Flora & Kerry Wright - 1954

Flora & Kerry Wright

1954

This is my favourite photo of Mum and me together. It's another photo that I can remember being taken, even though I was only 4 at the time. My mother, Emily Flora Wright (known as Flora) nee Glover, was then 43. It was taken at the home of friends of my parents who lived at Manly Vale in Sydney, not far from where we lived at Narrabeen. Their surname was Susans. I can't remember their first names. I have a distant, peripheral recollection that they were a good deal older than Mum and Dad. My parents seem to have parted company from them not long after this photo was taken and I have no memory of ever seeing them again, even though their names were sometimes fondly raised in conversation. 

On the day this photo was taken, I remember we had afternoon tea with Mr & Mrs Susans in their heavily draped, dimly lit  home. Late in the afternoon, someone suggested photos be taken and we went outside to the western side of their house, where this photo was taken. The setting sun was low on the horizon, shining directly into our eyes, causing us to squint. I can still remember being unhappy about having to look into the glare of the setting sun, while Mr Susans took the photo. I must have made my displeasure known to Mum, because she is holding my hand in an endeavour to have me wave cheerily at the photographer. 

This photo remains my most loved and cherished image of Mum and me together. Nearly 40 years after it was taken, on Mum's 80th birthday in July 1991, a similar photo was taken of us together. In that photo, our roles had been reversed and I was the one positioned protectively behind my mother. She was terminally ill with inoperable cancer at that time and passed away shortly after the photo was taken. I will post that 1991 photo here in due course.

Kerry Wright - 1953

Kerry Wright

1953

Even though it was so long ago, I can still remember this photograph being taken of me, Kerry Wright, by a Sydney street photographer. I was with my mother, Emily Flora Wright (known as Flora) nee Glover, on one of her shopping expeditions to Sydney. 

I remember we were walking through one of the city's shopping arcades, most likely either the Strand Arcade or the Imperial Arcade, when it was taken. The arcades were beautifully ornate shopping precincts from another era. They were like dazzlingly opulent, gilded microcosms of Victorian London, plonked down in the middle of drab, 1950s, antipodean Sydney. They contained  a rich quantity of highly polished brass in abundance, and lots of beautiful, stylishly decorated shop windows. I loved the double-doored, caged antique elevators that carried shoppers between the different terraced levels. It was an era prior to the advent of  the modern escalator. They were lively places, filled with the noisy hustle and bustle of people hurriedly going about their business, all dressed in their finest and perfumed with their best cologne, as people did in those days when visiting the city. Mum and I would have traveled into Sydney on the 190 double-deck Wynyard bus, from our home at Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches. It was a one-hour bus trip. Mum visited all the major, glitzy department stores on such shopping expeditions - David Jones, Anthony Hordern and Mark Foys, using  the arcades as short-cuts between streets. 

But I digress. To get back to this photo, I remember Mum and I had just entered the arcade. Mum was walking briskly ahead of me, when I noticed a window display that attracted my attention. I remember it was a women's boutique with dressed mannequins displayed in the window. A £6 price-tag can be seen in the background. The street photographer who took this photograph has captured me in the process of pointing at the window display and calling to my mother to come back and have a look. The selectivity of memory never ceases to amaze me. It's incredible that I still remember so much detail, after so many years. Alas, what's even more amazing, in a worrisome way, is how much I've undoubtedly forgotten of far more important events that have transpired during the intervening years.

Kerry Wright - 1953

Kerry Wright

1953

Here I am on my tricycle in the garden of the family home at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

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.

Flora Wright, Gladys Murrell & Kerry Wright - ca.1952

L-R: Flora Wright, Kerry Wright, Gladys Murrell

ca.1952

This photo was taken in about 1952. That's me, Kerry Wright, in the middle. Holding my hands is my mother, Flora Wright (L), and her sister, my Aunty Glad, Gladys Murrell (R). It was taken at my childhood home, 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Mum and Aunty Glad were both very resourceful, resilient women, with strong personalities. They had an enormous influence on my upbringing. I would sit and listen to them chat for hours and never tire of what they had to say, occasionally intruding with an opinion of my own. When I did so, I was always listened to and made feel as though I had made a valuable contribution to their conversation. This was the case throughout my life, not only when I was a child. I continued to enjoy sitting in on their chats right up to the time they passed away. They had remained close throughout their lives and died within only a few short weeks of each other in 1991. I miss those chats.

