Betty is singing Down Under

The Viator • Published 28 Jul 2009 14:00

EXPAT Greenockian Betty Gunn is enjoying singing Down Under.

A resident of Victoria, Australia, Betty is a member of the Southern Sounds Chorus which is based in the town of Frankston, where she lives.

They are part of Sweet Adelines, a worldwide organisation comprising groups of females who sing in barbershop style.

Southern Sounds Chorus recently travelled to Hobart, Tasmania for a Sweet Adelines competition between 17 choruses.

They increased their score from a previous competition by an amount which was practically unheard of in Australia or the US where the singing form originated. Points are awarded for music, sound, showmanship and expression.

The ladies are delighted with their success under a new director who hails from Dumbarton.

Apart from singing, Betty is also the group's costume mistress and spent many hours sequining and beading jackets for the stage performance.

Betty, whose parents were Agnes and Ben Thompson, was brought up in Wellington Street, Baine Street and then Thom Street. She attended Lady Alice Primary and Greenock High School.

In 1950 the family emigrated to Yallourn, Victoria where Betty's father went to work for the State Electricity Commission. Four years later the family moved to a bigger town but didn't like it so returned to Yallourn.

Betty's sister Anne had married by this time.

Betty then met her Australian-born husband Ian Gunn, a school teacher whose family tree could be traced to Wick in the north of Scotland.

The couple lived in a variety of locations in Australia and also spent two years in Penang, Malaysia - Ian taught at the Royal Australian Air Force school there. They finally settled in Frankston, Victoria where Ian was school principal for 11 years before his retirement.

Betty, accompanied by Ian, made her first visit home to Greenock in 2003 but has not been back since.

Following Ian's death, Betty wanted to keep busy and joined the Southern Sounds Chorus. She had occasionally been a solo singer in Greenock's Orangefield Baptist Church where she was also a member of the Guides.

Betty's other activities include being treasurer of her local ladies Probus club.

She has three children and six grandchildren.

Betty's relatives in this area include Elizabeth Adams, May McAteer, Joan Paterson and Irene Hayne - who are daughters of her late cousin Sadie - and her cousin Morag McGill who lives in Largs.

Tweet

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 28 Jul 09

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @greenocktele