Ida Harriet Pollock

Ida Harriet Midson was born in 1888 and married Hepburn Pollock in 1916. "Habe" Pollock came from a family of carpenters and builders who built quite a few cottages in the Epping area. As a youth Habe was a keen cyclist and engaged in road races with a club and won a number of trophies.Later one he moved to motorycles, gradually building up to the heavier machines, however his wife Ida said "No" to motorcycles and from that time he was without transport except for public conveyances. In 1920 Habe was very anxious to make a trip to America to look at the types of houses being built in the States. He mortgaged the family home for $2,000, left his wife and two young children and set off with his brother Bob. Unfortunately it was not very long after their return that the economy took a downturn and the depression was happening. Habe built cottages "on spec" but never really prospered. When a cottage was completed he would move in with his family and it was Ida's task to establish the gardens which usually added $100 to the value of the house. These homes were often sold on a Saturday afternoon and Ida would know it was her task to obtain a deposit. Habe would go to town on a Monday to the Registrar General and register the sale. Solicitors were never considered. The depression years were hard ones for the family with Ida keeping an exercise book in which she recorded every bit of money spent including even the one penny for Sunday School collection. As the depression drew to a close Ida received a small amount from her mother's estate and a weatherboard home was purchased at 16 Boronia Avenue for the sum of $700 and this was where Ida and Habe finished their days. Habe was a keen bowler who was singles champion at the Epping Club quite a few times, possibly because he commenced to play at an early age for that time.