Judith Anne Pearson (Née Fitzgerald)

“I was born Judith Anne Fitzgerald at Murwillunah, NSW. the eldest of six children, I lived in Kingscliff (a coastal town on the NSW – Queensland border), attended Tweed River High School and, then completed a BA Dip Ed path the University of New England in Armadale, NSW. After teaching of one year in Tamworth, NSW, I married David Pearson, a geologist whose I met at Uni. Our married life started in Broken Hill where I taught for two years before my wet daughters, Rebecca and Melanie were born. Having spent some time in Arawa (Bougainville Island, New Guinea), Townsville (Q;d/ and Armadale (WA), we arrived in Boddington where my husband was Project Geologist on the cold mine project in June, 1982.

My association with the Boddington Arts Council started almost immediately when I attended a meeting for those interested in starting a pottery group. From there things blossomed steadily and my pottery skills improved at about the same rate as our pottery equipment. I cannot speak highly enough of the friendship and encouragement I found in the BAC, and my poor husband will testify that as my omvp;ve,emt wot the BAC increased, so did my confidence, see of independence, and lack of housework! the next four years were an exciting time for us all as I watched the BAC grow from a small bet loyal group to a large and active group in the community with even bigger plans for a big new arts centre, and I hope that I had played a small but useful part in that growth as a member of the Arts Council Committee.

“I had always been interested in crafts but even now it’s a case of ‘Jill-of-many-crafts-master-of-none’ and, in 1985, I was appointed part-time art/craft teacher at Boddington District High school and hope not only to foster an interest in art and craft in the school, but to encourage a greater interaction between the school and the BAC.

“It was with sincere regrets that we decided to leave Boddington in June, 1986 when my husband accepted a new job based in Perth. We now live in the Perth suburb of Morley but, I do nope my association with the BAC was not altogether ended and I wish them and, all future members, all the best.”

Banana Bread

A family favourite, especially when we lived on Bougainville Island and bananas were growing in the back yard.

Ingredients

100 g butter

2 eggs

2 cups self raising flour

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

¾ cup massed bananas

⅓ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup brown sugar

Method

Grease a large loaf tin and set oven on moderate. Cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs in, one at a time. sift flour and bicarbonate of soda and fold into the mixture together with the bananas and walnuts. Bake for approximately one hour and cool on a wire rack. Serve sliced, plain or buttered.

Cherry Coconut Slice

This recipe was give to Judy by a little old lady who ran the rooming house in Broken Hill, the only accommodation available for the couple at the time. The little old lady made it regularly and claimed it was har “little bit of luxury”. this is an easy recipe for kids.

Ingredients

1½ pits plain biscuits (preferably malt)

90 g copha

180 g coconut

¾ tin condensed milk

90 g chopped cherries and nuts

Pink food colouring

chocolate icing

Line a Swiss roll tin with half the biscuits. Melt copha and add coconut, condensed milk, cherries, nuts and pink food colouring. Cover with remaining biscuits and ice with chocolate icing. Press evenly over biscuits. Place in fridge, cut into squares. This tastes even better two to three days later, that is if it lasts that long.

Recipes and Reminiscences

Recipe Index