Alice Baines - the passing of an era

Much has changed in Woy Woy in the past century.

Life moves so quickly now, that people may forget the Woy Woy of old, where soft drinks were purchased from the local Margin family, where shopping was done in the 'Mother Skekos' store which later became the Horsnells local shop, where the local Woy Woy bus company was owned by the Riley family, and where one family worked hard to keep the local Woy Woy taxis on the road, 365 days a year, for over 50 years.

That family was the Baines family, and Gordon and Alice Baines hold a special place in the hearts of all long time locals who remember the Woy Woy of old.

For them a special era passed this week.

Alice Francis Baines, wife of Gordon Edward Baines, and mother of five loving children, 16 grand children, and 15 great grand children, passed away peacefully at Chamberlain Gardens on Wednesday, February 18.

Alice was born on August 10, 1914 to local Woy Woy grocery store owners John and Alice Bird.

She had two brothers, John and Thomas Bird, and one sister Irene Bird.

All of the Bird children made a valuable contribution to the Woy Woy business community as their parents had done.

Alice's brother was a local business identity, owning numerous businesses including "The Pacific Cabaret, and roller-skating rink on the Ettalong Esplanade, while Alice worked in her parent's grocery store on Blackwall Road.

Alice married Gordon Edward Baines in October 1933, in the St John the Baptist Church on Blackwall Road, where Alice had been one of the first school girls who not only worshipped in the church, but also attended their schooling there.

The house they were eventually to live in, and raise their family in for most of their lives was purchased beside this historic building.

Gordon and Alice were a successful business team, who embodied the spirit of service to the community, and a love of family, while successfully building their local Woy Woy business.

In his early career, Gordon worked for the Riley family bus company, served on the ferries, and built a career in local politics becoming Deputy President of the local council.

He was on numerous important committees for the area which oversaw the creation of the Woy Woy Hospital, the electrification of the railway lines to the Central Coast from Sydney.

They were among the Woy Woy business people who gave assistance to the creation of the Everglades Country Club in its early days.

Gordon and Alice Baines developed the taxi company at Woy Woy, as well as establishing the Woy Woy Travel agency.

All this was done in a loving husband and wife partnership.

Alice Baines, or "Lally" as she was known to her friends, or simply Nana Baines, which she was affectionately known as to many in Woy Woy, not just family, but also friends and people she came in contact with.

She lived a full life, and enjoyed every moment of it.

An adventurous spirit, she travelled the world three times with her husband Gordon.

She attended the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964. They loved the horses and owned various race horses - "Speedy Baby", "BallyTime", Chataine Belle", "Paris in Spring", "Sounds of Morning".

Together they shopped in Hong Kong, enjoyed the theatres of Broadway, the spirit of London, and kissed the Blarney stone in Ireland, from where her ancestors came - County Cork.

She proved that the sky is no limit by paraflying in Thailand, at the grand age of 77.

They were a partnership in every way, and Alice was the solid rock behind "her man" Gordon at all times, always offering support, loyalty and love.

Love and support were unconditional, and were a hall mark of her relationship with all of her family and friends.

Family was the most important thing in Nana Baines' life.

Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have gone on to contribute broadly in what ever field they chose to pursue their dreams, knowing and feeling that Nana Baines was their source of inspiration and encouragement.

Helping "my mob to get to the top of the post" at everything they chose to do was one of Nana Baines missions in life.

Life speeds by so quickly that many people may forget the Woy Woy of old.

The Pacific Cabaret and Roller Skating rink on the Ettalong Esplanade, has long gone, replaced by a car park.

The Baines family taxi company, while still in the family through the work of Toni and Neil Mottlee since 1959, along with the work of Alice's son Warwick Baines, has now become a part of the much larger Central Coast taxi operation

Service to the community sometimes gets waylaid, as people today fret over superannuation and the stock market crashes, and small local business people, whose sweat and struggle gave so much to the local Woy Woy community are sometimes overlooked, as national chains, franchises, and department stores, make every town a carbon copy of every other town in the country.

For those who remember the days of old, and the business leaders who contributed so much to Woy Woy, its past, its living history, and its future, a tear will be shed this week, as the generous, hardworking, kind, and loving, Alice Baines, joins in heaven her loving husband Gordon.

Steven Mottlee, Canberra