Memoirs - Page 3
Further research has confirmed hearsay information that I have had for some time that he was, prior to his marriage to Ethel RAMSDALE, and at the age of 22 years, married - on 9 October 1907 at FITZROY, VICTORIA - to a Sarah Janet (known as Jane) COLLIS and that their union had produced a daughter (Violet Dorothy May, born on 1 May 1905 {According to Phillip Dwyer she was actually born in 1908} at COLLINGWOOD, VICTORIA). It seems the marriage, celebrated by a CongregaMinister, lasted a very short period of time - may it have been the outcome of youthful exuberance or an indiscretion? - and that wife Sarah had died prior to his marrying my mother in 1920 (he was described as, and declared himself to be, a widower in their Marriage Certificate - but see below). I have no idea as to who became responsible for the custody and care of the daughter prior to, and after, her mother's death (date/year unknown - but see below). I did not, of course, ever meet her and have no knowledge whatsoever of her life or, indeed, as to whether or not she retained her birth surname. There is also some "confusion" in his military discharge papers as, on one, his wife (Sarah) of 102 CROWN1 STREET, COLLINGWOOD and his mother Margaret (by then BEDFORD) of PEEL STREET, NORTH MELBOURNE were both cited as his next of kin. (Read more about this first marriage.)
Above: 231 Peel Street, North Melbourne – the address of Andrew Dwyer as per his marriage certificate in 1920. Either the house has been demolished or they’ve changed the numbering of Peel Street! Photo by Phillip Dwyer, April 1991
Dad was, I understand, the possessor of only one lung (the other lost to pneumonia at some stage) and hindered somewhat by his earlier acknowledged foot injury. In later life he was a severe sufferer from asthma aggravated, I seem to recall, by the pollen from the flowers of Jacaranda trees which were prolific in Sydney (and particularly in the Glebe where we lived) in my young days.
I remember him, I must confess, only sketchily and much of my knowledge of him and his doings comes from hearsay and the late in life musings of my mother (see elsewhere). I recall that he was a drinker (often, perhaps, to excess - but who am I to judge from the eyes/memory of a child) and a very heavy (again an uninformed judgment here) smoker of "roll your own" cigarettes. He was, in my recall, an enthusiastic sports lover (particularly Australian Rules, no doubt); perhaps a moderate (tempered by his means, or lack of them) punter and, in terms of my memory, a fairly tall man though rather emaciated. I have seen very few photos of him but I seem to recall that he was - at 32 - a reasonably handsome figure of a man. He was though balding, even then, as evidenced by a portrait-style wedding photo posed (with him seated as was the tradition at the time) with my mother. I also have one of him (see left - Andy/Joe Dwyer with Vince in foreground, probably Ethel, Margaret and Bill in background) - circa 1940/41 - on the occasion of a family outing (to MANLY, I believe) with his oft-weared hat, and another - he with Margaret in his role as milkman - circa 1930 (this photo cannot be found and Joan has no recollection of ever seeing it).
He never, to my knowledge, had any form of permanent work i.e. a career position and Mum's writings document the sort of working life he and she shared after their marriage and in the build-up to, existence and aftermath of the Great Depression through the mid to late 20s and the early 30s. They were firmly planted in Sydney by the time of my arrival into the world - we then, and for some years later, resided at 205 Bridge Road, GLEBE (and, temporarily at least, at 270 Bridge Road, FOREST LODGE when I was born) - and I do not recall that he was still, then, pursuing his trade as a milkman. See modern day photos of the Glebe houses.
1 Also cited as PERRY and/or CURRIE Streets