By Alva “Bobbie” Davies

Effie Evelyn Pearl Smith (called “Pearl”) was born in Tynong, Victoria on 24th April 1925.
 
Pearl was approximately 5’ 5” tall with brown hair with a touch of red. blue eyes, fair skin and a lovely face, classical rather than pretty, a gentle manner, and quiet courage. 

In later life she was of the opinion that the constant shifts from one School to another was the reason that she felt her education was not very good. Being the eldest girl in family, she felt herself obliged to take on some of the many household chores, as our Mum suffered with her heart. It was nothing for Pearl to do the family washing (with the reluctant help of Bob)  on Friday night, (just a copper and wash troughs) hang out the clothes in the dark, then next morning, wash all the lino floors, before going out for a break on Saturday: usually ice skating or to a movie with Nell Nevein.
 
She went to many schools, then to Prahran Tech to learn dressmaking eventually making lovely smocked baby clothes in Carnegie, where she met her best friend Nell Nevein.
 
She met and married Thomas Joseph Smith at the Church of England in East Malvern on 19th June 1948. They immediately moved into her Mother in law’s little house at Eltham North, and lived there for the rest of her life. She actually bought this house with the proceeds of the sale of a block of land that her father has given her.  Brother Mick offered to help her to build a house on this block, but money was scarce and she wanted something she was sure of, rather than trying to find money to build  a new house.
 
Pearl and Tom had four children.

Laurence 30/5/49
Gayle 25/1/52
Warrick 1956
Philip 1964.
 
She started to write poetry in later years – mostly about the children and her life in Eltham – quite good really.

Pearl died at Eltham North on 18/1/2014.