GeniAus - #AtoZChallenge - D is for the Duncan Girls.

During April 2020 the month of this #AtoZChallenge I will be sharing short posts on some of the 2,000+ descendants I have identified of my 3x Great-Grandmother, Elizabeth Phipps. 

Elizabeth Phipps 1785-1869 was a convict who was transported from England to New South Wales in 1814 per Wanstead. 

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My Mother, Elsie Harriet Duncan was one of five daughters of Frank Duncan, a Phipps descendant and Ethel Jane Pusell.

Elizabeth Phipps was Frank's Great-Grandmother

Throughout their lives The Duncan Girls: Elsie Harriet, (Ethel) Eileen, Kathleen Jane, Lillian Frances and Mary Olive, posed for quite a few group photos. I'll share a few here.

The first photo I have of all five girls is of my grandparents with my mother and her four sisters who were members of the Junior Red Cross in Cobar NSW. I estimate that this was taken around 1935-37.

The Duncan Family - Back L-R Elsie, Ethel Jnae Pusell, (Ethel) Eileen Duncan, Middle L-R Kathleen, Frank Duncan, Lillian, Front - Mary

Mum, Elsie's Red Cross work was acknowledged in one of the Sydney newspapers.

1935 'Cobar Red Cross Children', The Labor Daily (Sydney, NSW : 1924 - 1938), 23 August, p. 13. , viewed 01 Apr 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237486798

The Duncans moved to Kensington, Sydney in the early 1940s. The next photo, taken around 1947 by a street photographer in Sydney, shows the girls (minus Lillian) with their mother Ethel and friends. It looks as though they were setting out for a picnic.

The girls gathered with their father for a more formal occasion in 1947. It looks like they were standing outside Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Randwick. 

The Duncan Girls - L-R Kathleen, Eileen, Father Frank, Mary, Elsie, Lillian

The Duncans loved to party. Twenty-First Birthdays were celebrated with family and friends. Lillian celebrated in January,1950.

Lil's 21st, L-R Eileen, Mary, Kathleen, Niece Ronda (Front), Elsie, Aunt Elsie May Duncan, Lillian, Mum Ethel

Eileen walked down the aisle at St Martins Church, Kensington in August 1951. I was pleased to find myself in the group photo.

Eileen,s Wedding L-R Unknown , Elsie, Niece Jill, Mother Ethel, Eileen, Sister-in-law Joan, Mary, Kathleen, Lillian, Aunt Elsie May Duncan

Lillian married Thomas William Curry at Kensington in 1952. She is pictured below with her sisters and other female members of the family (I missed this photo opportunity).

 The Girls - L-R Eileen, Elsie, Niece Ronda, Lillian, Mary, Sister-in-law Joan, Kathleen

As I don't want to make this post too long I will fast forward nearly 20 years to my wedding day in 1970.

The Duncan Girls 1970 - L-R Mary, Lillian, Kathleen, Eileen, Elsie, Mum Elsie, Step-Brother Bill Chatfield

The last and only colour photo I have of the group is at a cousin's wedding in 1978. 

The Duncan Girls - Kathleen, Elsie, Eileen, Mum Ethel, Step-brother Bill, Lillian, Mary

 These photos bring back many memories of times spent with and stories told by my Aunts, The Duncan Girls.

I love to connect with cousins and fellow researchers. Should you find any errors in my post or have additional information please contact me. 

Happy Birthday, Aunty Kath

Kathleen Jane Duncan would have been 88 today.

Kathleen Jane Duncan

I don't know why Aunty Kath was born in Nyngan, NSW when at the time of her birth the family lived in Cobar, NSW. I must ask my Mum if she remembers the story behind this.

Jack and Kath Madden on their wedding day

Kath married Englishman, Jack Madden, at Kensington, NSW in 1948. My grandmother (who wasn't biased) thought Aunty Kath was the prettiest bride in the family.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and sister Aunty Kath was a pretty good Aunt.  When my mother was working, Aunty Kath always had me over for a "Holiday" in the school holidays and  she and Uncle Jack sometimes included me in their family's summer holidays to the beach. When it was discovered that I had a case of nits as a nine year old  on holiday with the Maddens I was absolutely distraught. Instead of keeping me at arm's length Aunty Kath got into my little bed and comforted me. I'll never forget that kindness.

