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Meredyth Sykes, first child of Des and Isabel, wrote about her experiences growing up at Corduroy: Early years at Corduroy were idyllic. Life centred round the orange grove, pumps and their failures, round the Murray. We swam in the river with ropes tied to a tree and knotted round our middles and watched paddle steamers Gem and Marion churn past. Isabel, Meredyth's mother, would row across the current to a favourite sand bank on the other side, without life jackets of course and usually with a dog or cat, called Concertina, sitting in the stern. John and Selina Ford, and Wendy Green (see photo far right) were guests, especially during summer months. For birthdays we staged concerts, charging adults exorbitant admission. Johnno was always a star with his comedy timing and clever magic. Selina sang and danced her special “Little Mr Baggy Breeches.” Judy Sykes, Meredyth's younger sister, loved centre stage and acted with style. Wendy had dimples and was a cutie, while Meredyth was a very bossy stage manager. Christmas for some years included the extended family, until numbers grew beyond 50 or so, and families celebrated individually. Corduroy Christmas was a 20 foot tall gumtree, decorated and hung with presents on the lawn adjacent to the river in 1945. We filled the Commercial dining room one year, when Uncle Bernie Wilkes swallowed a two shilling coin in his plum pudding. He always put extra coins in our plum pud serves, so we were all worried about him! He was a joking, fun uncle who told us scary ghost stories as well. We loved going to the old Commercial, with its stairs, polished banisters for sliding down, and bread in glass containers with lids. We stayed in the front lounge and drinks for the ladies and children came through the hatch. The garden next door was a hit too…with a round merry go round and a huge jacaranda. Sliding down the sacks of flour in Burton’s bakery warehouse was another winner, as was Marg Green’s /Rafferty house, next to the galvanized iron Customs house shed near the old wharf. Funny though, kids in Wentworth (at Tara) never swam in the river that I remember. Selina, on the other hand, remembers swimming in the Darling river by a small jetty on the bank just below Tara, and getting leaches. I (Peter Green) too recall getting leeches when swimming (more like paddling) in Tuckers Creek a mile or so away from Tara.
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