Robert, Alan & Kerry Wright - 1951

L-R: Alan Wright, Kerry Wright, Robert Wright

1951

Here I am in the middle, aged 2, with my brothers Robert (R) and Alan (L). We are in the yard of our family home at 10 Mactier Street in Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches. It looks to be a lovely, bright, sunny day. From the appearance of our shadows (we're facing east), the photo was taken about 11 a.m. Alan seems to be making an attempt at preventing me from bolting towards the photographer, probably Mum or Dad. Mactier Street runs east to west, with the western end skirting Narrabeen Lake and the eastern end terminating in the Pacific Ocean at South Narrabeen beach. In this image, Mactier Street is located off camera to the right. There's a steep hill about half way along the street, part of which can be seen in the distance. In the background is one of the four coral trees Dad planted in the garden. The trees had grown considerably larger by the time I came to know and remember them. Our funny little house has long since been demolished and Dad's beautiful trees sadly went with it. An apartment building now stands at Number 10.

Flora Wright, Gladys Murrell & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Flora Wright and Gladys Murrell

with Kerry Wright in pram

1950

Way back in the dim and distant past of the 1950s, people dressed in their very best when visiting the city, even if it was only on a day-time shopping trip. And here's proof. This photo of my mother, Flora Wright (L), and her sister, my Aunty Glad, Gladys Murrell (R), with me in the pram, was taken in Sydney's Martin Place. The iconic northern facade of the GPO (now Westin Hotel) can be seen in the left background.

Mum and Aunty Glad would have taken the 190 double-deck Wynyard bus to "Town", from their home at Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches. They are both stylishly dressed, complete with hats and, in Aunty Glad's case, a fur stole. I am shocked to see they're not wearing gloves; though, that may be a pair of gloves Aunty Glad is holding in her left hand. Gloves were de rigueur fashion accessories for women in those days.

I seem to recall that Mum only ever visited the city a couple of times each year. One such trip was always in December, to do Christmas shopping at the glamorous department stores of David Jones, Mark Foys and Anthony Horderns. I don't remember my father ever accompanying my mother and I on such occasions. It wasn't something men did back then. The annual Christmas shopping trip also incorporated visits to each department store's resident Santa Claus, as well as viewing the stores' Christmas window decorations and all the Christmas decorations in the city. One particular year, after we'd visited several stores, I remember asking Mum why there were so many Santas. Mum explained that there was only one, but that he magically travelled very quickly ahead of us, so he could greet us as we visited each store in turn.

Flora, Robert & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Robert Wright & Flora Wright

with baby Kerry Wright

1950

Not the best quality photo, somewhat out of focus, but the subject matter is pure gold. It shows my darling Mummy (Flora Wright) perching me (Kerry Wright) atop the seat of my brother Robert's bicycle. I recognize the background as our front yard at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. I appear to be fixated on the photographer, probably Dad, whereas Mum and Robert seem to have eyes only for me. Mum and Robert are wearing light woollens, so I'm guessing this photo was probably taken some time around Autumn 1950. I experience a combination of joy and pathos when I view this image. Joy, for the love of my mother and brother, so tangibly displayed here. And pathos for the loss of them both, now passed away. An entire era ended, yet it was only such a short time ago. 

Robert & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Robert Wright & Kerry Wright

1950

This humble, poorly focused family photo carries an enormous emotional impact for me. It shows my brother, Robert, cradling me in his arms. His radiant smile beams from the image, traversing the years and warming the heart. I have three older brothers, yet have little recollection of any of them showing me much in the way of affection during my childhood. It means a great deal to me, therefore, to see this beautiful photo of Robert and I together. It's heartening to have verification that I was loved and cherished by my brother. My brothers were in their teens when I was little, and I appreciate that teenage boys have much more important things on their minds than snot-nosed baby brothers. Robert was 12 when this photo was taken in the front yard of our home at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. He left home not all that many years later, and we saw little of him following that. He moved away and distanced himself from the family. I don't know why. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage in 1982 at the early age of 45.

Ray, Robert, Alan & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Alan Wright, Kerry Wright (front), Ray Wright, Robert Wright

1950

My father, Ray Wright, with his sons Robert (R), Alan (L) and me, Kerry, in the middle. My eldest brother, John, who would have then been 18, is absent. The photo was probably taken by my mother, Flora Wright, and it's likely location is the garden of our family home at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Even though I had three older brothers, I virtually grew-up as an only child, having no recollection of John living at home, and only fleeting memories of Robert's presence. Alan, the brother nearest in age to me, married when I was 12 but was little seen in the years leading up to his departure, being of an age when the nearby surf club and its inherent sporting and social distractions occupied much of his attention.