Family holiday at Ettalong 1955. Aunty Kath (second from left) little Geniaus middle front

When I was a little girl Mum and Kath ran a smallgoods shop and delicatessen in Kensington, NSW. Aunty Kath and Uncle Jack lived in the residence above the shop while Mum, Dad and I stayed there on the weekends when it was Mum's turn to work on Saturdays. As an only child I enjoyed that time spent with the extended family and the easy access to the chocolate malted milkshakes served in the shop.

Aunty Kath encouraged me in my reading by lending me some of the books she received from her book club. it was exciting as a 12 or 13-year-old to be introduced to works for adults, I still remember reading her Monica Dickens books, those by Betty MacDonald and some titles about life in a prisoner of war camp in World War II.

Kath was the only one of the five Duncan girls to get a driver's licence, I remember how I loved going out with her and my cousin in her little black Mini.

Kath (3rd from left) her mother and siblings 1970

Kath was a hard worker, together with her husband Jack Madden she ran a very successful hotel supplies business in Sydney. (see my post on the green plates). They retired a couple of times but soon found themselves back in business. After Uncle Jack's death Aunty Kath went to work for their accountant, she was a whizz with figures. Although she was in her mid seventies her co-workers all thought she was in her early sixties, Aunty Kath was as sharp as a tack.

My mum and Aunty Kath had a very close relationship, every Saturday for many years Kath would pick Mum up in her car and they would head off to shop and visit their mother, Ethel,  and sister, Eileen. Included in these excursions would be some clothes shopping. The Duncan girls loved to chase down a bargain.

Kath and Jack 1977

My Aunty Kath was very special to me.

Unbreakable

As you may have previously read Mr GeniAus and I are in the process of decrapifying our home. After nearly 45 years of marriage and with few moves we have acculumated a lot of stuff. 

As I was packing our green and white kitchen dinnerware into a box today my mind wandered back to its aquisition. Quite a number of years ago my Aunty Kath, my mother and mother-in-law were  decrapifying so they passed on their collection of Grindley Hotelware to us. As this stuff is virtually indestructible we still have 36 dinner plates (3 sizes), coupes, bread and butter plates and cups and saucers in the set. I never use my other everyday plates, my fun chicken dinnersets or my four posh sets. 

Family members all had sets of this crockery because my Uncle Jack imported and sold the  Grindley Hotelware through his hotel supplies firm so they got it at a good price.

As I was packing the stuff into boxes this morning I pondered on the thirty odd years of good service the plates have given us and the many family celebrations that they have witnessed, I guess they could tell some tales. In a way I am sorry to see those plates go because of the memories they dredge up and I know that their pristine white replacements will not survive as well in my kitchen and dishwasher. 

I am pleased to report that the plates are moving on to another family home where I know they will give many more years of faithful service.

Do you know Peg?

I recently found this photo of Mum with two of her sisters, Kathleen and Eileen, and a friend named Peg. It may have been taken in Cobar or Kensington, NSW in the early 1940s.

L_R Elsie Duncan, Kathleen Duncan, Peg, Eileen Duncan

Return to Adelaide

Over the years I have visited Adelaide a number of times. As I prepare for our excursion to Adelaide next week for "The 13th Australasian Congress on Genealogy & Heraldry Adelaide 2012" I took a peek in my Picasa collection to see what images I could find.


In 1952 I travelled with my mother to visit her sister, Kathleen, who was living in Adelaide at the time with my Uncle Jack. We travelled by train and returned by 'plane. Some of my first memories are from this trip. I remember having to change trains in the middle of the night in Albury as the gauge of the railway track changed as we crossed the state border. I remember that Aunty Kath and Uncle Jack had a set of external stairs leading to the flat. I remember the big scales (to weigh baggage or passengers) at the airport, having orange juice on the 'plane and being greeted at Sydney's Mascot Airport on our arrival home by  two other aunties.


I do not recall the outing recorded in the attached photo or the little boy, Robert McCubbin, who must be all grown up by now.