15-01-1914 to 05-12-2002

Joyce was born in Tamworth NSW, on 15th January 1914, the first daughter of pharmacist George and Phemie Mallaby (nee Gilmour). There were 3 sisters, Pheme, Joan, Winsome and a brother George, who went missing in action flying fighter-bombers during WWII. 

The family moved to "Mouraby" (the family house name from the two family names Mallaby & Gilmour) in Maitland, NSW, where Joyce attended Maitland Girls High School. Mum then went to Sydney University where she was among the first women to pass Pharmacy. 

During her time in Sydney, Mum witnessed many exciting events, including De Groot riding his horse up and cutting the ribbon on the newly completed Sydney Harbour Bridge, beating Premier Jack Lang. Never one to waste, at 9 o'clock at night, after working all day in a pharmacy, Mum would walk ½ mile uphill at Bondi Junction to save a penny on the tram fare home.

During Mum's teen years, her father also purchased a property on the shores of Lake Macquarie at Cary Bay, where Mum, her sisters, brother and friends enjoyed many wonderful days boating and swimming, then partying around the piano on the veranda at night. It was during this time Joyce earned the nickname "The Court Jester" for all her pranks and sense of humour, which she kept to the end - 
could she tell a good yarn!

In 1944, while working in her father's pharmacy in Maitland, a handsome soldier from the nearby 9th Divvy Rutherford workshops, brought in some films for developing. As he left, Joyce said to her father, "That is the man I am going to marry".

Sure enough, after a wartime courtship, Joyce married Fred Hissey in Maitland on October 6th 1945, and then set off in Joyce's little red Vauxhall sports car for Mangalo, South Australia, where they were to manage the farm and trucking business following Fred's brother Jim's bad accident.

After selling the trucking business, organising the farm and Jim's family, Joyce and Fred bought land at Yankalilla on the Floriade Peninsular, South Australia, and together built their first house, cutting and laying all the timber themselves, and then with Mum passing bricks and cement up the ladder for Dad to lay. 

Joyce was the first woman to open a pharmacy (in the front of the house) in South Australia in 1948. The local drug companies refused to supply her because she was a woman; they wanted a man to be in charge. Totally undaunted, Mum contacted the drug companies in Sydney, and shipped everything over.

When Mum had finished her course, pharmacy wasn't a subject that student's could graduate. It was a highlight for us all in 1998, when the prominent Dame Leonie Cramer became Chair of Sydney University, and among her first actions was to hold a graduation ceremony for all the students from prior to 1966 (when pharmacy became a graduate course).

Mum looked beaming and magnificently proud in her graduation robe at the age of 84.

Joyce and Fred had 3 children, Ian, Lloyd and Leonie, and grandchildren Conrad, Joshua, Byron, Belinda, Aaron, Ayesha and April and a great-grandson. They enjoyed a long retirement together at her family's 2nd "Mouraby" home - on her beloved lake. 

Dad, who was a very proud Rat Of Tobruk, also involved with Mum in all their charity work together, passed away at the grand old age of 96 in September 1998. Dad would have been 97 in the October.

Mum was 88, would have been 89 in January, and up to her stroke, she averaged 3-4 days a week out at functions, as Secretary for the local branch of the Liberal Party, the local View Club (Charity), involved in ARPA (Australian Retired Persons Association), knitting, cards and marjong clubs. Among her many friends she was known as "The Quiet Achiever" for all she accomplished.

The week before Mum became ill, she had returned from a trip to Canberra for Floriade, with a following trip to the Young Flower Festival organised. In 1999 Mum and I set off in my little red sports car to retrace Joyce and Fred's original trip to SA, visiting the original Hissey family farm at Coppio, Tumby Bay, the first house they built together at "Yanka", and many relatives and friends that Mum had made during her time there. 

Joyce really enjoyed the 4-week driving trip, returning by the Great Ocean Rd, following the coast all the way home. Mum was very excited about the contacts made, the relics and garden cuttings she was able to bring back. Mum would love to talk about it over an evening medicinal scotch.

In 2000, we set off on a 2-week touring holiday up the coast, through New England and western NSW. Always on the lookout for a trip, last year Mum again took off with me for the first week of my around Australia trip, spending an extra week in Adelaide with relatives, returning home on the Ghan. Since 1999, as well as our trips together, many weeks I spent 2-3 days with Mum at the lake, we had also become good mates.

"The Dignified Lady" describes Mum because of the way she held herself privately and publicly. Mum was an inspiration to everyone, and I was extremely proud when she attended various business functions I organised, and when she attended my Masters Graduation.

Now she is at peace on this her final journey.

Rest in peace Mum, we'll be thinking of your forever.