When the invasion of military took place in North Queensland, particularly the arrival of the Americans, Edie’s business, like all those in Townsville, changed overnight. And her laundry just happened to be conveniently close to Kissing Point Fort and Jezzine Barracks.

First of all it had been several Allied officers who’d turned up.

‘Heard you do a good job,’ the Aussie lieutenant had said.

‘Yep, best in Townsville,’ Edie had replied, she and her girls accepting the bundle of uniforms that were handed over; the trousers, the shirts – they could easily manage this lot.

But then it had been a bunch of Yanks, eight of them in all, arriving in two jeeps. The American military had taken over the Townsville Steam Laundry, which was the only outlet capable of handling large quantities of linen, and these enterprising officers had decided to seek out their own personal laundress nearby.

Edie accepted their initial delivery, but she could foresee a problem lurking if this Yankee mob were to become regular customers. She visited Val.

‘We gonna need more water,’ she said. ‘Our tank too small.’

Val immediately referred the matter to Baz, and a week later a 500-gallon corrugated-iron water tank was delivered to the boatshed.

‘Above and to Betsy,’ Edie breathlessly exclaimed as she watched Baz and his two mates unload it. A mixture of ‘heavens above’ and ‘heavens to Betsy’, this had become her favourite phrase when awestruck.

Upon being informed of the acquisition, Val was equally impressed. ‘Fell off a truck, did it?’ she enquired, aiming for cynicism, but secretly lost in admiration.

‘Well, it fell on a truck actually,’ Baz replied, ‘then it fell off at Edie’s place.’

They siphoned the water that was left in the old 100-gallon tank and luckily several heavy downpours followed over the next few weeks, but Edie knew they couldn’t rely upon rain. Val was quick to point out also that water restrictions were bound to come into place.

Edie therefore had a word of advice for the American officers. ‘If that gets empty,’ she warned them, jabbing a finger at the tank, ‘you Yankees have to fill it up or no more laundry, you understand?’

‘Sure, Aunty, we’ll look after you,’ they assured her. Even the Yanks called her Aunty.

And now Edie’s business was thriving. The Americans paid handsomely, at least four times more than the Australians. Sometimes they’d even hold out a wad of notes and say ‘Take what you want, Aunty,’ but she never abused their generosity. And she still laundered for the few Aussie officers who came to her, maintaining it was only right that she should. Mind you, she preferred the Americans’ uniforms, their trousers in particular.