Suitcase packed for a life of travel

Born a Londoner on 17 November 1937, Joyce Hayes says she has led a charmed life. Joyce is one of the incredible people who work hard to keep the Berwick Library running.
She remembers when she was a child German bombs were falling on London but missed her home.
“All the houses around us went down, but our street escaped and I’ve been lucky ever since,” she said.
Joyce said the war was on during her early days at school, but she recalled that the children didn’t have the same fears experienced by their elders.
“I guess in a way it was an adventure for many kids.
“We always had a suitcase packed so we were ready to go quickly to the shelter.
“We were at Alperton in Middlesex, just out of London, and I went to the Alperton School.
“Despite the war we were still involved in things such as Brownies and dancing classes.
“We still had a full life as children, but just had to dodge a few bombs.”
Joyce met her husband during her days as a telephonist at the General Post Office (GPO).
“James was an engineer with the GPO and we married in 1957.”
The marriage continued an exciting life for the Berwick librarian because James took a posting in Nigeria, where the couple spent six years with the Marconi company.
“He installed a communication network throughout West Africa and I would travel around with him in the Land Rovers.
“We visited places where no one had seen a white woman.
“We then moved on to Kenya where James was the area engineer for the company’s communication system.
“I spent much of that time horse riding and travelling around the country with him.
“We had an interesting social life, but you had to be well organised because we were often in places that had only one shop.
“We had much of our food sent in by train, and once I forgot to order the toilet paper.”
Joyce said she spent time learning the language, which she found interesting.
“We spent four years in Kenya before returning to England, but we had itchy feet and ended up in Hong Kong, where we lived for 10 years.”
James installed the computers for the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
There was always a hankering from the couple to visit Australia, which was fuelled even more because Hong Kong wasn’t that far off.
Her brother lived in Australia so it seemed an obvious place to visit.
“We were already halfway there,” said Joyce.
“When my husband stepped off the plane that was it, he was immediately relaxed so I vowed that we would return.”
The Hong Kong job was completed and James was offered a choice of jobs either in the United Kingdom or in Australia.
“We had enjoyed Australia so much during our holiday with my brother that we chose Melbourne.
“Our first home was a rented house in Balwyn where we lived until our home was built at Narre Warren.
The couple started their own company, Hayes IT, and worked from home.
The business still operates on an international level and this has meant more overseas trips, mostly to Asia.
“My husband still runs the company because he says he has no reason to retire, but we have scaled it down a little.
“Our latest trip was to Shanghai where he did some work for the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
“The people were friendly, but we saw the absolute modern way of life and the shanty towns just down the road.
“We still say ‘have suitcase, will travel’.”
Joyce said the company was part of a network of technicians all over the world and if one obtains a big job others come in to help.
“We had one great job in Albania,” she said.
Joyce is a reader and this ultimately led her to the Berwick Mechanics’ Institute Free Lending Library soon after they arrived in Narre Warren.
“I went in to borrow a book soon after we moved here and they encouraged me to become a library volunteer.
“I was busy with the business but I guess you can always find time for other things if you really want to.”
Joyce became busy with the library and will soon qualify for a 20year service medal from the muchloved Berwick icon.
She has been president for five years and helps two days a week.
Joyce also loves singing and is a longtime member of the Dandenong Choral Society and of the United Ladies Choir, which is situated in the inner suburbs.
But Joyce says her second home is the Berwick Library.
“We are all volunteers and I hope one day to write a book about the people of the library.
“We have amazing people here and our chief librarian, Pam Darling, has managed the place for more than 40 years.
“Pam has enormous knowledge and is an inspiration to us all.”
Joyce said her dearest wish was that the library would always be where it has been forever.
“It is a great place for the community and central for everyone.
“People come into the village to shop and call at the library for their books.
“I like to think that we are important to people because they are important to us.
“We also double as an information centre.
“It is vital to retain the library in High Street because it is a special part of life in Berwick,” she said.