Betty Ellen Sirett nee Grose was born in the Wynnum Hospital on 4^th October 1925.  Her parents were  William Grose, Betty’s father who was descended from the Moree Kamilaroi people and mother Nellie Lake was born in Australia.  

On her mother’s death Betty and her two siblings, Billy and Peggie Grose lived with her maternal grandmother Emma Ethel Grose and her uncle Charlie Grose in Woodridge. The children went to school at the old hall on Railway Parade, near the Woodridge railway station and later attending the new primary school, Woodridge State School on Wembley Road, Woodridge. 

A wonderful childhood memory Betty has, is attending the pictures in the city with her siblings.  They would catch a steam train leaving Woodridge at 8.45am in the morning and not returning till 5.00pm.  Eventually trains were electrified and a Mrs. Wruck looked after the gates at the Trinder Park crossing. 

She also recalls a Mr. Johnson who had a truck which he used to collect cream cans delivering them to the Kingston Butter Factory. He would deliver meat and bread on his return journey. 

Later Betty would train as a nanny catching a train to the city and then catching a tram to New Farm where she worked as a cleaner and housekeeper and nanny. 

In 1945 Betty married Dave Sirett and lived on a farm of 213 acres on Wembley Road, this area was later known as Berrinba. They lived in an old fibro house raising three of their five children Beverley, David, Allan. 

Dave was a timber man who worked with his brother George using a truck and trailer. Later George and his wife Daphne rented a house on the back 110 acres of the property and George had his own bullock team. Dave was also a Professional Boxer, having 3 professional bouts at Festival Hall, Brisbane City and is in the Boxing Recs. 

Dave and Betty later built the Slaughter House in 1952 on Illaweena Street Drewvale also owning an additional 300 acres farming beef cattle and sheep supplying the Sales Yards at Cannon Hill. 

Later they built a butcher shop with the two eldest brothers, David and Allan delivering the meat in an old Bedford truck up to 1974. 

The new house was built in 1958 and later Lyle and Julie were born. 

Dave and Betty worked the property as Primary Producers after the Slaughter House was closed in 1974. 

Betty used to milk the cows and make butter, the five children were so very lucky to grow up with such wonderful parents and on such a wonderful property / farm with lots of cows, sheep, goats, and horses as pets. 

In 1974 Wembley Road was bitumen, it had been such a very dusty and bumpy road and there were numerous floods on Wembley Road with the three creeks and Half Moon Lagoon Creek.   

In 1988 the Main Roads Department resumed part of Dave and Betty’s Property and changed Wembley Road for the future Logan Motor Way, Betty had to attend court to get compensation for the land resumed. Around this time Brisbane City Council took over the North side of Wembley Road and Logan City Council took over the South side. 

Dave had a massive heart attack and passed away 18^th July 1988. 

Betty sold the 495 Wembley Road property in 1999, which was then under the highest protection vegetation order, this was removed from the property after the property was sold. The property was then developed into one of the most expensive industrial properties in SE Qld. 

Betty is still going well and will be 98 on the 4^th October 2023.