Factual Story: Noela

Edward Chapman James, 33, New Guinea

On May 18, 1942 a baby girl was born in the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital. She was no different from any other human being, well not yet anyway. Next to her mother were two young boys, Steven and Theodore, and next to them was her Grandmother. Her father Edward however was nowhere to be seen. Eight months previously he had left for the Middle East with the Australian Army to fight in what we now call The Second World War. The baby girl's name was Noela.

The first two years of her life were spent on Ella Street Fortitude Valley, with her two brothers and her mother Nancy. While her brothers were at school Nancy would cook and clean, but most of the time she just sat on the front steps of the house, waiting for the day her husband would come walking up the street. But he never did.

Then something bad happened; a letter came. In it Nancy’s husband explained he had fallen in love with a nurse in Papua New Guinea, he wasn’t coming home.

The boys were glad that he hadn’t died, but
Nancy said what their father had done was much worse than dying.

Steven 7, Noela 2 and Theodore 5 (from left to right)

Two weeks later another letter came, this one from the Australian Military. Edward Chapman James had died by way of a faulty grenade.

Nancy had been wrong, dying was worse.

After the death of her father, Noela's family moved to Morningside with her grandmother. She started school at Fortitude Valley State in 1947, excelling in sports. She was an average academic, but Noela loved school. It was the only place she could get away from her mother, who had taken a steady dive into depression.

Nancy Bertha James, age 24

The 1940’s in Brisbane saw the rise of Bex, a

compound analgesic used for pain relief, and in many cases as an anti-depressant. Nancy, shattered and broken with the loss of her husband, preferred to use it as the latter. She spent her days indoors, anesthetizing her heartbreak with the numbing white powder.

By the time Noela was eight years old, her mother had died. The doctors said it was kidney failure, but that wasn’t true... Nancy James died of a broken heart.

The rest of her life people would tell Noela how beautiful her mother had been.

After her Nancy’s death, Noela was put in the care of her Aunt Audrey. She was a severe woman who never showed any love or compassion for her niece, and Noela’s years with her were a special kind of hell. She left her aunt's after falling in love with a man named Pieter.

Noela Phyllis James at 20 years old

Like countless Brisbane couples in the 1950’s, Noela met Pieter at Cloudland Dance Hall. He was a tall, handsome and foreign, but best of all he could make her laugh.

They were married not long after and bought a house together, sparsely furnished with a small table, a fridge and a double bed. Noela had less than she ever had, yet more than she ever had before. Her happiness was made complete when she found out she was pregnant.

The next nine months were spent getting ready for the baby. Pieter worked late, so Noela would stay up all night making tiny frilled pants, knitted booties and little woollen jumpers. Finally everything had settled into place. Against impossible odds, Noela was living a normal life.

Pieter (23) and Noela (22) VanLeeuwen

One evening Noela was playing a game of Monopoly with Pieter and two friends, when she felt a sudden wetness between her legs. Her water had broken. Not wanting to embarrass herself Noela continued playing. As soon as their visitors left Pieter called a taxi for The Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital.

Without a mother to talk to her of such things, Noela had no idea that childbirth would be so painful; nor did she know about contractions, or pushing, and her labour was arduous. Twenty-four hours later her baby was born alive and well, but for a small wound on his head from where the forceps dug into his skull.

Noela and Pieter named their first born son Peter VanLeeuwen. They took him home from the hospital, and at first Noela had a little trouble getting him to eat... Then she had a lot.

All of the doctors she saw told Noela that there was nothing wrong with her baby, but his condition continued to worsen. Eventually they had to take him back to hospital, but he did not get any better.

After three months alive on this earth Noela’s baby boy died in hospital of a Golden Staph infection which had entered his skin though the wound on his head.

After her son’s death Noela swore she would never have any more children. Her life so far had been a series of bitter and angry hurts. Any more pain and she thought she might die.

But the years passed, as they do. All of the useless tiny clothes were given away, and Noela’s wounded heart scarred over, toughening again. She did have more children; five of them, and they care for her more than the earth.

Today she is old, loved, and happy.