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. 

Mary Olive Duncan 1931-1997

Mary cuts her 21st cake

Today my Aunty Mary would be 83 years old. The youngest of the five Duncan girls from Cobar she died aged 66 in 1997. My Mum the eldest of the five is the only sister still surviving - longevity is a game of chance.

One of my earliest memories of Mary is at her 21st birthday party held at the Masonic Hall in Kensington. and I also remember the day when she married Laurence Wellesley Jackson, a musician,  in  1957.  After Mary separated from Laurie she began a relationship with Noel Tate that lasted until her death. I remember Aunty Mary as being a fun-loving and generous woman who loved her nieces and nephews and their children.

During her time with Laurie and her early years with Noel Mary had an ongoing battle with alcohol. Eventually she joined Alcoholics Anonymous and managed to remain sober until her death due to the strength she gained from membership of this organisation coupled with her determination.

We younger members of the family heard rumours that Mary had borne some children but were kept in the dark about this. My cousins and I think that Mary had two or three children who were either adopted or fostered out. I seem to remember being told about a new little cousin born at The War Memorial Hospital Waverley probably in the late 1950s and then not hearing anything further on the matter.

Mary aged 4 in Cobar

I was surprised to learn at Mary's funeral in 1997 that her son was in attendance (I had wondered who the young man in the front pew was). This was quite a bombshell. Apparently he had made contact with Mary and had been visiting her for a while.

My mother offered this young man, Tim, who lived on the Central Coast a lift in my car part of the way home from the funeral. I chatted with Tim on the long drive from Jamberoo and realised after I dropped him off at Epping Railway Station that I didn't ask him for his contact details.  Tim had told us that he also had a sister, Susan.

I have thought long and hard about writing about living people in this post but Mary's children are my first cousins and I want them to be able to find me if ever they decide they need to have contact with  members of their birth family. I have quite a number of photos of Mary and her family that I would love to share with her children. I hope that some day they do a Google search for Mary's name and contact me.