Dorothy Shiels & Kerry Wright - ca.1955

Dorothy Shiels & Kerry Wright

ca.1955

This is the earliest photo I can find of me with my cousin, Dorothy Shiels, who is also my Godmother. Dorothy is the only child of my Aunty Glad (my mother's older sister) and Uncle Eric, Gladys & Eric Murrell. 

In this photo, we are at South Narrabeen beach in Sydney, not far from where we lived, in nearby Mactier Street. Mactier Street terminates in the Pacific Ocean at its eastern end. I lived at the eastern end of the street, only a short walk across Pittwater Road from the beach. Dorothy lived a little further away, at the western end of the street, near Narrabeen Lake. Because of its close proximity, I seem to remember spending most of my summers, and a good deal of the rest of the year, on South Narrabeen beach. It was my equivalent of a park or playground. I loved the beach, as a child. 

In this photo, Dorothy and I are sitting near the waterline, going by the wet sand we're sitting on - and a tiny wavelet can be seen at left. I'm looking out to sea. I have a glob of white, zinc cream on my nose, to protect it from sunburn. The view is looking southward along the beach with South Narrabeen Surf Club in the background, where my brothers were life savers (lifeguards) and beyond that can be seen the escarpment of Collaroy Plateau.