Judy has lived in Benalla for most of her life.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
She is a former Mayoress, long-time local nurse, was the first woman on the board of Benalla Water, and is a long-term volunteer — still helping out in the community at the age of 80.
Born in the old Rossmore Hospital on Carrier St in the late 1930s she would grow up and complete her schooling in town.
‘‘Benalla was very different back than,’’ Ms Roscoe said.
‘‘The town has grown, but not so much in population, it’s a bit more spread out now.
‘‘When I was going to school we had the migrant camp over at the airport.
‘‘There were lots of people living out there, it was almost like a separate town.
‘‘They had their own school and their own hospital, which was staffed by local nurses, and the local doctors went out there, too.
‘‘And there was always something to do. We were never bored. We would never just sit at home.
‘‘There was always lots of sports on offer and that’s something that hasn’t really changed.
‘‘Out tennis courts have always been great. They’re probably some of the best outside Melbourne.’’
Ms Roscoe said it was not just sport that set Benalla apart, it was also the friendliness of local people.
‘‘There’s always been groups in Benalla who help newcomers fit into town like the CWA and Lions,’’ she said.
‘‘And we’ve always had different activities for our elderly residents.
‘‘Benalla really is a good little town to live in — and it always has been. We even had a daily plane service to Melbourne at one point.
‘‘It went to Essendon every morning and came back every night. I think it held about 20 people.
‘‘We never had the money to take the flight, but it was well used.’’
After completing school Judy would train as a nurse in Melbourne and Wangaratta before returning to Benalla.
She eventually found herself working in the very hospital where she had been born.
‘‘Working at Rossmore, that was an experience,’’ Ms Roscoe said.
‘‘It was a big old house and two sisters had opened it as a hospital way back.
‘‘When the war finished a lady called Edna Burns took over and she ran it until it closed, I was working up until that day.
‘‘That was about the same time that the telephone exchange was going automatic.
‘‘So what had happened was a lot of the girls from the Benalla exchange had been placed in different roles.
‘‘I knew the postmaster and he thought the staff at Rossmore would be looking for work, too.
‘‘So three of us went to work there, but that was a bit like trying to teach an old dog new tricks, it was hilarious.’’
Ms Roscoe would not stay at the exchange for long and ended up going back to nursing at Benalla Hospital.
She was also a keen breeder of Siamese cats and ran the Border and District Cat Club for many years.
‘‘We had three big cat shows here and the town was very interested to see all these cats, so it was always fun to do,’’ Ms Roscoe said.
One of her most cherished memories was when she met The Duke of Edinburgh, and Charles and Diana, in her role as Mayoress.
‘‘We had gone down to a garden party in Melbourne where the royals were being entertained,’’ Ms Roscoe said.
‘‘We met Prince Charles and Princess Diana, which was an experience.
‘‘We also met Prince Phillip and he was in one of his moods, but he was fun.
‘‘They obviously knew a bit about Benalla as they were off to Shepparton the next day and were asking us what the area was like.’’
Judy is still an active member of the Benalla Community and actually contacted The Ensign following an ‘‘Article from the Archives’’ that we published last week.
That article, from 2009, was marking Ms Roscoe’s retirement.
She wanted to let us know that since retiring from paid work, she has taken up a variety of volunteer roles and still does a couple of days a week at Royal Freemason’s Aged Care.
‘‘I did the blood bank and different volunteer roles over the years,’’ Ms Roscoe said.
‘‘And I’ve been volunteering at the Royal Freemason’s since it opened and have been really impressed with the facility.
‘‘Aged care used to be very different when I started working and volunteering.
‘‘And that was also in a brand-new facility at the time — but it was nothing like this.
‘‘I don’t know what it would have cost to build, but it was worth it. It is amazing.
‘‘Residents have their pets in for the day. They go on outings and do all sorts of things.
‘‘Some of the men are starting a vegie patch and some are turning a room that isn’t being used into a hotel, so they’ve got somewhere to gather.
‘‘They have a craft room and the decor is all beautiful.
‘‘There’s a hairdresser and a cafe.
‘‘I always said I didn’t want to go into aged care, but I would not complain if I ended up at the Royal Freemasons.’’
—Simon Ruppert
●If you know an interesting local person who you think might be good to feature in ‘‘People of Benalla’’ email editor@benallaensign.com.au or message the Ensign via Facebook.