Dulcie Emslie (Transition/Kindergarten Teacher)
Andrew Michael and Graeme Lowry Jones (both OS 1975) suggested that we interview their St Ives Preparatory School's Kindergarten teacher, but sadly she passed away in early February at the age of 101. Her son Dean said that his mother often spoke positively about her life at Grammar, and he kindly agreed to answer some questions.
1. Where did Dulcie grow up? What was life like then?
Dulcie was born on 14 July 1919 in the small town of Winkie four miles from the orchard and farming town of Berry in South Australia. Her parents, Carl and Augusta Fielder, had a farming property so Dulcie and her older sisters, Eileen and Peggy, had a very carefree childhood regardless of the lack of amenities taken for granted these days, such as electric lights and transport etc.
2. Where and how did Dulcie train to be a teacher?
Dulcie's husband returned from the War, but sadly died aged 38 on 22 June 1954 and, as a 35-year old War Widow with a 9-year old son, she found life quite difficult. As there was a shortage of Kindergarten and Year 1 teachers, she applied and was granted the opportunity to attend Adelaide University to be trained as a teacher, graduating in June 1957 with a credit in Music. Her first position was at the Port Adelaide Infant Catholic School in July 1957, where she had a class of 20 little boys. She then taught at the Unley Infant School in Adelaide, from January 1959 to 31 December 1961.
3. Why and how did Dulcie come to work at St Ives? How long did she teach there?
She relocated to Sydney from Adelaide, as her sister Peggy and her husband Peter, lived in Castle Cove. After working at Curzons Fashion in 1962, she gained employment at St Ives Preparatory School where she taught from 2 February 1963 until 2 June 1972 (at which time she and her son Dean returned to Adelaide to live).
4. Are there any boys who Dulcie remembered well?
Dulcie certainly remembers Andrew Michael, as he was in her first class. She often thought back to that first day when she was shaking in her shoes and met Marg Michael who was enrolling Andrew for his first year at school and admitted that she hated hating to leave him. That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship between Marg and Dulcie, which lasted with regular contact.
5. What subjects/activities/tasks did Dulcie particularly enjoy doing at St Ives?
She loved taking her class for a walk through the woods at the back of the school to collect beetles and different leaves. She loved any artistic and craft work activities, that she could do with the children. Not surprisingly, she often received compliments from the School Inspectors when they visited her schoolroom, which was always extremely neat, colourful and full of wonderful examples of the children’s art. She held the three "R's" as the benchmark for her students to strive to do well, as she felt this was the gateway for their future studies.
6. Finally, when I say, ‘St Ives Prep’, what do you think would have come to Dulcie’s mind?
A very happy time where she learnt to move forward and embrace all that life had to offer. She was there for nine years, which was something of a record for Dulcie, as she loved change and had many jobs, houses and businesses during her long life.
Dulcie Emslie with her family on her 100th birthday! (Dulcie died at the age of 101 years 6 months on 1 February 2021. She is survived by her son Dean, her three grandchildren, James, Sally and Melissa and great grandchildren, Loren, Harry, Thomas and Cooper).