My grandfather (F.W.R. Lill) built this house in 1928. He was a builder. (He also is on the Grange Bowling Club member board as a life-time member.) I was their from birth until October 1972 - I then went overseas and lived in London, Germany and USA. I came back in 1981 for about a year, then came back again in 1983. I moved out almost right away. Mum (Joyce Constance Capon, nee Lill) stayed until the late 80s. A robbery while she was away for the weekend scared her and she didn't want to stay in the house any longer, she didn't feel safe. I wish I had the opportunity to own this house. I never would have left it.
This photo is 1968. The railings were put up for my grandmother who had a walking cane to walk.
The lawn was difficult to mow, but was great for a 'ring-side' seat for the Australia Day parade each year. Friends and relatives would come for such a choice 'seat'. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper here on hot summer days. Air conditioning wasn't in homes, nor swimming pools, so everyone came to the beach to cool off. Many sleeping there overnight - you couldn't walk there in the dark - so many lying there, sleeping.
In the early 1960s the house numbers were changed. It was number 620. It went from Seaview Road all the way down to Military Road. Our garage was there. We always painted the house in traditional green and cream. The rock came from the Adelaide hills. Quite a task when built in 1928. The land here was white sand. As a child, to dig down 3' meant coming to pure white sand.
The bus stop was built in the early 60s. Being concrete it would emphasize noises. Sometimes the STA buses would sit here and idle. It would vibrate through the whole house.
Cross Seaview Road, go down 4 houses, turn the corner, walk a little way more, and you're on the beach!
Noisy galahs in the palm tree next door would wake me up some mornings.
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