Sepia Saturday 218: 8 March 2014

Alan says: 

We have Sepian Wendy Mathias to thank for our theme image this week. It is from a series of images showing the areas in Sydney affected by the outbreak of Bubonic Plague in 1900. Wendy suggests fences, back yards or bubonic plague as possible theme suggestions, but, as usual, the choice is yours. All you need to do is to find an old image - whether it is linked to the theme image or not - say a few words about it, post your post on your blog on or around Saturday 8 March 2014 and add a link to the list on Sepia Saturday.

The great Australian back yard.  What would we do without it I wonder?  It used to be conventionally a quarter acre block but you're pretty lucky if you have that now.  We've got a large handkerchief sized block.

Here's someone practising hanging out the washing.  I think it might be Joyce Wingfield but it might be my mother.

And this is definitely Joy seeing what's going on in the next door neighbour's back yard....

Here is my mother in her playpen.  I don't know which back yard this is...Bondi? Katoomba? Hamilton?

This is more grim but reminds us that not everyone has grass in their back yard...I suspect it is Katoomba or Bondi....

This one is more cheerful but I am struck by how short the coat length is and that these are the war years c. 1940.

Back yards are for growing vegetables and flowers.

I laughed when I read the back of this photo.  It says "Belle and Barbara (but mostly the spinach)" - they had a dry sense of humour those Forfars/McLoughlins and Wingfields.

Back yards are for learning to ride a bike before you go out on the street...

Here's my mother (she'd hate this photo but I love it's natural quality)

Like mother like daughter, here I am on my tricycle in the backyard at Edinburgh.  This is a tiny photo and blew up quite well I thought.  You can see the houses in the background.  This would be Cargill Terrace I think.

Back yards are for sitting with your family or your beau and chewing the fat or appreciating mother nature.

Barbara and I think her Uncle Bill.

Shirley and David

Back yards are often used for portraits in memory of special occasions.

I don't know who the people below. I suspect they are McLoughlins or friends of McLoughlins but they look like they are trying to make an impression.

You can cook up a storm in a back yard with a BBQ like my Gran.  I think this is My Bush at Springwood and it looks like a home made BBQ to me - the best.  I think that enamel dish was around for a long time, if we don't have it still!

But you'd better get the washing off the Hills Hoist first!

Here's the first proper back yard that I can remember - 22 Elliott Street Campbell.

No back yard is complete without a pet of some kind or a shed for the bloke to have a tinker with the car.

Time to tip the cat off the baby's chair and get it to work on some proper mousing or catching of rats to avoid the Bubonic Plauge (see - I got there in the end). 

I'm not sure who the woman in this photo is but I'm thinking it might be WW Forfar's second wife - Alice Agnes (nee Bourke).

This week's post is in memory of a fine specimen of feline - Wes - 

Wes used to help me count stitches.

He wasn't my cat.  He was a borrow cat.  I used to walk in Wes' garden and he would try and leap out and surprise me or race me up the stairs.

But counting stitches is exhausting as you can see...

and so Wes was buried in Grand Purl Baa's back yard this week.  

The wallabies will keep him company, bouncing around looking for the choicest leaves and the birdies will sing him lullabies I'm sure.  

Bye Bye Wes.  You will be sorely missed.  xxx

For more fences, back yards and mousers - head over here.