Story behind the newspaper photo - Henley High School Prefect Induction 1964

Getting your photo in the Adelaide 'Advertiser' newspaper was always quite an accomplishment. As Henley High School was such a relatively new school (opened 1958), our first prefect induction was covered in the news.

The photographer gathered all the prefects together, then wanted some 'regular' students in the photo, too. The only students were guys - left behind to pack up the metal chairs that we had sat on in the quadrangle. The photographer wanted some female students, but as it was a break most had gone to activities on the oval and far away.

Typically I and my best friend, Robin were where we weren't really supposed to be - inside the main building corridor. They reporters grabbed us and shoved us right behind the prefects, and in front of the guys.

I remember it as being a very uplifting assembly and occasion.

I think part of this photo was part of the celebrations for 50th anniversary of Henley High School. I can always remember going to a display at Henley Town Hall in the 80s or early 90s and the Henley & Grange Historical Society had included this photo in their 'historical' display. You can imagine what went through my mind with that! Me? History/historical? Am I THAT old?

I have the year down for this photo as 1964, and believe that to be approximately correct.

F.D. Lill (Mrs F.W.R. Lill) - Grange, South Australia

This is my Nan. She is mentioned as Mrs F.W.R. Lill in old newspapers from Adelaide in the early 1900s. She was active in the community with her girls (3 daughters - Dulcie, Gladys, and Joyce). One account tells of having a trading table or something of the likes at the Grange Bowling Club. Grandpa is/was a life member there.
I can't imagine her being this young. I can see my Mum's resemblance to her, though.
I loved my Nan.
She died in 1973, when I was living in England I was 24. She had had strokes for many years, and lapsed into the world of Alzheimer's. Although she always seemed to remember me when I visited her out at Greenacres where she spent the last years of her life. I always took a bag of sweets for her, and loved to scare her by running fast with her wheelchair. Seems so strange that she died while I was away, it's something you don't really imagine, especially if they have always been there, in your life.
I loved some of her 'old' clothes. I even altered some to wear. She had an old fox 'wrap' that was fashionable. As a child I didn't know why someone would want a dead fox slung around their shoulders. I loved a crepe navy outfit of hers with cut-out filigree pockets. I still have the hand-painted porcelain jars off of her dressing table. I used to lace her corsets for her, and tie her in. She had ulcers on her legs and I would help dress them daily. As her memory faded I was the one who would find her 'stolen' purse or handbag. When she went into a home, we had to put coins in a purse so she wouldn't panic. She loved a small glass of sherry if the occasion arose. I can still remember her at my Dad's wake when I was 18. She said that she could see Dad with Grandpa 'playing handies' up in heaven. I enjoyed her take on life. I have outlined some of her stories of the aboriginies and so forth earlier in this blog. I would watch her cook and probably learnt good basic cooking from her.
This painting is a pastel I did - of Nan's dressing table jars, and, as it has it - Auntie Dulcie's crochet half lady milk cover. Mother and daughter.

Old photos of South Australia. Early 1920s. Grange Beach & Hotel.

More photos from Auntie Dulcie's album. Although not indicated I am about 99% sure this is Grange Beach. It would be early 1920s.

The photo of the 3 children on swings show what I think is the Grange hotel behind. But there is also a slim chance it is the 'marines', on the Esplanade.  The girl on the far left is my Mum (Joyce Constance Capon, nee Lill). She was born in 1912, so it's easy to date this to the early 1920s.

The 2nd photo with 3 women has what I firmly believe to be the Grange Hotel. The part of roof on the right of this photo would be a kiosk on the Grange jetty, I think. There were kiosks on the jetty, to the north for quite a lot of my growing-up years. I don't know when they demolished them. They only were open in summer. Most popular product was iceblocks and ice creams.

My Auntie Glad (Gladys Eleanor Johns, nee Lill) is in the middle. She was 5 years younger than Mum, so she would have been a teenager here. And Nan (Glad, Joyce, and Dulcie's Mother, my grandmother), is on the far right. Love her hat! *lol* Her name was Florence Dulcie Lill (nee Dayley, if I remember right, or could be Nation?). She was married to F.W.R. Lill, my grandfather (Fredrick William Russon Lill). Life member of the Grange Bowling Club.

I find it interesting to see the seaweed. When I was young, and up until teen years, I remember the beach being covered in seaweed, particularly after storms. Fun to jump around on. Though in later years it seems that there isn't much seaweed any more? The swings existed when I was a child. I remember the ones on the south side of the jetty most of all, together with the changing shed that was set upon stilts.

I adore Grange Beach. So many of my friends that grew up here as a child, returned as adults. It is a very special place.

Please don't use the photos without permission. Thank you.

Old photos of South Australia. 1920s. Cape Northumberland Lighthouse.

The Cape Northumberland Lighthouse near Port MacDonnell was built to replace the earlier lighthouse that was under threat of being undermined by the erosion of the the cliffs on which it stood.

This one was built in 1882. This photo is from the 1920s when Auntie Dulcie visited this area. It's from her personal album. The lighthouse was then powered by kerosine.

Please don't use this photo without asking. 

Old Photos of South Australia. Early 1920s - Wellington, River Murray punt

From my Auntie Dulcie's photo album. 1920s. Clearly labeled as the Wellington punt. I believe the original was started in the late 1830s, not long after South Australia became settled (Adelaide).

I have a better image as a scan, that shows the buildings on the river banks, if anyone is interested, please contact me. Please don't use the image without permission. Thank you.

Old Photos of South Australia. Early 1920s - Selleck's Beach

The Lill family would be notorious for day parties touring. A grand parcel of friends would load up in the automobiles and away they would go. I wish I had my grandfather's photos of those old days, but they were destroyed when he died in 1962 (?). However I do have my Auntie Dulcie's old text book of photos with hand written titles. Auntie Dulcie Elizabeth Williamson was married to Walter (Wally) Williamson - you'll find him on Wikipedia (Uncle Alec Lill, too).
Anyway, though the photos aren't more than snapshots, poorly processed, I still think they are worth saving/showing.
I believe the man standing apart is grandpa (F.W.R. Lill). It was a day trip to Victor Harbor, and they had stopped at Selleck's Beach. It was a great beach to get wonderful rounded rocks from - until it became illegal to do so.
Please do not use any of these personal photos. If you need to, please send a request.

Happy 65th Wedding Anniversary

More of the Lill family.
My grandfather's brother, Percy moved to Renmark, so many of the Lill's reside in the riverland.
It is heartening to hear of the family there.
Auntie John and Auntie Pat recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. I loved staying with them when young, and with all the cousins, Uncles, and Aunties and so forth.
I was always in awe that Uncle John had survived the Japanese prison camps of Asia as a POW, and had worked on the Death Railway - Thailand to Burma. Some of this story is in the newspaper article.
Here is the article on their celebration. Congratulations!
http://issuu.com/riverlandweekly/docs/rw_190_august_11_2011
I remember working on their fruit block and the wonderful fruits. Apricots, oranges, and more.