Our History

When our girls were babies, I read about the National Organisation of Mothers of Twins Clubs in the USA in the book Twins and Supertwins by Amram Scheinfeld (US twin researcher). I wrote to
the club who responded with encouragement to establish a similar club in Australia! Grev and I were friends with John Lewis (at that time the editor of the The Newcastle Sun and currently Newcastle Herald’s wine expert), who showed great interest in the idea, and as a result of the great publicity he arranged in the Sun, 17 mothers of twins (MOTs) got together as our foundation members. We represented many different family situations, and had twins of varying ages and twin types. I can’t remember all details about each one, but have done the best I can!

We based the way we operated and conducted meetings and produced our newsletter, on Grev’s and my Newcastle Apex Club connections (believe it or not, with our 3 toddlers, some of my diversional therapy was provided by typing that club’s minutes, as well as the stencils for its fortnightly newsletter, which was run off on a Gestetner black ink duplicator that lived in our garage!). Mona also contributed a lot of valuable input regarding meeting procedure and constitution from her years of experience involved with school P&Cs, Wallsend View Club, and her husband’s accountancy input. Over a number of years, many members commented how experience in our meetings proved invaluable as they became involved with infants school mothers’ club and P&Cs Early meetings were held in private homes of members. The first Christmas picnic was held at Speers Point Park, with a line of cloth nappies hanging near the shelter shed, so new families attracted by media publicity could find the group.

By March 1970 the monthly club meetings being held in the evening at Adamstown Preschool (the principal was a club member). Most of the chairs were only pre-schooler size, but that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm, and we had many excellent guest speakers, panels, some fun activities, and great suppers! Regular thrift sales of babies and children’s clothing were held, sometimes with items being donated and income being donated to club funds. Newsletter names voted on in August were Twincerely, Repetition and the final choice, Gemini News. We selected blue and gold as the club’s colours.

Wallsend Hospital children’s ward became the club’s first charity, being supported by donations of children’s clothing (pyjamas, nighties, booties, jumpers, matinee jackets, singlets – 2nd hand as well as brand-new items sewn by members). By July the club had two patrons, Matron Punton from Wallsend Hospital and Matron Devine from Newcastle Western Suburbs Maternity Hospital. With their encouragement, club members made regular visits to new multiple birth mothers while in hospital, with baby gifts donated by club members.

55 members participated in a club survey conducted in 1970: 51 had twins, 2 had two sets of twins, and 2 had triplets; average age of the mother when multiples were born was 27 years; by end of 1970, 76% of members had multiples under age 5; average diagnosis of multiple birth occurred at 32 weeks’ gestation.

Steelcraft’s newest twin-stroller model would fit through a normal doorway (no division but 2 mattresses), with a front handle and a twin shopping bag. On the social scene, regular 10-pin bowling mornings were being held at Mayfield Bowl (with free child-minding). As club numbers increased, with our club’s encouragement, many members who lived in the relevant area formed Lake Macquarie MOTC

Following the 1973 Sydney weekend get-together (the first convention!) of mainly NSW clubs, the possibility of individual state organisations or a national organisation of our clubs was investigated

In July 1974 the two local clubs hosted the second national convention at Belmont Sportsman’s Club, at which AMBA was officially formed. The Friday evening welcome was hosted by the Lake club at the home of Joan and Mal Grant at Valentine. The day outing was to the vineyards by bus (fare $1.30 per adult, 80c. per child), and the final social function was a barbecue at the home of foundation member and club President, Jeanette Muxlow.

In 1974 the club’s playgroup changed its name to Playday. Annual fees were now $5.00.

A group of us, including new club patron, Sister Juliana (Mater Hospital), travelled by coach to Melbourne that year for the 2nd national convention One of the session leaders was psychologist,
Val Newton-John (mother of singer, Olivia). One of her great ideas was to occasionally have a pyjama day at home – no-one changing out of their PJs, focusing on family time together, and if someone came to call, offering the explanation “It’s okay – we’re having a pyjama day!”

In mid-1975 Rae Reid was made the club’s 2nd Life Member (the same honour having been awarded to me two years prior). By then there were 27 multiple birth clubs in Australia. Several other clubs had been started by former club members who had moved away.

AMBA was conducting a survey of multiple birth children aged 6 months to 3 years. Blood-testing was the only reliable method for diagnosing twin type, so club members participated actively in an international survey to help determine twin zygosity. Local police helped train us in how to accurately take the required hand and foot prints, and a questionnaire was also completed about each set of multiples, with all information being sent to the USA.

Interim reports helped some members decide whether their multiples were identical or fraternal. 

$1200.00 was raised at a 1976 benefit night, and was divided between Delando Crescent Special School and the two Hospital Schools at Royal Newcastle and the Mater.

Results of the Twin Similarity questionnaire (part of the hand-print/foot-print survey mentioned above) were received in 1977, classifying members’ multiples as high, mid or low identical, and
high, mid or low fraternal. Some aspects included face shape and features, hair and eye colouring, body structure, hand and foot shape, even ear-lobe shape. Having been told at their birth that my own girls were fraternal, I then learned they were mid identical, of which I now have no doubt.

Sadly, the researcher died before his study was completed, so we were disappointed that no further results were ever received.

The club’s evening meeting place moved the University Child Care Centre at Shortland in 1978.

The first club Recipe Book was produced. AMBA was initiating its Twin Registry, to assist with research.

By 1979 the club continued to run successful street cake stalls, and was selling car stickers and tshirt transfers (Twins Are Two-Beaut, One is Beaut Too and Triplets are Terrific). As part of its 10th anniversary, the club hosted the AMBA state seminar at Newcastle Uni.

Metal buggy clamps (for joining two single strollers together) could be bought from the State Resource centre. AMBA researcher, Pat Stewart (later OAM), was conducting, in conjunction with a University Medical professor, the Oral Contraceptive Study (initially revealing a correlation between post-pill pregnancies and multiple birth occurrences, and a further development which revealed possible association between initially investigated oral contraceptive usage and its effect on subsequent congenital abnormalities).