Meet Mervyn and Hartley Ey, who were born nearly 100 years ago in Adelaide
WANT to know what life what life in Adelaide nearly 100 years ago? Ask twins Mervyn and Hartley Ey, who are about to turn 96. They’ve got some stories.
ATHELSTONE twins Mervyn and Hartley Ey fondly remember their younger days swimming in the River Torrens, domesticating local wildlife and helping their father grow 50,000 cauliflowers in their thriving market garden.
Now at 95 — soon to be 96 — the brothers shared stories about growing up on the free, fertile land of the northeast at an event dedicated to them by the Campbelltown Historical Society last week.
“We really appreciated our young days going fishing, hunting, following sport and going swimming,” Mervyn told the audience of more than 100.
“We had 28 acres bordering the River Torrens where the Ey family settled in 1847 — they came out from Germany.”
The brothers spoke a week after The Advertiser began a quest for SA’s oldest siblings after reporting on three siblings aged almost 300 years between them.
A shift to Athelstone followed in the 1850s, with the purchase of a farming property.
Hartley recalled growing up with various family pets, especially a loyal dog and some not-so conventional companions.
“A local returned from the country with two baby galahs and sold them to our father,” he said.
“The male cocky turned out to be a very proficient speaker ... it learnt how to say ‘Clem’ (another brother’s name) when he was hungry.”
They also befriended a kangaroo and tamed a school of fish.
“As youngsters we caught plenty of redfin in the Torrens and put them in the dam,” Mervyn said.
“Those redfin actually became very tame — we fed them worms.”
Growing up in the 1930s, Hartley and Mervyn led an active lifestyle, walking long distances and helping their father, Raymond, tend his cauliflower crop.
“And we were very interested in sport as youngsters,” Mervyn said.
“We’d walk to Hope Valley and Campbelltown to watch football matches.”
Hartley has long been a force at the Athelstone Football Club, serving as both secretary and chairman, and being made a life member.
In the early days, he even helped clear land owned for the club’s first permanent playing grounds.
The twins were forced to part ways during World War II when Mervyn was sent to Darwin without an opportunity to say goodbye.
“We tossed a penny to see who would go in first (to the army training camp) ... we both wanted to go in the camp because it was only for three months,” Mervyn said.
“Hartley won ... but he said ‘I’ll let you go in’.
“When the (Japanese) came into the war ... two days later I was on my way to Darwin.”
Mervyn was given leave for two hours to get his affairs in order, but didn’t have enough time to get back home and say goodbye to all of his family.
“So I met up with my father, we got a drink and that was it,” he said.
Today Mervyn still lives in Athelstone, while Hartley lives in neighbouring Campbelltown.
They say while they don’t appear as identical as they did growing up, they still think along the same lines.
“One would be about to say something and the other one would say it — it’s incredible,” Mervyn said.
