Pam was the first Rotary exchange student from Portland. She is a retired counselor and a semi-retired mental health/first aid trainer. She is married to Graham Barr and has 2 children, 2 stepchildren and 8 grandchildren. Her hobbies include grandchildren, travelling Australia, gardening and reading. Community involvement includes ex-Lions member, hospital driver and trained palliative career.

 

Brought a couple of Portland Observers: Dec 1971 - an article about Pam going to Japan as an exchange student and being handed a seal of Portland Council to be given to the mayor of Sheena City in Japan where she spent her exchange. She also had to prepare an old-fashioned slide show to take with her. She had a great deal of stuff from the Minister for Tourism as well.

 

 

The Portland Observer was 7c whereas it is now $3. Pam's flight to Japan cost $750/-. The average weekly wage at the time was about $62.03 so her flight cost was a significant impost for her parents. Applying for exchange students was open to 14–17-year olds and Pam was dead keen to apply. In those days there were only 6 countries they could go to (Canada, US, Philippines, South Africa, Japan and Taiwan) and she did not want to go to an English-speaking country. Her Dad worked at the wharf and regularly brought home Filipino seafarers, so the Philippines was her first choice. However, martial law was declared in the Philippines and so she had to make a late choice of Japan or Taiwan. She put South Africa as a last choice due to political reasons. She was selected by Sheena City and was Japan bound. She had 4 host families during her year in Japan - her second host family was the President of the Club who harboured animosities stemming back to WW2. There was a nuclear power plant nearby. Her uncle who had served in the war was very upset that her parents allowed Pam to go to Japan. Her time in Japan was very interesting - there were no uniforms or badges and very few rules. She used to just jump on the train to go wherever she wanted to go. Probably the reason there are so many rules is because of what happened in those days. Of the 1200 girls in Year 10 in the school, Pam was at least 8 inches taller! There were people in Japan who were uncomfortable having her around - suspicion of a 'white' person because of the horrors stemming from the dropping of the atomic bombs. The year was an experience which made her see the world through different eyes!

 

Pam regaled the audience with quips and reminisces going back to the 70s!