‘Changed so much’: Nancy Fermoyle reflects on evolution of Hervey Bay

An 84-year-old woman who remembers when Hervey Bay’s population was just 2000 people has reflected on the changes she has seen.

Nancy Fermoyle and Bev Davies, her carer from Carinity Home Care Hervey Bay, enjoy a chat and a laugh.

Nancy Fermoyle has lived in Hervey Bay for nearly 85 years, and the changes she has seen never cease to amaze her.

“The Bay has changed so much from the small coastal town it was,” she said.

“I grew up on a cane and dairy farm in the outer suburbs.

“The town is now encroaching on our farm with houses built right out to us.

“You can access the rest of the world from the airport, and there are so many traffic lights and people milling about.”

With a population of about 2000 people, services in Hervey Bay were limited when Nancy was growing up in the 1940s.

The closest hospital was in Maryborough, and the local school closed due to declining student numbers.

Living her childhood on the farm with her younger sister was a simple time, full of fun and adventure.

“My sister and I loved our dolls. I also loved climbing the big tree out the back,” Nancy said.

“One day my last jump didn’t land as well as planned and I ended up with a broken arm.

“I’d just received my first bike for my sixth birthday, so I quickly learnt to ride as a one-armed bandit.”

After starting school 12km from home, Nancy’s family was delighted when her daily travel was reduced when the local school reopened after a 10-year closure.

Nancy Fermoyle and her husband, Dennis, enjoyed a wonderful life on the Hervey Bay farm where Nancy still lives today.

The reopening was conditional on Nancy’s four-year-old sister being enrolled to make up the mandatory minimum student numbers.

“While she was too young to start learning, she just needed to turn up.

“She would wander around the school and nap under the desks in the classroom.”

Finishing school in Year 10, Nancy commenced work at Caswell’s Radio Centre in Maryborough, followed by a short stint at Hyde’s Fashion Centre.

She then worked as a secretary to the manager of the Lennox Street Holden dealership, where she met her husband, Dennis.

Nancy and Dennis married in 1960, the same year they bought Nancy’s family farm.

Nancy started working on the farm, where she and Dennis had their two sons.

The tough manual work of stripping the cane to the stalk was offset by the joy she had planting the cane.

Nancy Fermoyle with Amy McLean and Bev Davies from Carinity Home Care Hervey Bay.

While Nancy loved farm life, it presented plenty of challenges.

The 1969 drought saw the farming industry dry up, and the trial of daylight savings two decades later threw a spanner in the movement of cattle for milking.

Now 84, Nancy enjoys quieter days. Her son has taken over managing and working the farm, allowing Nancy to relax and reflect on her times there.

“The history and memories my home holds make this a special place to me,” Nancy said.

Nancy enjoys reading the newspaper and completing the daily puzzles – a long way from the days of cranking the 32-volt battery in the garden shed to get it charged for the evening.

She remains connected to her family and regularly gets out and about with friends, with the support of Carinity Home Care Hervey Bay, whose team of carers have allowed her to live at home.

“I have never been so well treated and supported. I am treated with respect and great care,” Nancy said.

“The Carinity care staff are all wonderful, they do everything you request and always ask if there is anything else I need before they leave. If I didn’t have Carinity I wouldn’t be here in my home.”

Originally published as ‘Changed so much’: Nancy Fermoyle reflects on evolution of Hervey Bay