Gladys Murrell & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Gladys Murrell & Kerry Wright

1950

My most dear and much loved Aunty Glad (my mother's older sister, Gladys Ann Murrell nee Glover) with me, Kerry Wright, in the garden of my home at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Aunty Glad lived not far away from us, towards the lake end of Mactier Street. Her house was more posh than ours and I loved the canopied mosquito nets Aunty Glad had draped above the beds at her place. As a child, I remember thinking how exotic and elegant they looked. In retrospect, I now realize they were an absolute necessity for lakeside living, to escape the nocturnal swarms of ravenous mosquitos terrorizing the residents. Exotic and elegant or just plain practical, I still would have loved to have had one of those nets draped above my own little bed. Even though we lived at the ocean end of Mactier Street, my bedroom was on a partially open verandah, and I copped my fair share of mozzie bites in my time. Aunty Glad lived with Uncle Eric (Eric Murrell) and their only daughter, my cousin, Dorothy (Dorothy Cynthia Shiels nee Murrell), who is my Godmother.

Louisa Mary Glover & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Louisa Mary Glover & Kerry Wright

1950

My maternal grandmother, Louisa Mary (May) Glover nee Turner (1870-1960), bouncing me (Kerry Wright) on her knee. We are on my grandparents' front verandah at 8 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Nanny read the Sydney Morning Herald on her verandah every morning. She passed away in 1960, aged 89. I loved her dearly and enjoyed nothing more, as a child, than joining her on her verandah and listening, enthralled, as she told me stories. She was a great story teller.

Ray & Kerry Wright - 1950

L-R: Ray Wright & Kerry Wright

1950

My father, Ray Wright, cradling me in his arms. I'm looking somewhat sooky, probably because I wasn't getting my own way at that exact moment. Being the youngest, I was spoilt and could be a little terror. My brother, Alan, gave me the nickname, "Wild Bill", which he continued to use way into our adult years, abbreviated to "Wild", even though I had, by then, ceased throwing the tantrums of my infancy. From a very early age, in fact, I soon moved away from the attention-seeking, spoilt brat stage, and came to display the delicate, sensitive, effete characteristics that would come to dominate my reticent, introspective childhood personality and ultimately progress to my gay adult self of today. This photo was taken at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, where we lived.

Kerry Wright - 1950

Kerry Wright

1950

Yes, Mr DeMille, I am ready for my close-up! 

My first, formal, studio portrait. Mum would have knitted the little ensemble I'm wearing, including the tiny baby booties with the satin ribbon ties. And I suspect the large kiss-curl atop my head is also, very probably, my dear mother's handiwork. 

My mother, Emily Flora Wright (known as Flora) nee Glover, was 38 when I was born in November 1949, and my father, Ray Wright, was 41. The brother nearest in age to me, Alan, was 9, and my other brothers, Robert and John, were 12 and 17, respectively. Because of the age difference between my brothers and me, I virtually grew-up as an only child. I have no recollection of John ever living at home, and only fleeting, peripheral memories of Robert being there. Alan married when I was 12 but was often out of the house throughout the years leading up to that. 

We lived in a funny little house, not far from South Narrabeen beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches. I slept on a partially open verandah, the seaward, east-end of which was open to the elements. I was lulled to sleep each night by the sound of the waves breaking on the nearby beach. It could be quite deafening on stormy nights. 

I once asked my mother, as children sometimes do, because of the age difference between my brothers and me, if my birth had been planned, or was it a "mistake". At that time, Mum assured me that I had been planned and wanted. Certainly, no parents could have ever loved or cherished their child any more than my parents loved and cherished me. Though Mum could be a strict disciplinarian, she was always fair and just. And Dad was a sweet, gentle man, who never once raised his voice to me, let alone his hand. I never doubted their unconditional love for me, which I returned in abundance.

Louisa Mary Glover with Robert, Alan & Kerry Wright - Early 1950

L-R: Alan Wright, Louisa Mary Glover, baby Kerry Wright (front) & Robert Wright

1950

My maternal grandmother, Louisa Mary (May) Glover nee Turner (1870-1960), cradling me in her arms, with my brothers, L-R, Alan and Robert Wright, standing behind. As I was born in November 1949, this photo would have been taken in early 1950. Nanny and Papa lived next door to us and I spent much time in their company during the first ten years of my life. I cherish many wonderfully happy memories of them both to this day.

Flora & Kerry Wright - January 1950

Flora Wright with baby Kerry Wright

January 1950

One of the few photos in my parent's album which identifies when it was taken. On the reverse of the photo is recorded "Kerry 8 weeks". As I was born in early November 1949, that means this lovely photo of my mother, Emily Flora Wright (known as Flora) nee Glover, cradling me in her arms, was taken in early January 1950. My family lived in Mactier Street at Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches, only a short walk from South Narrabeen beach, where this photo was probably taken. We spent much of our leisure time there. January is the height of summer in Australia and one of the hottest times of the year, so I'm sure Mum would have been most grateful for the generous shade provided by that big old beach umbrella.

