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Rhonda Beryl Buckley

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Birth/death

Marriage/Children

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Rhonda was born on the 24th July 1925 at Gilberton, South Australia. She was the youngest of four children having an older brother Charles and sisters Dulcie and Lorna. She was also the heaviest of the children weighing over nine pounds at birth.

Being the youngest she was very spoilt by the family. It is said that it was hoped that she would be a boy and could then be named Ronald Amundsen Buckley after the famous explorer who had at that time just returned from the South Pole. This was not to be.

The family moved to Prospect Gardens in Feb 1927 when she was two years old.

Rhonda started school in Jan 1931 at Nailsworth Infant School. She continued on to Primary and Secondary all at the same school for ten years.

Shortly after starting school Rhonda contracted diphtheria during an epidemic. Many children died. The Northfield Infectious diseases Hospital was overcrowded so she was nursed by her mother at home. She was confined to her room for seven weeks and the only person who was allowed to enter was her mother. The room was isolated using sheets soaked in the disinfectant Lysol. Following the removal of her tonsils she spent par of this time fighting for her life. Later the tonsils grew back and had to be removed again. The once chubby little girl became small and thin.

Rhonda left school at the age of 16. Her first job was as a Message Girl at the Norton Trevaire Studio. At the studio she learnt various photographic techniques including processing, retouching and hand colouring.

Her ambition was to take up a nursing career and did commence at Memorial Hospital. After some time she abandoned this pursuit and returned to the same studio.

She later worked at Kodak, Blodwen Thomas (11 years) and Rembrandt.

During World War II she spent weekends and holidays working as a volunteer nurse at a hospital on the Main North Road.

From 1966 - 1968 she was a member of a team from Adelaide University who needed a female photographer to assist with a study of aboriginal secret woman's ceremonies in the far north of Australia.

Rhonda taught Sunday School at the North Adelaide Baptist Church and later at Broadview. At Broadview she was also involved in the Girl's Brigade, an Inter-denominational Organisation.

War of course brought entertaining troops away from home.

Rhonda corresponded with a soldier in New Guinea and on his return a romance grew. This fizzled out after a year or so resulting in a broken engagement.

She was introduced to a young grazier from Burra and romance again blossomed. This came to a tragic end in May 1948 when the young man was murdered, struck by a bullet meant for another person.

Eighteen years later while working at the State Library she was introduced to a gentleman by the name of Ronald Toussaint. She accepted a marriage proposal and was married in 1967 at the Broadview Baptist Church. She moved to Murray Bridge in May 1967.

Ronald had a massive heart attack and died suddenly in the kitchen at home on 23 Jul 1982.

Rhonda and Ron travelled all over Australia. They spent many weeks in the Flinders Ranges returning year after year. They visited New Zealand in 1977. A trip to England/Europe in 1978 enabled Ron to visit his old family home in Tottenham, London. They have flown in all types of aircraft ranging from a very small fabric plane to the Jumbo 747.

Rhonda cared for Ron's only remaining sister, Doris Weidenhofer from 1982 until Doris died of cancer on 31 Aug 1995 (Ron's birthday).

Rhonda joined the Murray Bridge Women's Bowling Club in 1973 and won many trophies. She was Club Treasurer, President and Committee Member for a number of years.

She is the only survivor of the family following the deaths of Dulcie in 1994, Charles in 1995 and Lorna in 1999.

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