Listen To Older Voices has run for 25 years, but comes to an end on June 27 making it perhaps, the longest running program of its kind.

For the last 18 years I have presented the Listen To Older Voices program as both the producer and interviewer.

This is part 1 of a 4-part program, where I present the story of my journey over the 76 years of my life.

I was born in the London East-end borough of Stepney in May of 1946 – the early period of post WWII Britain. My mother was Ivy Greaves and my father Jim Greaves.

In this part of my story I reflect on the roles my parents played in WWII and how my father came with a squadron of Spitfires to be stationed in Darwin during the war, and as a result at wars end, bought his wife and young son to Australia as ten-pound poms in 1949.

From my earliest memories of living in the then heavy industrial area of Yarraville I reflect on what life was like growing up and moving around the mid 1950’s until we moved into a new Housing Commission estate in the then Melbourne suburb of Jordanville – where life as for a boy was brilliant.

I share many stories that all revolve around how healthy a lifestyle we led, a lifestyle that was almost entirely revolving around being outdoors, forming local gangs, playing, exploring and using our imaginations.

I recall the importance of the Saturday afternoon picture matinees and of the introduction of TV. School was an important part of my life and I share how I excelled in my studies until contracting Scarlett fever and how as a result of missing school, things went awry – for a while.

Click to hear – Rob Greaves – Part 1Previous Listen To Older Voices Programs can be found in our archive, by clicking on one link or the other

– 2012 to 2016   

 –  2016 onward 

[Listen To Older Voices receives funding from the Commonwealth Government 
through the Commonwealth Home Support Program Program]