Sheila McTaggart

Canberra resident with memories of Acton
Born: 1932 in Marrickville, Sydney
Married to Frank McTaggart

“My name is Sheila Mary McTaggart, and I was born in 1932 at Marrickville in Sydney. We came to Canberra in 1936. My father had come here to start a plumbing business and he had a very big plumbing business called Kingston Plumbing Company. My sister was born at the little old hospital at Acton that is now part of the University. I lived with my family in Kingston until I got married to my first husband. My first husband died, and I married my second husband Frank in 1969.

I went to St Christopher's School, and every St Patrick's day on the 17th March we had our sports carnival down on the Acton oval there behind what was the hospital. I also remember walking around the golf course with my dad who played on the Royal Canberra Golf Course. I remember the Acton cottages. I knew Ernie Gardner and his wife really well. There were other people like the Kayes - I knew some of the Kaye girls who were on Springbank Island. And then there were a few other Catholic girls who lived there who went to St Christopher's when I was there.”