About Mary B ..... Just briefly I think I should tell you a little about myself. I was born in Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane to Raymond John Brettell and Josephine Ottilie 'Dot' (nee CUTTLER). We lived in Birley Street Spring Hill at that time and in September 1952 moved to my present address at Carina. I began school at age 5 (immediately after having my tonsils removed!) at Blessed Martin’s school, Mayfield Road Carina. (This later became Saint Martin’s). I remember my first day at school very clearly I didn’t mind being left by my Mum, but I 'bawled' when it seemed there would not be a place for me to sit! This obstacle overcome, I spent my next three years at that school. During these first school years my Dad was working every weekend with the local parish priest, Father Dennis POWER (very irish he was), building a new church and school on Creek Road at Carina. This became St. Munchin’s (named after a Church back in Ireland). When the school was completed, in my fourth grade year, I transferred to St Munchins, where I remained, an average student, until Grade eight. When I entered High School in 1963 it was at Seton College, Cavendish Road, Mount Gravatt, an extension of Saint Otteran’s church and School, also built by the energetic Father Power. I remained at Seton College for two years, completing my Junior Certificate year. On Valentine’s Day 1966, the day Australia converted to Decimal Currency, I began work as a Phonogram Operator for the Postmaster General’s Department (PMG). I remained in employment through carious changes to Telecom (1975) and Telstra, working as Admin Assistant, Personal Assistant to District managers, LAN (Local Area Network) Administrator/Information Technologist and finally, Regional Resource Manager for Telstra's IT Services in Queensland. I took voluntary redundancy from Telstra on 1st February 2001 and this is how I found the time to research my family History. Apart from my obsession with my ancestors, my main ‘hobby’ has been my music. My Mum bought me a Ukelele when I was around ten years old and at the age of eighteen I became interested in guitar, which has a similar tuning and chord pattern. I became involved with Folk Music in Brisbane in 1969, becoming a ‘resident’ singer at the Brisbane Folk Centre, run by Stan and Kathy ARTHUR. From there, I have followed several musical pursuits, running a small part-time music business which saw me toting my PA system all around south-east Queensland and northern parts of New South Wales, singing in pubs, clubs, restaurants, theme parks and music festivals. I still sing at the Folk Club at the Kookaburra Café, Paddington, on Wednesday nights. After being made redundant from Telstra I went back to school and studied Digital Art, Graphic Design and Web Page Development. I now work as a freelance Graphic Designer. I have a son, Gwyn, whose London born father, Bern DELL, now lives in New Zealand as does Gwyn’s half brother, Mawgan DELL and half sister Alice DELL. Enough about me let me tell you about my BRETTELL, DYER, CUTTLER, ENDERS & JAHL connections. My Mum and Dad, 'Dot' CUTTLER and Ray BRETTELL married in St Patrick's Church, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, in February 1947. Dad's parents, Arch BRETTELL and Alice
(nee DYER) and Dad's older siblings Arch, Syd, Win and Reg came to
Australia from London in 1921 on board the THEMISTOCLES. They
landed in Queensland and were granted a parcel of land (a sugar cane
farm) at Bingera, Bundaberg. Not being farmers (Arch was
a Mechanical Engineer) they found it hard going and abandoned the property
and moved to Brisbane. Return to HOME Page |