Cuppa@Sues

  This photograph was taken in 1917 in Mildura and shows William Matthews (Goode), Mary Elizabeth Matthews (my grandmother), and her grandmother, Clara Marsh. It is battered and folded and has had a hard life, much like the people it depicts. William Matthews enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and had this photo taken with his mother and niece before leaving for the Western Front in France. He carried it with him, a small piece of home amidst the horrors of war. Tragically, he was shot but survived, and the photograph was lost on the battlefield. The stain above Clara’s head is supposed to be his blood. In a remarkable twist of fate, Les Pope, a fellow soldier from Mildura who recognised the faces, picked up the photo from the mud and returned it to the family. What are the chances of that? This photo was in my great-aunt Rose's collection, and she told me this story: William came home, married, and lived in Melbourne after the war.

  Clara Marsh's life is a testament to resilience and strength. Born in June 1858 in Nottingham, England, to George Marsh, a labourer at the gas works, and Julia Wombell, Clara faced challenges from the outset. She could not read or write, so she never worked outside her parental home. She navigated a life of trials, leaving a lasting legacy through her four daughters. Early Life and Marriage Clara's early years were spent looking after her siblings at home. She married Joseph Maskrey in Sheffield in January 1875, aged 23. The couple welcomed two daughters, Clara Maskrey, born on May 12, 1877, and Gertrude Maskrey, born in April 1880. However, life changed again when Joseph left Clara and the young girls with her family and migrated to Australia. His sister and her husband were already in Orange. Journey to Australia In July 1881, Clara made the arduous journey to Australia with her daughters to reunite with Joseph, who had taken the license of the Commercial Hotel in O...