Frances Forrest, who died recently, was the oldest sister of the kids born to Joe and Hazel Forrest. Following her were Norma, Eileen (mother of the Roff boys) and John (Jack), father of the Forrest kids.
Hazel, Fran's mother, killed herself when Fran was seven years old. All the other children had no memory of their mother but Fran did. Eileen was two at the time and Jack was one. The circumstances of the death are unclear but what has now been diagnosed as post-natal depression may have been an issue.
Fran's father was a traveling salesman who spent his working week in country NSW so was unable to keep a home suitable for the safe upbringing of his young children.
Fran, Norma and Jack went to live with Hazel's sister, Ede, and her husband, Joe Lahiff, in Arncliffe in Sydney. Eileen was entrusted to Ma Squires, the wife of Eileen's grandfather.
Joe eventually organised for Fran and Norma to attend Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC) at Parramatta. This was an all-girl school with an established reputation for music and preparing girls for civil service (public service). Fran's working life was associated with the secretarial and stenogrophy skills she learned there.
Fran's father died when he was 58 when Fran would have been in her mid-20s. Despite a number of alleged proposals, she never married. Aunty Fran lived most of her life in Benelong Road near the home of Jack and Betty Forrest. Most of the Roff boys had holidays with Jack and Betty, part of which involved walking up the road a few houses and visiting Aunty Fran. She was always a gracious hostess and was a regular visitor to the many homes of Neil and Eileen as they moved around NSW with the Rural Bank.
Her love of dogs (poodles in particular) influenced Eileen who, while the Roffs lived in Newcastele, acquired her own poodle, Marcel.
Aunty Fran was regularly classified as "eccentric" and valued her privacy. While she was difficult to get to know, most of us will remeber her wide smile and interest in other people's lives. In her later years, the Forrest clan, particularly Shane, looked after her needs and, according to Shauna, her last year in a nursing home was a period of pleasure and contentment.
This is a picture of Norma (left) Stella (Fran's father's sister) and Fran (right). Stella lived in Gosford and Norma lived there for a short period after the death of her mother.
Here's Aunty Fran in her bridesmaid's dress at the wedding of Neil and Eileen.
This is Eileen on the left, Norma, Fran and Jack. The picture was taken in 1938.
Look for Megan in the pic above, gives you an idea of the ludicrous scale of everything.
Megan and I visited Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago. I had a conference and gave a paper which meant our hotel was free. It had room service and free breakfast and a pool. Alice Springs felt as if it was constantly on the verge of a race riot. It rained while we were there and I found it to be very beautiful. Bicycles were an excellent way to get around.
