View from Darling Point across Rushcutters Bay to the Elizabeth Bay mansions 1879 – source City of Sydney Image Library
Yep! This photo above has caused me a lot of grief. But let me start at the beginning. I am currently researching high society in Sydney during the 1920s. Until recently I thought (naively as it turns out) that I could simply read up about the wealthy and then fashion up a house and lifestyle for my main characters. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? How wrong was I!
This is a black hole in our history. Our novelists were not writing a Sydney Great Gatsby – they were, for the most part, writing about life in the bush. Later, the subject has hardly been touched on, which has impacted on the amount of research I now have to do. I was just realising all this a few weeks back when I decided I might have to look into the history of houses in the area to pinpoint and research the lifestyles and choices of the people (particularly the daughters) that lived in them.
Tantalisingly all these high society people are floating around in Trove in gay abandon. They are having farewell parties (off to the Continent, San Francisco, Hawaii). Hosting charity functions, balls, afternoon tea parties, enjoying the sea breeze at Hotel Cecil, Cronulla and all manner of other social activities. I swear they travelled and partied more than we do but what did they do day after day? How were the hours in their day actually filled when you were wealthy (you weren’t travelling on the Continent) and you didn’t need to work? Enter the picture above.
I chose five houses in the Elizabeth Bay area to research, working mainly on the images. It was late at night, I found this photo and reference to a short history of Ellizabeth Bay Mansions and being tired, I didn’t write the reference down – simply saved the photo. I thought I’d go back the next day and look into the reference. Could I find it the next day? OF COURSE NOT! The photo was there but no reference.
A few days later I visited the Mitchell Library and experienced first hand the very misguided changes that have been made to this historic library. Because of staff cuts, there were only two staff members on to help with people wanting to access the special collections. I was requesting maps of Darlinghurst Road in the 1920s and also looking for those notes on Elizabeth Bay Mansions. With the new changes to the Library I was told to put my requests in at the State only to find that what I wanted was at the Mitchell. I ended up going backwards and forwards between the two libraries four times.
I was very frazzled – almost as much as when I was Waiting for Eleanor Dark. In the confusion I missed requesting a book that I did come upon about Elizabeth Bay mansions. Another trip down to Sydney! But I did find the wonderful woodcuts and etchings of Gladys Owen. I was given an enormous folio tied with a ribbon and I was mesmerised going through images of Spain, Italy and England created between 1919 and 1960. This is what the Mitchell should be for. To look at special collections in the building where these collections are housed. It is with relief I heard that the recent changes and staff cuts are going to be reversed!
debbierobson 
I am so pleased that the Mitchell is reversing those changes. The very justifiable uproar shows that we can still have a voice if we cry out in numbers. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, I was so relieved as well! I’m back down again in about a month. I wonder if they will have made some changes by then. Will let you know.
LikeLike
Hope your research goes smoothly in future!
LikeLike
Thanks so much Margaret! Hope you writing is going well too!
LikeLike
Thank you. I’ve just finished writing a 9,000 word romance, and am thinking of combining it with the three other novellas and very long short stories that I’ve written, to make a quartet. Something different. 🙂
LikeLike
That does sound interesting! Can you link them by theme?
LikeLike
Well, Debbie, you’ve actually read and reviewed one: ‘Amelia’s Call’. The other three are more or less sweet romance. Although they aren’t all exactly the same theme, in each there is a potential for readers to interpret the outcome as being positive.
LikeLike
Sorry, didn’t know that Amelia’s Call was one of them. Sounds good! Order will be important, I think.
LikeLike
My husband Ron says that, too. I will give it plenty of thought. A project for winter. 🙂
LikeLike
Sounds good!
LikeLike
Pingback: Neil’s personal decades: 15 – 1895 — Whitfields | Neil's Commonplace Book
Thank you Neil!
LikeLike
Thank you for reminding me about Gladys Owen. I love her picture of Viterbo, for one. Happy New Year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She was wonderful wasn’t she? I’m fascinated by women of her time who set off overseas to find their art. How brave they were.
LikeLike
Debbie Robson, I came across this story of yours by chance. Gladys Owen was the second wife of my grandfather, John D Moore. I have recently taken over a few of her prints, which I have been cleaning and reframing. I had never really taken much notice of her work before, but I see that she was in fact quite an accomplished artist in her own right.
I’m now looking to see if any of her works may be available from auction, or other sales.
It was good to hear of someone else discovering her work.
Thanks, Ralph Moore
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ralph, Lovely to hear from you. I still remember the sketches. Im not sure where you are but you should try and get to the Mitchell in Sydney to check out her portfolio to see if they match with any of the prints you have. I do hope you find more of her work. Keep me updated! Debbie
LikeLike