Norren Hayes, long term resident of Glebe
Norren Hayes, long term resident of Glebe

Heritage Sub-committee member, Margaret Cody, interviewed Glebe local, Noreen Hayes:

I was born in Cannock, NSW, a country girl. We arrived in Sydney in 1950, and I lived in one room with a kitchen, at 128 Glebe Point Rd, with my sister, and mother. We nursed a sick brother for 10 years. Then we moved to 101 Wigram Rd.

Then, in the early 1970s I moved to Hereford St, where I have lived for over 40 years. My employer gave me a loan and expressed surprise at a woman buying a house.

My earliest memories are:

  • Searching for the Catholic Church, St James; the trams; and walking home from the city. We used to admire the shop windows on the way, being country girls.
  • Hereford St then had three little shops which are now all gone, and a factory. There was a biscuit factory on the corner of Bridge Rd, opposite the old Children’s Hospital. There was also a defence/army site. Now there are new terrace developments, and there are units in place of the Children’s Hospital.
  • Transport was different. There were trams which then were replaced by buses. Now we also have light rail.
  • The mix of people is different too. There were students in share houses, not just families. Then it was more working class, now it is more mixed; for example, I have students on one side in my street, and a gay couple with kids on the other side.

I miss the people who have gone, but I enjoy the colourful characters of Glebe.