Memoirs - Introduction
I William Charles (John) DWYER, currently resident at "ETHELMA" 30 Grylls Crescent, Cook, Australian Capital Territory - being (I believe) at this time (and in my 67th year) of sound mind - am embarking upon a project to place on record aspects of my unremarkable (?) life. I am moved to do this, not out of ego (though any form of biography must be flavoured by some sense of self), but because
members of my immediate family have, several times in the recent past, suggested I should do so, and
I have come to the realisation, alas perhaps too late in my life, of just how little I know of the lives and trials of my parents and their contributions to what I have been and have become.
That said, I was born on 23 February 1934 at the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington, NSW - the first son, and second child of
Andrew James (oft known as Joseph) DWYER - born 28 January 1885 in Dryburg Street, West Hawthorn, VICTORIA. He died on 23 December 1948 in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown NSW as the consequence of a cardiac problem brought on from a bout of pneumonia which required hospitalisation. He, over the short time I knew him, seemed to prefer to be known as Joe (though Mum mostly called him Andy). He was born of the union of one William (b. 1863 at KILMORE, VICTORIA) and Margaret Constance DWYER, (nee MCCRAITH, - b. 1865 at KEILOR, VICTORIA). Grandfather was described as a "carter" but no occupation was ascribed to her, and
Ethel (Mary or May) RAMSDALE - born on 13 March 1895 in High Street, KYNETON, VICTORIA. She died on 26 September, 1974 from a heart attack, also whilst a patient at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown, NSW. She had, the day before - and not feeling well - walked several kilometres to hospital and admitted herself and appeared to be on the road to recovery when she suffered a massive heart attack. She was mostly known merely as Et or, formally, as Ethel May - perhaps her preference).
I was preceded by an elder sister Margaret Mary (Josephine) DWYER born on 28 November, 1921 in North Melbourne, Victoria, with Mum in her 26th year (subsequently - by marriage in December, 1941 and in her 21st year, becoming Mrs Margaret AITKEN - see further, elsewhere) and followed, some 3 years after my arrival, by a brother Vincent Francis (Patrick) DWYER (dob 28 August, 1937 - see further, later), Mum was then in her 42nd year. [It may be interesting to note here, coincidentally, that there was another DWYER (Henrietta Theresa - nee O'BRIEN) in the RAMSDALE family tree. Born on 7 March 1902, she married one Francis RAMSDALE born on 10 November 1895 at CARLSRUHE - on 27 June, 1923. It seems that she, known as Reita, was not in any way related to my father.
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