Monthly Archives: July 2014

Sydney city

Visiting Sydney’s department stores in the 1950s

A visit to Sydney’s department stores in the 1950s was a great day out, especially for kids around Christmas time. The toy departments with their array of toys at a time when kids received toys only on special occasions were entrancing. Sometimes there were visits of stars from kids movies. I remember one of the pirates from Disney’s Treasure Island (1950) was in the toy department of one department store one Christmas. I’ve forgotten which store but it was most likely Anthony Hordens & sons in George Street. And then there was lunch in the cafeteria, often a meat pie and chips. Part of the thrill of a visit to the city was the ride on the double decker bus. Kids rushed for the front seats upstairs.

As reminder of the number of department stores in Sydney, HERE is a link to a fascinating page about Sydney’s department stores for furniture and furnishings, 1890-1960.

My books

Extensive revision of Part One of my family history

The reason I put back the publication of the second part of my family history, Me ‘n’ Pete – Recalling a Fifties Childhood, is that I have undertaken a revision of the first part, From Prison Hulk to Three Bedroom Home. The revision was necessary because in the meantime I had found a lot more information about both sides of my family (mother’s and father’s) and third cousin, Bob Wilson, had compiled all his research on the Wilson and Jones lines in several booklets. Some of that information was missing in the original edition. The revised edition will be around 15,000 words longer and will be ready for posting online in November 2014.