Service for Lorna Bennett
A memorial service will be held at Woy Woy leagues Club on Tuesday, February 5, from 11:15am for Ms Lorna Bennett, a former resident of Woy Woy.
Ms Bennett, who was known as the lady in the pink house at Wondabyne, died on Thursday, January 24, aged 90 at Hammond Care Nursing Home in Erina.
Ms Bennett was born on September 16, 1922, at the Selections in Abermain to Stan and Hanna Phoenix.
She was the youngest of the family with four brothers and became a dressmaker in her teens before she came to own her own business in Weston.
During the war she made numerous wedding and bridesmaid gowns for those in the coalfields of Cessnock.
In the 1940s she went to work in Sydney as a clothing machinist at a large clothing factory and stayed there for many years.
She met Sergeant Reginald J Bennett, a Second World War serviceman who had been on active duty overseas.
They married in 1945 and lived at Milsons Point in Sydney.
For several years from 1950 Lorna and Reg had children from Barnados or Far West children's organisations for holidays and many kept in touch with them for some time.
Lorna and Reg later moved to Wondabyne to care for Reg's aunt.
The house was owned by the Railways and was one of several built when the rail line was being built to transport quarry stone.
There were no roads, electricity, water or sewerage.
After both Reg and his aunt died, Lorna remained in the pink house at Wondabyne.
During the fires in 1979, Lorna was acknowledged for her contribution and hospitality from the Brooklyn Fire Brigade.
In the late 1990s, another fire threatened her home but she refused to move.
"As the trains went by, she would often be out in the yard waving her tea towel to the train drivers and passengers," said Lorna's niece Ms Marilyn Wilson.
"Some of the drivers kept in contact for many years," she said.
"Due to the Olympics in 2000, the rail services to Wondabyne were cancelled.
"This meant the people were isolated from the rest of the area.
"She complained to numerous people including Members of Parliament but to no avail.
"Finally she contacted the papers.
"However there was still no solution.
"After this, her brother tried to persuade her to leave, but she dug her heels in.
"Finally, in about 2003 after an illness, she gave in.
"She was 80, but was still getting in and out of the tinnie doing her shopping and motoring around the place," said Ms Wilson.
In 2004, she was asked to go back to the house and be in a movie featuring Kerry Armstrong and Jack Thompson called The Oyster Farmer in which she played herself, the lady in the pink house.
"Not long after this the house was demolished much to the dismay and anger of many people," said Ms Wilson.
Ms Bennett moved into a unit in Woy Woy and was there until July 2011 when she became ill and was placed in care.
"She was very quick witted, loved a joke, took no nonsense from anyone, smoked almost continuously and loved her wine," said Ms Wilson.
"She was one tough lady."
Email, 25 Jan 2013
Marilyn Wilson