Janet Mary was born to Frank and Jeannette Williamson, third child, only daughter, and sister to Donald and John at Akaroa hospital 4 February 1936. The Williamson family lived at ‘the Station’, their family home and farm at Fisherman’s Bay situated about 12 miles from Akaroa. The Fisherman’s bay home was originally built for Etienne Lelievre, Janet’s grandfather when he married his first wife Louisa in 1882. His second wife Elizabeth Vangioni known as Bessie, was Janet’s grandmother.
Janet grew up in Akaroa and after her mother's death when she was 10 she soon headed to Christchurch to Boarding school. At St Margaret’s college her school friends become her family. She, like her cousins before her; Elizabeth and Diana Newton, was in Rimu House. She thrived there and achieved the positions of school prefect and head of the Kilburn boarding House in 1953. Janet excelled at tennis, attending the first tennis coaching school to be held in NZ at Ardmore College in Auckland. Janet won many tennis trophies for her school and the Peninsula and in 1953 played in the Canterbury Howe Shield Team.
Tennis always remained an important part of Janet's life, staying fit and active playing tennis at club and completion level. Janet's friends at the tennis club were like a family to her and the friendships she made and the lovely times she shared with everybody at the club were an important part of her life and her story.
