Celebrating 100 years: Dorothea's story

This is Dorothea Ramm's story, as told by her daughter, Paula Ramm. Dorothea was a member of the 1922 scheme from 1957.

Ever since she was a little girl, Paula Ramm remembers her mother as a kind, strong and independent woman who gave everything to create a traditional family home life. Widowed at 30 years old with a toddler and a baby, Dorothea Ramm, was devoted to her young family.

“In those days, women didn't really work if they were rearing children, not unless they really had to. And due to the pensions that Mum received, she didn't have to work. She was able to survive and be there for us all the time.”

Dorothea’s husband, Paula’s father, was an Air Force veteran who served as a radio operator in Papua New Guinea. He was introduced to Dorothea in Colac and they wed in 1952.

“Mum got married at 27, which she thought was late. It's funny that my Dad proposed because he wasn't Catholic. She was Irish Catholic, so she wasn't allowed to marry someone who wasn't Catholic. In those days it was very, very strict. Anyway, he said, that's okay, I'm happy to become a Catholic. So they got to marry.”

The couple went on to have two children—Paula and her brother, Phillip—before moving to Shepparton shortly after.

When Dorothea’s husband died suddenly aged 38 from suspected malaria, Dorothea returned to the family dairy farm in Colac, in the western district of Victoria. With the support of her three brothers and three sisters, all of whom lived nearby, Dorothea and her young children lived with—and cared for—her parents.

“Mum was able to survive with the widow's pension and this superannuation pension. It helped so much in her survival and bringing up her two children. It was just wonderful, this scheme. She was able to give us a good life.”

Emboldened and seeking change, Dorothea eventually relocated her young family to Geelong and successfully applied to purchase a War Service Home. A country girl at heart who loved to garden, Dorothea chose a home on a quarter of an acre block because she wanted her children and their cousins to have plenty of space to play cricket and footy.

“The repayments were very low. I think she was 87 when she finally owned the house outright! But she lived there for 53 years. And I lived there with her for a long time as well. My brother, oh, he got married quite young so he left. But I stayed on with Mum for a few years because I didn't want to leave her on her own. Mum was really my best friend.”

Intelligent and well-read, strong and independent, Dorothea continued to play the role of father as well as mother. She had to learn how to do things for herself, and made many sacrifices to give her children every opportunity, a traditional family home life and a good education.

“And then she met a lovely lady. Mrs Smith, also a widower, was our neighbour and attended the same church. She got Mum to join Legacy. It was a wonderful organisation; they were incredibly supportive.

Mum had what they called a Legatee, a gentleman who would come out and give social support and assistance. My brother and I would go to Legacy House and the gym every Saturday morning—right up until our early teens. We’d have swimming lessons, and go on trips and camps. Legacy was a wonderful organisation, a really great help for us all.”

According to Paula, Dorothea made many friends through tennis, golf, ballroom dancing and bowls. If Dorothea got into something, she'd give it her all! She won trophies playing golf, and continued to play bowls well into her 80s for her beloved Geelong RSL.

“She was of Irish Catholic descent, so she had high principles. But she was still very fair and non-judgmental. She was her own person to a degree. She was kind—she would give people a lift to church and be a good neighbour and friend. She was just the most wonderful mother. She was so generous and loving. But still strong.

That pension was really so helpful to us. Mum was able to give us opportunities that other widowers may not have been able to. We were very grateful to our Dad.”

Sadly, Dorothea passed away aged 97, just two weeks prior to this interview. CSC would like to thank Paula for her generous contribution to this story.