George Chamberlain - 1973

George Chamberlain
1973

In mid-1973 George moved to a cute little garden flat at 45 Cumberland Avenue, Collaroy. I have many happy memories from that time. 

Not long ago, I was driving through the Northern Beaches when, for no particular reason, I took an unplanned detour along Cumberland Avenue. I parked outside No.45 and looked down the side passage, which I knew led to the garden flat at the rear of the property. It had been nearly four decades since last I was there. 

For some reason I can’t explain, I experienced the most startling and totally unexpected emotional reaction. I sobbed my heart out, sitting there in the car on that glorious summer day. At the time, I couldn’t quite understand why I had reacted as I did. Certainly, I was not experiencing any feelings of sadness. I now believe they were tears of joy for all the happy times George and I shared there, so very long ago. 

This photo shows George in the garden at No.45. The owner of the house was the elderly Australian artist, Mavis Dawson, who painted under her maiden name, Mavis Mallinson. Hanging in George’s garden flat was Mrs Dawson’s painting, “The Doomed Castle”. Its charming depiction of mermaids frolicking amidst a storm-tossed sea absolutely enchanted me and when George and I moved to an apartment at nearby Dee Why in 1974, I purchased the painting from Mrs Dawson as a keepsake. “The Doomed Castle” is with me still and always will be. It is one of my most treasured possessions:

"The Doomed Castle"

by Mavis Mallinson

George Chamberlain - February 1973

George Chamberlain
February 1973

Here’s George, photographed in the very room where we first met at 37 Lancaster Crescent, Long Reef, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It was February 1973 and George  had recently left the Royal Australian Navy. On the day we met, I had collected my friend, Paul, from Grace Bros at Warringah Mall, after he finished work (and yes, he did work in the menswear department). Shops closed at 12 midday on Saturdays back then. It was a hot, sunny, summer day. Paul lived opposite the beach at Narrabeen and we had planned to spend the afternoon at the beach. En route, as we passed through Long Reef, Paul mentioned that he had a friend who lived nearby. He suggested we make a brief detour and call in to say hello. And the rest is history! George and I have been friends ever since. The house at No.37 had spectacular views far out to sea and south along the Pacific coast as far as the Macquarie lighthouse at Vaucluse. It has since been demolished and a palatial new residence erected in its place. George and I visited the building site not so long ago and the builders allowed us to look around. Ah, the memories!