Flora & Kerry Wright - 1 January 1950

Flora Wright with baby Kerry Wright

1 January 1950

I'm not entirely sure when this beautiful "Madonna & Child" image of my mother, Flora Wright, cradling me in her arms dates from, but my birth in early November 1949 certainly narrows down the probabilities. Personally, I would like to think it was taken on 1 January 1950 - the day of my baptism at St Faith's Church, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Just a guess, but I suspect I may be right.

George Henry & Louisa Mary Glover - ca.1950

George Henry & Louisa Mary Glover

ca.1950

In the absence of a date, I am guessing this photo of my maternal grandparents, George Henry (1874-1960) and Louisa Mary (1870-1960) Glover, was taken some time around 1950.  My family lived at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, and my grandparents lived next-door at number 8.

They passed away within just a few short months of each other in 1960, when I was 10. I can still see them clearly in my mind's eye and have vivid recollections of sitting on their front verandah with Nanny when I was just a small child, listening to the stories she told me. They kept budgerigars in a cage on the verandah, and also had a bright yellow canary named Dickie in a cage of his own. The chirping and chatter of the caged birds provided a constant accompaniment to my grandmother's story telling.

Because Nanny's presence on her verandah was such an established feature of the local landscape (she sat there and read the Sydney Morning Herald every morning), cars would gently beep their horns at her in greeting as they drove past. I remember Nanny would wave to them cheerily and then turn to me with a big grin and a wink and say, "I wonder who that was."

On my way to school each morning, I would call in on Nanny to wish her a good day. I usually found her in her darkened, Victorianesque bedroom, cluttered with porcelain vases and figurines, brushing her long white hair vigorously. After many strokes of the brush, it was ultimately fashioned into a bun at the back of her head, often held in place with a delicate black hair-net. From what I remember, Papa was usually pottering in his garden while all this was going on. He loved his garden and took a great deal of pride in it. I can still conjure-up the beautiful fragrance of his sweet peas to this very day.

Mum and Aunty Glad cared for Nanny through her final illness. Mum later told me that she had suggested to Papa that perhaps he might be more comfortable in another bed during that sad time. Apparently he responded that he had been sleeping alongside his beloved May for the past 70 years and wasn't about to change beds any time soon. And that's exactly where he was, sleeping beside her, when she passed away. He died not long after at nearby Manly Hospital, following a massive haemorrhage.

 They are pictured above in their front garden at 8 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. They rest beside each other at Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens & Crematorium in Sydney's North Ryde.

Royal Easter Show 1948

L-R: Robert Wright, Gladys Murrell, Alan Wright, Flora Wright

Royal Easter Show

1948

One of the few photos from the collection of my parents which records a date. On the reverse of this photo is written "Royal Easter Show 1948". It shows my mother, Flora Wright (R), with her sister, Gladys Murrell (Aunty Glad) and my brothers, Robert (L) and Alan (R) Wright. 

The Royal Easter Show is an annual event held at Easter each year, where Sydney's city folk get to experience, albeit tentatively, various aspects of rural life. Farmers and graziers from across country New South Wales bring their animals and produce to the city, to exhibit them in such variously diverse categories as "Best Bull" to "Best Lamington" and everything else in between, vying for the highly sought after and much prized ribbons and accolades awarded to the winners. 

As well as the animals and produce, there are also sideshows, rides, and junk food in abundance, all set amidst the bustling, manic atmosphere of Sydney Showground at Moore Park (since relocated to Homebush Bay in recent times). 

For children, one of the most exciting aspects of attending the Royal Easter Show is collecting show bags. At the time this photo was taken, show bags notoriously contained cheap toys, lollies and assorted tat, but were highly prized by children. My mother can be seen holding a couple of such show bags in this photo. Their more upmarket, modern equivalents are still available at the Show to this day. 

My little family group shown here would have travelled from Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches for their exciting big day out. Though a return journey of just 46 kilometres (28 miles), and easily negotiated today, in those days it would have been an intricate undertaking, involving multiple bus/ferry/train commutes over several hours. An exhausting exercise for all concerned, but certainly not to be missed.

Robert Wright - ca.1947

Robert Wright

ca.1947

My brother, Robert Harry Wright, was the second son of our parents, Ray & Flora Wright. Robert was born in 1937 and I'm guessing this photo was taken about 1947, a couple of years before I was born. 

This is one of my favourite photos of Robert. It was taken before he reached adulthood. Before all his woes began. He was blessed with a superior intellect and sporting prowess in abundance, none of which seems to have transitioned with him to adulthood. Nowadays, it would probably be said that he peaked too early. 

