Vignettes of an Australian Childhood

This chapter provides a narrative that consists of 16 vignettes that relate significant episodes in the childhood of Peter, which occurred in the Melbourne seaside suburb of St Kilda, mostly over the period of the Second World War and its immediate aftermath (1939–1946). These vignettes, told by Peter, provide specific examples of the kinds of stress and trauma a child might be subjected to and are commented on throughout this work. During this period, St Kilda was a mecca for both Australian and American sailors and soldiers on rest and recreation leave from the Pacific War. This was the case given the proximity of their point of disembarkation at Melbourne Port and the well-established reputation of St Kilda as a centre for ‘entertainments’ of interest to men seeking distraction from war. Due to the absence of his father at the war front and the presence of a young, attractive, blonde mother, Peter’s early experiences were unusual and provide suitable material for analysis in a work concerned with the consequences of childhood stress and trauma.