Thursday, December 17, 2009

A given-up-for-lost photo ... arrives



Just when I think the day is going to be ordinary ... someone sends through wonderful stuff inside an envelope which lands in my letterbox. Such happened today.

Above is a horrible photocopy-of-a-photocopy after who-knows how many generations of copying. This was copied from the old files at the Avondale Community Library way back in the 1980s when I was starting out on my mad quest to gather info on my home suburb. No one knew the Mrs. Mould who was supposed to have had the photo. All I got was shaking heads when I showed the photo to people. I even put a note about it in the very first Avondale Historical Journal in 2001. No go.

And then, while sitting waiting for a train at the station today, I open an envelope. Within, amongst other wonderful images of Avondale's past which came from the collection of a lady who lived here from the 1930s to 1980s (not Mrs Mould, though) ... was this:



Other normal people get excited about new gear at Christmas. Or sports heroes, or pop stars, or new restaurants etc. etc. Me, I get absolutely high and elated and over the flamin' moon on seeing an image I had hoped to see, in photo quality, for more than half my life.

What's it all about? This is a photo from c.1919 (judging by the fact that the name on the cart is D. (Dan) Robertson, who ran a grocery business from a wooden store just across the road from that fine verandahed villa in the centre behind the horse's rump). The villa is that of the Collins family, who owned the corner site, Great North Road and Rosebank Road -- a massive one, which later became four shops and a brick post office over the course of the 1920s-1960s. In 2004, the same scene looked like this:



5 comments:

  1. Just too cool for words. That image is awesome and seeing the old Avondale Post Office again I still remember going up there to get the stamps and clear my father's post office box as I remember it was box 19-064 which of course will now belong to someone else. My Dad would have taken great delight in seeing these images. I certainly have and so would my Grandpa Kinniburgh.
    Aren't memories wonderful things at last you know who is in that photo. YES!

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  2. Cheers, Liz. Have to agree with you there re memories of the old PO. Leather-covered writing desks, getting the money orders ...

    At the moment, the Jamieson photo is going to be the front page pic for the February Journal next year (the December one is heading through the press as I write). I'm still thrilled to bits that it's been found!

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  3. What a fab surprise to get, Lisa :)

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  4. Its nice to find out about Avondale history. Awesome site! I haven't finished looking through the site yet, but have you got any info on avondale and their attempt to fly?
    =]

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