Adelaide’s Eileen Harris’ final Christmas wish is to be in the 2024 Adelaide Christmas pageant

Eileen Harris was in the first pageant in 1945. This year the 94-year-old’s Christmas wish was to be in it one more time.

After being in the Christmas pageant at 15 years of age, Eileen Harris has been a fan of the annual celebration ever since.

It was the 1945 pageant, the first one after World War II when Ms Harris was working in the John Martin’s dressmaking department that she first enjoyed being a part of the festivities.

“I was dressed as the air force … and it was wonderful to be in the first year that I was at John Martin’s,” Ms Harris said.

“And I was in several pageants after that, I was in about five pageants so it has been very close to me.”

Eileen Harris, 94, was in the first Pageant after the war. This year, she has been offered a spot on the Christmas bus. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe

The 1945 Christmas Pageant.

Eileen is the fourth girl in from the right in the back row. (Copyright The Advertiser photo Krischock)

Now at 94 years of age, Ms Harris wrote to pageant director, Brian Gilbertson with a special request. She wanted to be in the pageant one more time.

“I decided I would write a little letter to Brian, it was more comical than anything, and ask him whether I could be in it,” Ms Harris said.

In her letter Ms Harris told the director that she is “in good health” and feels she is “still able to sit on a float”.

“I hope you read this letter with a smile on your face and start to think of a way you could accomplish this request,” Ms Harris wrote.

The West Croydon mother’s wish came true and she will now have a role in pageant on the big, red double decker bus known as the ‘Christmas on the Parade’ float.

“I hope it’s a lovely day and I hope everyone enjoys themselves,” Ms Harris said.

“And it is free, you don’t have to pay to go to it so everyone can enjoy it.”

Eileen Harris, 94, was in the first Pageant after the war. This year, this year, she has been offered a spot on the Christmas bus. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe

Ms Harris’s recollections of her first pageant are joyous as she recalled South Australians not only welcoming the Christmas season to Adelaide but also celebrating the end of the war.

She has even held onto the clippings from the original newspaper covering the event.

“That was great,” she said.

“We had to get there at about six o’clock in the morning and get all make-up and uniforms done,” Ms Harris said.

“There was a hotel opposite where (the pageant) started and the clowns would go into the hotel and get really, really ‘chewed up’ and that’s how they used get all cheery.

“And then the whistle would blow and we would start off.”

Eileen Harris, 94, was in the first Pageant after the war. This year, she has been offered a spot on the Christmas bus. She is pictured with her son Neville Harris who plays in the pipe band in the pageant. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe

In the lead up to the big day, Ms Harris remembers practising marching on top of the John Martin’s rooftop.

“(I love) how much (the pageant) brings the children, I mean I used to take my children from the time they were born, they would never miss the pageant,” Ms Harris said.

“And we used to get there early in the morning to get the spot every year, until they got too old.”

Ms Harris is proof that no one is ever too old for the Christmas pageant and enjoyed a tour of her float on Wednesday alongside Ms Gilbertson and her son, Neville Harris who will also be a part of this year’s pageant in the pipe band.

She will be counting down the days until she is waving to crowds of smiling South Australians at the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant on Saturday, November 2.