Miss Joan Lamond, a former teacher at Currarong, who went on to have a long career in the banking industry, passed away on March 21, 2020, aged 97.
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Joan died peacefully at the Mayflower Retirement Home in Brighton, Melbourne, Victoria.
She was born at Wyong, NSW on December 28, 1922, the eldest daughter of Austin William Lamond and Lillian Forbes Lamond (nee MacKinnon) late of Currarong.
She was the eldest of five children - William, known as George, Mary, Noel and Patricia.
George went on to become the town clerk for Shoalhaven Shire and later Shoalhaven City Council for 31 years.
Joan was six-years-old when her parents moved to Shoalhaven Street, Nowra; she was enrolled at the St Joseph's Convent School in North Street.
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She was nine-years-old when her parents moved to Currarong, ostensibly until the depression was over.
They lived in a fishing shack on the waterfront her father owned.
At the time there were only about three or four residents in the small seaside village.
For a time, she boarded at the convent where the nuns encouraged her, as a gifted child.
Joan obtained her Leaving Certificate at the age of 16.
Her family still resided at Currarong where, in 1939, Joan was appointed as a 'Subsidised School Teacher'.
On that basis, the parents of the students provided the accommodation and the Department of Education paid the teacher.
Joan taught her siblings and a few other local children for three years.
In 1942, Joan moved to Sydney, to start a career in the Australian banking industry.
Joan subsequently transferred to Melbourne to work in the ANZ Bank; she worked in the bank's head office until her retirement.
Joan's passion was mineralogy; as a member of Mineralogical Society of Victoria, she made many exploratory trips to the gem fields and built up a collection of precious stones, which she subsequently donated to that organisation.
She also worked as a volunteer at the Victorian Museum in the gemstone section for many years.
After retirement, Joan made many trips to NSW to visit family; she also played golf at the 'The Victoria Golf Club, just a short distance from her home at Black Rock.
Eventually age caught up with her and she moved into the Mayflower Retirement Home at Brighton some 10 years ago.
She was well cared for at the home.
Over the years she complained that she had no family in Melbourne, but she was fortunate to have her good friend Barbara Davis to visit and assist her as she grew frail.