Brisbane, QLD


Sunday, March 18, 2012

HOLIDAYS 1959 STYLE

It was December 1959, I had finished school, exams were over and my wonderful parents took me on a holiday to Woolgoolga Beach on the north coast of NSW. 

Dad slaps sun cream on mum.
We drove from Sydney in our beloved Ford Zephyr and hired an on site caravan and an ugly one at that but it was under cover which kept it cooler. 

 There was a lake or lagoon which emptied into the sea. So we had the best of two worlds;  the lake and the ocean. Back then it was a quiet secluded spot but now it is a crowded holiday destination.



 Dad and I fool around on the beach. We had lots of fun. 
 Mum and Dad having a deserved rest on the beach. My dad had a thing about not looking at the camera, he liked shots to look more candid. I think I got my love of photography from him.


 We walked up to a lookout where we could see the blue ocean and the golden sand beaches as far as we could see. 

Oh to be 17 again and to be so slim. However, I wouldn't like the stress
 of worrying if I had passed the Leaving Certificate and
if I would qualify for Teacher's College, which was my dream at this time.

Note the camera case slung over my shoulder with the faithful Brownie Box Camera inside.
 We visited a banana plantation and saw them harvesting and packing bananas. We came back to the caravan with a big bunch. 

We hired a boat and had a hilarious time trying to row straight. We went right to the beginning of the lagoon where it turned into a shallow creek so we had to take the oars out of the rowlocks and use them as paddles to avoid the rocks and fallen trees.

Mum was playing 'Lady Muck'. Don't you love those glasses? I think she looked pretty good at 47.

We were not a fishing family but we had a dabble when we were on holidays. Dad borrowed a rod from friends and he caught a few tiddlers that we had to throw back.

I rather fancied the handsome boy in the middle. 
 We made friends with other campers and enjoyed yarning together. I rather fancied a handsome boy I met. We spent a lot of time together, swimming and walking along the beach. I remember giving  him biology lessons about all the organisms we found in the warm rock pools. He used to sing to me. We used to sit on the beach and talk for hours. He was at university studying Chemical Engineering and he worked part time at BHP steel works in Newcastle. My parents liked him and his parents liked me. Could something come of this?

His younger brother took the boys for a row. The dads at the back look a bit heavy. 

33 comments:

  1. thank you for sharing you lovely photos. it's great that you still have them. lovely memories. your holiday looks ideal and very relaxing

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  2. Very nice memories, I am surprised you still have so many pictures.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  3. 'Could something come of this?' Rather left us hanging.

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  4. What nice holiday pictures ! Your mom had beautiful legs ! It reminded me a bit of the first holidays together with my parents in Austria at a lake, I have to say that the fashion was exactly the same and my mother had those sunglasses too, lol !

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  5. Pretty snazzy legs on your Mum, eh? A la Marlene Dietrich, "n'est pas?" My French practice lesson!
    Your Dad's shorts look pretty good, at least they are hitched up with no underdak brands displayed or about to fall off!
    As for you, well one pair of shorts as displayed are extremely scanty for those days and your hair, what a fizzy top you had then? Maybe that was the fashion, eh?
    The last photo is a Bottler, was it taken just before your Dad pitched that anchor over before the "row boat" went under????
    Ah funny days those holidays way back in the 1950s!
    Great blog Diane.
    Colin (HB)
    PS: Has my battery of wood ducks arrived to give Bill a blessing from on high yet?

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  6. What makes these photos special is that you were obviously a family who really enjoyed each other's company - thanks for making me smile!

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  7. i enjoyed every single photo today, these are great visits to the past, Dec of 1959 was the worst month of my whole life, no fond memories of that time, but you sure have great memories. love the almost sinking back of the boat. and you looked great in your shorts. mum indeed did look good at 47. my grandmothers car was just like the one in the first photo, but dark blue. this just proves my favorite quote is true. photos are the pilot light of memories. they jump start the fond memories.

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  8. It is so nice to see the old pictures. You had a great time with your parents I see. It looks so relaxed and fun.

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  9. Old photos! Nothing like them in the world. I loved this post! I kept trying to see which parent you resembled more. I can remember going places in the 50's and you could find places then where it was 'remote' and enjoy the spot by yourselves. Sheesh! You can't go anywhere today and be able to do that.

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  10. Diane your photos are phenomenal, thank you for sharing your family holiday with us. So did you ever see that handsome young man ever again? I had to laugh at the boat, it sure looks like they could have been in some trouble there!

    Have a fantastic week, cheers.

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  11. OMG what a wonderful trip and I adore all the photos of you and your folks - everyone was having such a great time you can tell and you ALL looked FABULOUS!

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  12. Wonderful! What special memories and photos. You parents were VERY handsome indeed.

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  13. What a fun time you all had- and such great memories!

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  14. Diane.
    Did you note the number plate - BLT = these days: Bacon, Lettuce, Tomatoes on a hamburger!!!
    Certainly didn't stand for that in those days - ha ha!
    Cheers
    Colin

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  15. Lovely memories - wish I had some photos from family hols but I don't think I do. My mum used to wear glasses just like that! Don't think they'll ever come back into fashion...

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  16. It must be great to look back on those happy times.

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  17. Great pictures, Diane. You have many more old pictures than I do... I have some --but I never looked like you at age 17.... You looked (still look) marvelous!!!!!! Amazing how much your daughters look like you --especially the one in Sydney....

    Thanks for sharing... My first husband and I were married in 1962... Our first car was a Ford --similar to the one you all had...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  18. Thanks for sharing your family holiday with us. I would say you had a marvelous time, even if you were stuck with an ugly caravan.

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  19. Wow what great photos and what good times were had, holidays back then were not as stressful since we didn't have to worry about were the kids where all the time........

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  20. It's so wonderful that you have all these family photos from your younger years. It looks like you all had a marvelous time. So.... was that fellow your first boyfriend? And yes, the boat is dipping dangerously low there at the back. LOL!

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  21. OH how romantic having a boy singing to you. What a wonderful photos and a great time you all had in that beautiful place. You all looked fantastic

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  22. Lovely memories! And your pictures were great even back then. You do a great job of sharing the "olden" days ;>).

    (That boat is definitely tilting to one end!)

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  23. Such great memories. It was almost like being there. You looked so happy and carefree.

    Thanks for sharing the walk down memory lane with us....Marsha

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  24. Your old pictures tell a wonderful story of a great family vacation. It must be fun to relive all the memories you have.

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  25. Marvellous shots - you look GORGEOUS!!! My Mum's idea of 'candid' shots was to pretend you were looking at a flower, or holding a branch or something. I've rarely seen anything LESS candid ...

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  26. Diane, fun memories of your holiday at the beach. It does look like a fun place. I loved all the photos, you and the family all look wonderful.

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  27. This was a fantastic post. So much love. And what happened about the bloke in the middle of the photograph?

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  28. Way to leave us all hanging, I absolutely love your old photos and the stories of your life. So who is he? BB?

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  29. Terrific photos - you look so gorgeous and so fit!

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  30. A marvelous photo essay Diane!
    Love the shot of you and your Dad on the beach.
    You were (and, as Betsy already mentioned, still)are a lovely young lady.
    I am also intrigued with "could something come of this." :)

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  31. your mum was Cleopatra in today's PC language.

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  32. Christine: Keep tuned his story will appear one day.

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