My mother once told me that Robert had been involved in a surfing accident at nearby Narrabeen Beach when he was in his teens. A surf board had crashed into his skull in the surf and lifted his scalp. Mum said Robert wasn't the same boy after that. He left home when I was still an infant. I have little recollection of him ever living at home. 

He was destined to die of a cerebral haemorrhage at the  age of 45 on 22 May 1982. Contributing factors to his early death may have been the surfing accident and also the rough and tumble biffo of Rugby League, which Robert played with the Manly-Warringah team in his youth.

I remember once attending a football game he was playing in, when I was only a small child. It was at Long Reef Oval on Sydney's Northern Beaches. From a very low trajectory, because I was so little, I can still see Robert leaving the field at the end of that game. His face was covered in blood. My mother was standing beside me, with tears running down her sweet face. I can still see it to this day. Rugby League was an extremely brutal game back then in the 1950s. 

Robert was the most handsome and charismatic of my brothers. I wish I'd known him better.

Robert Wright - ca.1947

Robert Wright - ca.1947

My brother, Robert Harry Wright, was the second son of our parents, Ray & Flora Wright. Robert was born in 1937 and I'm guessing this photo was taken about 1947, a couple of years before I was born. 

This is one of my favourite photos of Robert. It was taken before he reached adulthood. Before all his woes began. He was blessed with a superior intellect and sporting prowess in abundance, none of which seems to have transitioned with him to adulthood. Nowadays, it would probably be said that he peaked too early. 

My mother once told me that Robert had been involved in a surfing accident at nearby Narrabeen Beach when he was in his teens. A surf board had crashed into his skull in the surf and lifted his scalp. Mum said Robert wasn't the same boy after that. He left home when I was still an infant. I have little recollection of him ever living at home. 

He was destined to die of a cerebral haemorrhage at the  age of 45 on 22 May 1982. Contributing factors to his early death may have been the surfing accident and also the rough and tumble biffo of Rugby League, which Robert played with the Manly-Warringah team in his youth.

I remember once attending a football game he was playing in, when I was only a small child. It was at Long Reef Oval on Sydney's Northern Beaches. From a very low trajectory, because I was so little, I can still see Robert leaving the field at the end of that game. His face was covered in blood. My mother was standing beside me, with tears running down her sweet face. I can still see it to this day. Rugby League was an extremely brutal game back then in the 1950s. 

Robert was the most handsome and charismatic of my brothers. I wish I'd known him better.

Dorothy Shiels with John, Robert & Alan Wright - ca.1945

L-R: John Wright, Dorothy Shiels, Alan Wright (front) & Robert Wright - ca.1945

This sweet photo of my three older brothers L-R John, Alan and Robert Wright with our cousin, Dorothy Shiels nee Murrell, who is also my Godmother, was taken some five years before I was born. I can has it a guess, however, as to the story behind it. 

When I was a child, Dorothy would take me for excursions to the City (we lived at Narrabeen on Sydney's Northern Beaches, some 23km [14 miles] from the City) to attend live theatre (children's matinees and pantomimes) and visit galleries and museums. And I'm guessing that's what she is doing with my brothers here. 

Such outings in Dorothy's company had a profound influence on my cultural awakening and upbringing and I will always be grateful to her for that. And they were exciting too, because they involved either a trip on the top-deck of the double-decker 190 Wynyard bus or a ferry trip across the Harbour from Manly. 

Alas, however, from what I remember of my brothers, their primary interests were in football and surfing, so I'm not sure that Dorothy's cultural expeditions had the same impact on them, as they did on me. 

My three older brothers had largely grown out of such things by the time I was old enough to join Dorothy on her outings and I had her all to myself. I was like an eager sponge, soaking-up everything she had to impart. I was a delicate, effete child, who was destined to grow-up gay, and had a natural, inherent interest in the arts. 

That's not to say my brothers didn't enjoy their outings with Dorothy. I'm sure they did. I can't help but think, however, that they may have been just as happy kicking a football around the back-yard at home. 

This was an era when people "dressed" to go to the City, even if it was just a mundane shopping trip. My mother has clearly spiffed-up my brothers in their Sunday best here and Dorothy looks resplendent in her 1940s ensemble and hairstyle.  

Ray, Flora, Robert & Alan Wright - ca.1945

L-R: Ray, Robert, Flora & Alan Wright - ca.1945

This lovely family snap of my mother and father, Ray & Flora Wright, with my bothers Robert (L) and Alan (R), was taken in Martin Place, Sydney. The famous northern colonnade of the GPO (now Westin Hotel) can be seen in the left background. 

