Money for dresses
During her teenage years, Bertha saved most of what she earned as a governess, but she spend money on dress fabric.
Her wages were ten shillings a week but she only got paid four times a year.
"There was nothing to spend it on where I was out in the bush, so when I was going home for the holidays, old Archie'd write me out a cheque," recalls Bertha.
"You'd need about three and a half yards to make a dress and that'd cost you about seven shillings.
"My sister, Linda, she used to make them, she was good at sewing."
(Image by 'Elegant musings' reproduced under
creative commons licence)