I love this week's prompt. Granted, I have once again neglected my poor little blog and therefore have probably missed out on many awesome ideas.
The prompt of photos of the same person at different times in their lives is fantastic. My great grandfather was a hoarder, so I have many photos... who to choose?
Georgina "Gean" May Bunston, my great grandmother.
She was born on January 6 1886, the youngest daughter of George and Elizabeth Bunston.
To the left, she is seen here with her mother as a young girl - maybe four years old.
Her family lived on a farm just outside Skipton in country Victoria, Australia. Her father, George, farmed the land as well as being the local mailman and wool carter. Her eldest brother, James, married before Gean was a year old and by the time this photo was taken (around 1890) she had lost her younger brother, Andrew, who died in 1889. Gean would also become an aunt that same year but sadly her nephew died as as infant.
To the right, Gean (on the left) is pictured with her eldest sister, Fannie. This was taken in 1900 when Gean was 14 years old. By now Gean was an aunt to six nieces and nephews. Her second eldest brother, John, was also married by now and had moved off the farm to live in the suburbs of Melbourne.
Brother James and his young family had also moved away, to Mansfield - virtually on the other side of the state. Sister Fannie would also move to the Mansfield area with her husband after they married in 1901, a year after this photo was taken. Third brother George and his family would also move to area in the early 1900s.
Gean, shown here in around 1917. By now she had met my great grandfather, Percy Nash. This photo was sent to him while he was overseas serving his new country (Percy immigrated to Australia in 1912) in WWI.
All of her siblings were married by this time and she was the aunt to around 26 nieces and nephews.
Gean and Percy would marry in 1920 when he returned to Australia. They would go on to have four children of their own, three living to raise their own families.
The Nash family would take over the Bunston family farm at Skipton which remained in the family until around 2013. A well respected family of the district, as were the Bunstons before them. Active members in their local church. Percy was a founding member of the RSL and also played cornet in the local brass band.
Jump forward to 1970 - here are Gean and Percy at the time of their 50th wedding anniversary. They remained on the family farm their whole married life. Percy would pass away in 1974 at the age of 80. Gean would pass away the following year at the age of 89.
A wedding was solemnised at the residence of Mr Geo Bunston "Mayfield", Skipton, on 7th March when Jane Louisa, third daughter of Mr and Mrs Bunston was married to David John, third son of Mr and Mrs David Wilkie. Rev F McQueen performed the ceremony, in the presence of a number of relatives and friends of the bride and bridegroom. The bride, who was given away by her father, ware a pretty dress of white chine silk, made over cream, and trimmed with Paris lace and ribbon. She wore the usual wreath and veil, and carried a handsome bouquet of flowers. The bridesmaids were the Misses Mary and Gean Bunston (sisters of the bride) and Miss Janet Wilkie (sister of the bridegroom). Their dresses were of white china silk made over cream and trimmed with Paris lace and ribbons. They wore gold brooches , gifts of the bridegroom, and carried shower bouquets of white flowers and asparagus fern. Messrs W. Wilkie and Philip Bunston (brothers of the bridegroom and bride respectively) acted as groomsmen. After the wedding breakfast was partaken of, the and Mrs Wilkie drove to Linton en route to Mansfield. The bride's travelling dress was of brown cloth, with satin front and trimmings, and hat to match. Numerous handsome and useful presents were received by the bride and bridegroom.
