Seven girls grew up on the same street, still friends 71 years on

In an age where many people don’t know their neighbours, seven women who grew up on the same Ivanhoe street have achieved the unthinkable — keeping their close bond for more than seven decades. So what’s the secret to their lifelong friendship?

Helen Lynch, Glenda Jeffery, Margaret Leslie, Diane Southall, Margaret Peterson, Bev Assender and Elizabeth Stemborg at the Langham hotel this week. Picture: Mark Stewart

A tight-knit group of friends who all grew up on the same Ivanhoe street have remained close for more than 70 years.

Green St was the home to seven girls in 1948 — Margaret Peterson, Helen Lynch, Dianne Southall, Elizabeth Stenborg, Margaret Leslie, Glenda Jeffery and Beverley Assender — and they all consider themselves very lucky to still know each other

The house Margaret Leslie grew up in on Green Street, Ivanhoe. All the houses were almost identical.

Most of the women aren’t on Facebook, yet they’ve maintained their friendship the old-fashioned way through phone calls, letters and Christmas cards.

Elizabeth Stenborg said they all had brothers, so they naturally gravitated towards each other.

Helen's birthday party in 1950. Dianne Southall (tartan skirt) next to (left to right) Margaret Leslie, Elizabeth Stenborg, Helen Lynch and Beverley Assender.

“We didn’t get up to much mischief, we just seemed to talk an awful lot,” Mrs Stenborn said.

The girls were inseparable and all walked to school together, first Ivanhoe Primary then Ivanhoe State and even Sunday school.

On Saturday nights the girls would go to Storyville, a jazz dance off Ivanhoe Parade, and on weekends they would race down Green St in billy carts, make cubby houses or play near Darebin Creek, unafraid of snakes.

The women at a dinner in 1997. From left to right: Helen Lynch, Beverley Assenda, Dianne Southall, Margaret Leslie, Elizabeth Stenborg and Glenda Jeffery. Margaret Peterson is not pictured.

Margaret Leslie moved to Brisbane 34 years ago but is still very close with the group.

“Our mums would yell our names from the front gate and off we ran home for dinner, it was a different world,” Mrs Leslie said.

They say the secret to their 71-year friendship was making a lot of effort.

“Our parents were all good friends all the way through and that helped us all stay friends, we were all so similar,” Mrs Leslie said.

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“You can just pick up where you left off, the familiarity is important,” Mrs Stenborg said.

And again in 2000. Clockwise from left to right: Dianne, Beverley, Margaret Peterson, Elizabeth, Helen, Glenda and Margaret Leslie.

A recent meet up on the Swanston Street Bridge. Left to right: Margaret Peterson, Helen, Dianne, Elizabeth, Margaret Leslie and Glenda. Beverley Assenda is not pictured.

The seven have all led similar lives.

They grew up in war service homes, married local boys in their early 20s and had babies a few years later.

They are all now doting grandmothers.

Even though they have all moved away from Green St, their bond is as strong as ever and they travel from all over the country to meet in Melbourne twice a year.