Sepia Saturday 209: 4 January 2014

Alan on Sepia Saturday says

"All that Christmas and New Year stuff is behind us and we drive, full speed ahead, into 2014. And our vehicle of choice is a cross between a stretch limo and a country bus. There are plenty of potential prompts to be found in this image which comes from the collection of the Royal Australian Historical Society on Flickr Commons : cars, buses, dams, men in white coats." 

c. 1941

I do hope I haven't posted this photo before.  It is another favourite of mine but I know zip about it....other than that's my mother (the little girl) standing smack bang in the front of the photo there.  No grown-ups near her look familiar so maybe her nearest and dearest was taking the photo.  Was it her mother or her father I wonder?  Where were they?  Blue Mountains I'm guessing or maybe Newcastle....

circa 1912-1916

Here's a postcard of the construction of the Cotter Dam.  According to the brochure from the discovery  trail it was originally constructed between 1912-1916.

On the back of it is written "To Mick Townsend".  

I don't know what this postcard is doing in my maternal grandfather's collection.  

Why was he sending the postcard to Mick?  

Did my grandfather go and see the dam while it was being constructed? 

And if so why?  

My grandfather would have been about 14 to 18 at the time....it does look like childish writing doesn't it?

Where's the Cotter Dam you cry?  Well it's near Canberra - where I used to live as a child.


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My grandfather lived in Bathurst or Sydney though at the time so it's all very confusing as to why he would have been there. Or maybe he wasn't and he just picked the postcard up somewhere and thought it was interesting and I'm wasting my time worrying about whether he was ever there.

While we're on the subject of excursions....here's another newspaper cutting that was in my grandfather's collection.  Lord knows why.  It seems to be maybe from an English newspaper...I'm not sure.  And I don't know who the two people are with arrows pointing at their heads.  Any suggestions as to how I might find more out about this cutting?

Liberals' outing - Some of the members of the Cardiff East Liberal Association who left Cardiff on their annual visit to Symond's Yat.

This is the other half of the photo.....sorry - my stitch program has decided not to work on my FlipPal - maybe I'm not giving it generous enough margins....

What on earth is Symond's Yat??

Ah, Google and Wikipedia ...what would we do without them?


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It's a popular tourist destination apparently but amongst the attractions listed are canoeing and kayaking down the rapids.  Somehow I don't see these folk doing that..perhaps they went for the maze.

When was this photo taken - well I'm madly guessing at the late 1920s early 1930s but I'm happy to be corrected again.  

So that's another mystery.

Now, men in white coats.  Well that's definitely my grandfather.

Here he is with other work colleagues and I'm pretty sure this is at De Havilland at Mascot...when?  well I'm not sure but I'm guessing the 1950s or 1960s.  Where's Mascot I hear you say - well it's near the airport in Sydney.



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Top to bottom L to R ?, H. Williams, R. Collins, T. McLoughlin (my grandfather), C (?) R Warbrick
Bottom row L to R man with glasses J A Clifton, W H Elms, F W Trimble, S H Hales and E. Blackwell

This is the back of the photo

So if I understand the way the names have been written I'm hoping that my caption is correct.  Is this how you read the names.  I can't understand the first one, next to H Williams.  It looks like H R and then something like Grenfdale or Greendale...I don't know.  Handwriting experts please step forward.  Also any advice on researching De Havilland at Mascot also gratefully welcomed.

I think that's everything covered off for today.  I hope you're keeping cool.  It is about 37 degrees celsius here.  I'm drinking ginger beer and trying to think cool thoughts.

Happy New Year!

For more Sepia Saturday fun head here....

P.S. I've just realised that this is my 100th post !