The Loreto Normanhurst community is thrilled to share with Beryle Barton (née Slingo) our heartfelt congratulations upon the celebration of her centenary. The following words were kindly provided by Beryle’s daughter, Victoria Dalglish (née Barton, ’71), on her mother’s behalf.

Beryle Norma Barton (née Slingo) attended Loreto Normanhurst as a boarder in 1936 when her parents sailed to England and Europe for business purposes. She loved playing tennis but her main takeaway from Loreto was the deep devotion she developed and retains today for our Blessed Lady. She regularly uses her Loreto Manual as her prayer book, and continues her devotion to Our Lady by saying the Rosary many times every day.

After school, Beryle attended business college in Sydney and went into the office of her father’s importing and manufacturing business. She learned the shipping and importing business from the bottom up. She enjoyed a career of over 50 years in the family business, taking over and expanding the business with her brother, Jack, when their father retired. By the time she retired in her early 70s, Beryle had served as co-General Manager and been responsible for marketing and export functions.

At the start of the war, Beryle joined the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force as a driver based in Sydney. She was the preferred driver for the unit because of her superior knowledge of the roads; her counterparts who came from interstate were not fortunate enough to have access to digital maps in those days. She served until the end of the war and was medically discharged after succumbing to rheumatic fever.

Beryle married Bruce in 1953 and they had four children, Victoria (Class of 1971), Elizabeth, Anthony (deceased) and Grace. Together, Beryle and Bruce enjoyed a wonderful marriage until his death in 1998. Since then, Beryle has lived in Wagga Wagga with Victoria, who cares for her full-time.

Liane Giuliano (Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement) recently reached out to Beryle with photos of Loreto girls taken around 1936. While Beryle found it difficult to see the images, she remembered the names and was thrilled to relive some of her experiences at Normanhurst. She remembered with fondness Sr Stanislaus who wrote her name inside her manual and Sr Kevin who came to Australia from County Sligo and had a great affection for a girl with a surname Slingo!

The Loreto Normanhurst Community Engagement team wishes Beryle a very happy birthday. We were delighted to be able to send Beryle a small gift in celebration of this significant milestone.

If you (or a fellow member of the Loreto community) are marking an important occasion or achievement, please get in touch with us as we would love to celebrate with you.

Please contact us via email at normonetwork@loretonh.nsw.edu.au or share a post on Normo Network.