The Ozzie " Dunny "

**Disco44** · 19th January 2010, 03:40 PM

Are they Still around in "civilised " places ?

THE OZZIE DUNNY

They were funny looking buildings, that were once a way of life,
If you couldn't sprint the distance, then you really were in strife.

They were nailed, they were wired, but were mostly falling down,

There was one in every yard, in every house, in every town.

They were given many names, some were even funny,
But to most of us, we knew them as the outhouse or the dunny.

I've seen some of them all gussied up, with painted doors and all,
But it really made no difference, they were just a port of call.

Now my old man would take a bet, he'd lay an even pound,
That you wouldn't make the dunny with them turkeys hangin' round.

They had so many uses, these buildings out the back,"
You could even hide from mother, so you wouldn't get the strap.

That's why we had good cricketers, never mind the bumps,
We used the pathway for the wicket and the dunny door for stumps.

Now my old man would sit for hours, the smell would rot your socks,
He read the daily back to front in that good old thunderbox.

And if by chance that nature called sometime through the night,
You always sent the dog in first, for there was no flamin' light.

And the dunny seemed to be the place where crawlies liked to hide,

But never ever showed themselves until you sat inside.

There was no such thing as Sorbent, no tissues there at all,
Just squares of well read newspaper, a hangin' on the wall.

If you had some friendly neighbours, as neighbours sometimes are,
You could sit and chat to them, if you left the door ajar.

When suddenly you got the urge, and down the track you fled,
Then of course the magpies were there to peck you on your head.

Then the time there was a wet, the rain it never stopped,

If you had an urgent call, you ran between the drops.

The dunny man came once a week, to these buildings out the back,
And he would leave an extra can, if you left for him a zac.

For those of you who've no idea what I mean by a zac,
Then your too young to have ever had, a dunny out the back.

For it seems today they call them the bathroom, or the loo,
If you've never had one out the back, then I feel sorry for you.

For it used to be a way of life, to race along the track,
To answer natures call, at these buildings out the back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The ho har's** · 19th January 2010, 04:11 PM

yep I remember them well

In Hervey Bay and we even had one when we lived in Cannon Hill Brissy

just off Wynnum Road
We must have been upmarket as we used the green paper squares that the apples used to be wrapped in most of the time

I don't know if dad left a zac out for the extra can though

Mrs hh

**nice1guv** · 19th January 2010, 04:27 PM

The main dunny on one of my relatives farms is still a good old outback one, complete with creepers that have engulfed it and many spiders that call it home.

As a little kid, it always used to give me the shivers walking out there in complete darkness never knowing what was waiting for you.

**BMKal** · 19th January 2010, 04:49 PM

The old original is still out the back of our house in Kalgoorlie, right next to the outdoor laundry, which is still in use.

As the house has been "extended" a number of times over the years, the back verandah now covers both. The "dunny" has even been upgraded in recent years, due to the WA Government's "Waterwise" program, where they provided and installed new split flush cisterns to reduce water consumption. As the new style of cistern was not compatible with the old style pan - they also replaced the pan with a new one at no cost to us.

But because there are two bathrooms inside the house, both with toilets, the old one out on the verandah is now more likely to be used as a store room, unless the kids have friends around for bar-b-ques / parties on the back verandah, when the old faithful is returned to original duties.

**p38arover** · 19th January 2010, 05:12 PM

One of my jobs as a 12yo was to dig a hole and empty the dunny can into it. Obviously, we didn't live on a suburban block. We were out in the bush on Beaudesert Rd, Calamvale (in Brissie).

**banjo** · 19th January 2010, 05:13 PM

yep my aunt had one in the late 70s early 80s out at rathmines.all us kid where scared of it & scared of falling in..& that smell i will never forget it till the day i die...
reminds me when i was i kid camping at barington top my youngest sister fell in a long drop she was about 6 or 7 the rest of us kids thought it funny,she never did thow..dont know why lol.

richard4u2 · 19th January 2010, 05:35 PM

they have things like this out in national parks , just a bit more modern

**The ho har's** · 19th January 2010, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

One of my jobs as a 12yo was to dig a hole and empty the dunny can into it. Obviously, we didn't live on a suburban block. We were out in the bush on Beaudesert Rd, Calamvale (in Brissie).

hey ho har used to live on Beaudesert Rd just near the railway goods yard at Acacia Ridge and me at Browns Plains not far away

Mrs hh

PS must check spelling because I am answering Ron

**p38arover** · 19th January 2010, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by The ho har's

hey ho har used to live on Beaudesert Rd just near the railway goods yard at Acacia Ridge and me at Browns Plains not far away

Mrs hh

PS must check spelling because I am answering Ron

I went to Calamvale State Primary - I can't find it on Google Maps, then to Salisbury State High School (which appears to have changed name to Nyanda)

I was trying to work out where we lived but it seems the "big house" (as it was called locally) south of the primary school has gone.

I think, when I last went back, there was a Shell servo across the road or nearby.

My grandfather's place might have been this one (but on much more land). Where the tennis courts are there, there would have been a bowling green and that rubbish to the west would have been the sheds which went the full length of the green. Behind where Woodlark Cres is, were the poultry sheds. (Assuming this is the house which may have been extended or knocked down/rebuilt.)

**The ho har's** · 19th January 2010, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

I went to Calamvale State Primary - I can't find it on Google Maps, then to Salisbury State High School (which appears to have changed name to Nyanda)

I was trying to work out where we lived but it seems the "big house" (as it was called locally) south of the primary school has gone.

I think, when I last went back, there was a Shell servo across the road or nearby.

My grandfather's place might have been this one (but on much more land). Where the tennis courts are there, there would have been a bowling green and that rubbish to the west would have been the sheds which went the full length of the green. Behind where Woodlark Cres is, were the poultry sheds. (Assuming this is the house which may have been extended or knocked down/rebuilt.)

calamvale primary was torn down years ago due to white ants

the big house was it white if so I know the one you mean, yes there was tennis courts there

Mrs hh

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