature students through Massey University (including the Pacific
Islands) and currently with the Whakatane Hospital in an on-call
role as a ward clerk/administrator.
Looking back at my Villa days, I am grateful that there were some
very kind Sisters who were able to provide a home and the care
Barbara and I needed at a very vulnerable time.
“We shou ld be as the compass that goes
rou nd its circle without stirri ng from its
centre – ou r centre is God, from whom a ll ou r
a ctions shou ld spri ng as from their sou rce.”
Words from Catheri ne McAu ley
