Colleen Geyer

The world was beginning to smile again, even if only for a short time. The stage musical ‘Showboat’, with its standout song Ol’ Man River, was the toast of 1928, together with the music of Jolson and Armstrong. Marvellous events were happening all over. In February, the famous aviator Bert Hinkler had just completed his historic solo flight from England to Australia. There was a strong push for him to include Mildura in his victory celebration tour. On Wednesday, March 4, 1928, there was another celebration with the arrival in Mildura of Colleen Margaret Curtis Daunt at Kirkee Private Hospital. Colleen was the first child of Achilles and Emily Daunt. Kirkee Private Hospital was located where Sandors Motor Inn on Deakin Avenue is now and was one of many small private hospitals that catered for the arrival of Mildura’s littlest citizens.