As for estimating the date, some amateur sleuthing will be necessary. I am guessing it was taken in 1945 for a number of reasons, not least of all  being Robert's (b.1937) and Alan's (b.1940) ages. From the way everyone is dressed, particularly the boys' sandals, it is clearly summertime. Dad is in Australian Army uniform, though there would appear to be an absence of formal insignia thereon. Following service in the Pacific during World War 2, Dad was discharged from the Army on 14 December 1945. 

For all these reasons and also because of the way Robert and Alan are positively beaming, perhaps because their Dad has just returned safely from the War, I am going to venture a guess that this photo may have been taken on 14 December 1945, the day of Dad's discharge. Mid-Summer in Australia.

Dorothy Shiels - ca.1940

Dorothy Shiels - ca.1940

Such a lovely, sunny smile from my much loved cousin and Godmother, Dorothy Shiels nee Murrell. Dorothy was born in 1923, so I am guessing (in the absence of a recorded date) that this photo was taken some time in her late teens, around 1940. Dorothy took her Godmother role very seriously and told me on more than one occasion that she looked upon me as the child she never had. She married late in life and had no children. She had a major influence on my cultural upbringing, taking me to live theatre and  galleries from a relatively young age. Those experiences profoundly influenced my young psyche and, ultimately, my adult cultural life. I will always be grateful to Dorothy for this. I was not yet a twinkle in my father's eye, however,  when this photo was taken, some ten years prior to my birth. 

Louisa Mary Glover & Sarah Anne Murray - 1930s

L-R: Sarah Anne Murray nee Turner & Louisa Mary Glover nee Turner - 1930s

At right is my maternal grandmother, Louisa Mary (May) Glover nee Turner with her sister, Sarah Anne Murray nee Turner, who was always referred to in the family as Aunty Doll. The photo was taken in Nanny's front garden at 8 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, in Sydney. Aunty Doll died before I was born. I was very familiar with her larger than life persona, however. Her name was often raised in conversation, with an equal measure of awe and affection.

Ray Wright - 1942

Private Raymond Harry Wright

AIF Service Number NX92796
World War II: Pacific Theatre

Enlisted: 17 March 1942

Discharged: 14 December 1945

My Dad is so handsome here in his Australian Army uniform. His cheery, carefree smile betrays no indication that he is headed off to war in the Pacific, leaving a young wife at home with three small children aged 9, 5 and 2. Mum once told me that Dad felt honour bound to join up. She said that he could not allow his mates to go off and risk their lives for their country, while he sat safely at home. Like many young men of his generation, Dad never spoke about his experiences during the War. And he was not one to attend Army reunions or march on Anzac Day. After returning from the War, he seemed to want to put that entire part of his life completely behind him. On a personal note, I am very grateful he returned safely, because less than 4 years later I was born.  

Dorothy Shiels with John & Alan Wright - ca.1942

L-R: Dorothy Shiels, Alan Wright, John Wright - ca.1942

My cousin, Dorothy Shiels nee Murrell, with my brothers, L-R, Alan and John Wright. Dorothy is the daughter of my mother's sister, my Aunty Glad (Gladys Ann Murrell nee Glover). Both Aunty Glad and Dorothy played prominent roles in the lives of my three brothers and myself. They lived nearby, in the same street, and we saw much of them. Aunty Glad's husband, Uncle Eric (Eric Murrell) was somewhat reclusive. He rarely came to family functions and we saw little of him. John is my eldest brother, my parent's first-born, and Alan is the brother closest in age to me (almost 10 years older than me). Because my brothers were all so much older than me (John is old enough to be my father), I virtually grew-up as an only child and was very much doted upon by my loving parents. This photograph was taken where my family then lived, at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, in Sydney.

Flora & Robert Wright - ca.1940

Flora & Robert Wright - ca.1940

In the absence of a date on the original, I am guessing this photo of my mother, Flora Wright, was taken some time around 1940. When going out for a day of shopping in those days, women dressed in their finest attire, complete with hat and gloves. At the height of a scorching Sydney summer, it was often too hot to actually wear the gloves, but they were still carried, as dictated by the fashion of the day. And Mum can be seen here carrying a pair of gloves in her left hand. Talk about multitasking before its time! In the same hand she is also carrying what looks to be a cake-box, as well as holding onto the hand of her second son, my brother, Robert. Suitcases, such as the one Mum is carrying,  were used to carry groceries at that time. So, even though Mum looks stylish and elegant enough to board the Orient Express for an exciting adventure across Europe, she is, in actuality, simply out for a day of shopping. I can see from the background that the location is The Corso at Manly, on the corner of Darley Road, outside St Matthew's Church. Not far from where the family lived at Narrabeen.

