Big Slam Magazine - Flipbook - Page 47
bridge in 1968 and joined Lindfield Bridge Club in
Sydney.
After John died in 1975, she was courted by Peter
Garde, a Port Kembla harbour pilot whom she
had known in her teens. After his death in 1998
she moved to Orange to live next door to her second daughter. Diane, who was an Art teacher at
Forbes High died in a car accident that same
year.
Gwenda Moulton Mulholland Garde
Nearly 102 years ago, Gwenda was born into a
card-playing family. She was the second of four
daughters and 500 was their game. Her mischievous, fun-loving father engendered her first love
for card games.
Gwenda now plays bridge up to five times a week
at Orange Bridge Club. She encourages all
young people to learn the game in order to "meet
lovely, like-minded people and to have regular
outings well into old age." She still plays well. Everyone says she is AMAZING.
Gwenda attended SCEGGS Darlinghurst until
she was 15. Then her Dad lost everything in the
Depression and she left school and became a
secretary.
She flew with Kingsford Smith in her idyllic early
years, saw the Harbour Bridge opened, sailed at
Vaucluse and played the piano.
Gwenda was 17 when WW2 started. She
learned first aid, telegraphy and volunteered for
Home Nursing. She studied morse code in every
spare moment after work, then handed this
knowledge to the young pilots who were about to
leave for the Battle of Britain. One of these
22-year-old pilots was her future husband, John
Mulholland.
Gwenda became WRAN #36 at HMAS Harman,
after the Navy was persuaded to take women by
the legendary Mrs Mac. She quickly learned the
Japanese Morse code and was soon listening for
Japanese ships and submarines. Three years
later she was posted to Townsville as one of 10
Petty Officers. Sworn to secrecy, only recently
did she talk about these activities.
In 1946 she married her pilot and they had three
children - who were all taught to play 500 - and
she became a Qantas wife. She discovered
Between them, David Reddel and Ian Lisle
will have dealt 11000 Boards during this
celebration of Bridge
Two unsavoury tweets:
My wife fainted and fell onto the baggage carousel at the airport.
Thankfully she came around.
I was in the bank the other day, when a sweet
old lady asked me to help check her balance.
I pushed her and she fell over…