George Glover & Robert Wright - 1937

L-R: Robert Wright, George Glover - 1937

My maternal grandfather, George Henry Glover, playing with his grandson, my brother, Robert Harry Wright, on the swing in the front-yard of my parent's home at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, in Sydney. The little house has long since been demolished to make way for an apartment building. I recently visited the site and was surprised at how small everything looked. In my memory, I remember our front-yard as being huge. In fact, it's just a standard building block. I guess I was a lot smaller back then and everything appeared big to me.

Robert Harry Wright - 1937

Robert Harry Wright - 1937

I don't know why this delightful picture of my brother, Robert, has been partially destroyed. It's such a beautiful picture. Robert was my parent's second child. He caused them some considerable worry and distress during his teenage/young-adult years and I am guessing that it was then that perhaps this image was damaged. We'll never know, for sure, what really happened to it. Dad once told me that Mum had cried herself to sleep many times over Robert. I only have very fleeting memories of Robert living at home. He was 12 when I was born in 1949 and he left home when I was only very little. He was conscripted into the Army to do his (at that time) compulsory National Service when he was 18 and I suspect he never returned home after that. Robert was only 45 when he died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 22 May 1982.

Gladys Ann Murrell & Robert Harry Wright - 1937

Gladys Ann Murrell & Robert Harry Wright - 1937

Aunty Glad (Gladys Ann Murrell nee Glover) holding my brother, Robert (Robert Harry Wright). They are in the front garden of my maternal grandparent's home at 8 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, in Sydney. My parents lived next door at No10.  Mactier Street runs East to West, with the eastern end terminating in the Pacific Ocean (literally) and the western end skirting Narrabeen Lake. No's 8 & 10 were near the eastern, ocean end. Aunty Glad lived not far away, also in Mactier Street, with Uncle Eric (Eric Murrell), near the western, lake end of the street. Though Uncle Eric was somewhat reclusive, Aunty Glad played a prominent part in the lives of all of us. We saw much of her and loved her dearly.

Dorothy Shiels & Alan Wright - ca.1945

Dorothy Shiels & Alan Wright - ca.1945

My brother, Alan (Alan George Wright), with my cousin, Dorothy Cynthia Shiels nee Murrell. Dorothy is my Aunty Glad's (mother's sister) only child. She is also my Godmother. Dorothy played an important part in the development of my artistic and cultural appreciation, but that wasn't to occur until at least another couple of decades after this photo was taken. With Dorothy and Alan is the family pooch, Bill.

Ray & Flora Wright - 1930s

Ray & Flora Wright - 1930s

I love the way Mum and Dad are leaning close together here. It's a picture of a young couple in love. I estimate (in the absence of a date) that it was probably taken some time in the early/mid-1930s, during the early years of their marriage, yet they have already formed the inseparable Darby & Joan bond which so characterised their loving relationship together.  

Ray Wright - 1930s

Ray Wright - 1930s

During the Great Depression, Dad found work delivering bread. He had grown-up on a rural property, so knew how to handle a horse and dray. He also found work at nearby Elanora Country Club at Ingleside. Though the Great Depression was raging throughout the land at the time, there were still a lot of rich people in Sydney, who would come to the Northern Beaches for the day and play a round of golf at the posh Elanora Country Club. Dad would return to his family with a few shillings at the end of a long day caddying for these rich city-slickers, while they adjourned to the bar at the clubhouse for whiskey and cigars.

Kathleen Blanche Wright - 1930s

Kathleen Blanche Wright - 1930s

My father, Ray Wright, was married before he married my mother. His first wife was Gwen Hunt, who died giving birth to their only child, Kathleen (Kathy), in 1927. Kathy herself died in a tragic accident when she was aged 8 in 1936. She had taken a bus to visit her maternal grandparents at Collaroy. When she got off the bus, she ran behind it to cross the road and was hit by a car travelling along Pittwater Road. She is buried at Manly Cemetery in Sydney, in the same grave as her mother. My father was to go on and have four sons with my mother, Flora. I am the youngest of those four sons.

Flora & John Wright - ca.1934

Flora & John Wright - ca.1934

This lovely picture of Mum (Emily Flora Wright nee Glover) with her first-born son, John, is reminiscent of the picture of  Mum and I taken in 1954, located at the top of this blog. Separated by some 20 years, Mum stands protectively behind her sons in both pictures. This photo was taken in my maternal grandparent's back yard, at 8 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, in Sydney. In the middle distance, with his back to the camera, is my Papa, my maternal grandfather (George Henry Glover), tending his garden. Beyond that can be seen a house, which is where my parents lived at No.10, next door. In the far distance can be seen the escarpment of Collaroy Plateau, rising up from the coastal plain.

Gladys Ann Murrell - 1930s

Gladys Ann Murrell - 1930s

My mother's sister, my most dear and much loved Aunty Glad, Gladys Ann Murrell nee Glover (1906-1991). Aunty Glad looks very vamp here, in the height of fashion of the day. And she always smelt lovely too, my Aunty Glad, her favourite perfume being Yardley's "Bond Street". 

Louise Mary Glover - 1930s

Louisa Mary Glover - 1930s 

I'm not exactly sure when this photo of my maternal grandmother, Louisa Mary (May) Glover, was taken. I do so wish some-one would have recorded the dates on all these family photos! Alas, nobody seems to have bothered to do so. What I do know, however, is where the photo was taken, because the house's name plaque can be seen behind Nanny. The name of the house was "Cooinda", at 1224 Pittwater Road, Narrabeen, in Sydney. It was the Glover family home when they first moved to Narrabeen from Crows Nest in the 1920s. I can't say why Nanny is carrying a suitcase. My maternal grandparents holidayed at Bundanoon in the Southern Highlands each year, and this photo may be capturing Nanny's departure on holiday. Bundanoon was a popular holiday destination with Sydneysiders at that time. Another clue as to the date may be the presence of the child behind Nanny. It looks to be Dad's daughter, Kathy, (from his first marriage to Gwen Hunt who died in childbirth) who was 8 when she died in a road accident in 1936.

Ray & Flora Wright - Early-1930s

Ray & Flora Wright - Early-1930s

Mum and Dad (Ray & Flora Wright) during the early years of their marriage in the early 1930s, at 10 Mactier Street, Narrabeen, in Sydney. They were destined to live there for over 30 years, moving to Dee Why in 1967, following the death of Mum's parents. No.10 Mactier Street was a humble little house, it's main feature being that it was next door to the home of my maternal grandparents at No.8. Another important attraction was that it was very close to nearby South Narrabeen beach (the beach is not far behind where my parents are standing in this photo, near the pine tree in the background). Though humble, Mum always kept the little house immaculately clean (something I've inherited from her) and Dad kept the lawn to an impeccably maintained green-keeper's standard. In the flower beds, Mum grew carnations, snapdragons, sweet-pea and fuschia. To this day, when I smell the perfume of carnation, I am jettisoned back to Mactier Street. Not long after moving in, Dad planted 4 coral trees, which soon grew very large and provided wonderful shade for family functions, including many happy alfresco Christmas lunches. 

Louisa Mary Glover & Flora Wright - Late-1920s

L-R: Louisa Mary Glover, Flora Wright - Late-1920s

I estimate this lovely photo of my mother, Emily Flora (known as Flora) Wright nee Glover, was probably taken in her late teens, approaching age 20, in the late 1920s, or 1930 at the very latest. With Mum is her mother, Louisa Mary (known as May) Glover. They are on the front verandah of the family home, "Cooinda", at 1224 Pittwater Road, Narrabeen, in Sydney. Mum looks very pretty and I have often wondered if Dad may have taken this photo, possibly when he visited the Glover home to take Mum for a date. 

Ray & Kathy Wright - ca.1928

Ray & Kathy Wright - ca.1928

My father, Ray Wright, was married before he married my mother. His first wife was Gwen Hunt, who died giving birth to their only child, Kathleen (Kathy), in 1927. Kathy herself died in a tragic accident in 1936, when she was aged 8. She had taken a bus to visit her maternal grandparents at Collaroy. When she got off the bus, she ran behind it to cross the road and was hit by a car travelling along Pittwater Road. She is buried at Manly Cemetery, in the same grave as her mother. My father was to go on and have four sons with my mother, Flora. I am the youngest of those four sons.

Pittwater - 1920s

Taken the same day as the previously posted image, Dad (Ray Wright) can be seen here in the centre-right of this picture, to the right of the pointing man and behind the standing man in the bow-tie. Dad's hat is jauntily tilted. Looks like everyone was having a jolly day!

Dad told me the photo was taken at The Basin on Pittwater in Sydney, a picnic/recreation area which is only accessible via water, even to this day. I don't know the reason for the gathering, but I'm guessing that because several of the men are wearing Rugby jerseys, it may have been to play football. Some of the men are also wearing paper party hats, traditionally worn at Christmas time in Australia, which may be another clue.

Pittwater - 1920s

My Dad, Ray Wright, is in the second row, 3rd from the right, immediately behind the feet of the reclining man. Dad told me the photo was taken at The Basin on Pittwater in Sydney, a picnic/recreation area which is only accessible via water, even to this day. I don't know the reason for the gathering, but I'm guessing that because several of the men are wearing Rugby jerseys, it may have been to play football.