Page 20. My father lived through two World Wars and the Great Depression. Too young to fight in the First War, I suppose he was too old to fight in the Second. I think he was involved in some sort of home army and assisted in building bomb shelters.

After Clara died in 1936, William and his father were assisted by the next door neighbour’s daughter, Mae Robertson, who became their housekeeper. Apparently Mae, a bit simple, was fond of William and would sidle up to him and say: “You’re my boy, aren’t you Will?” Later Mae married a cousin of the Stokes family, a kindly man with a club foot.

Mae’s cooking must have left something to be desired because John Graham would apparently vomit after many of her greasy meals. Soon they were making enquiries about another housekeeper. Clara’s good friend and my mother’s older sister, Ada Dennis, asked my mother Emma whether she would be interested in housekeeping for these old family friends, and she agreed.

One day, my mother was standing on the kitchen table at Ross Street, having her choir dress altered by her sister Ada when William walked into the room. He suddenly realized he was in love with her. William was 20 years older than Emma but he proposed to her and she agreed to marry him. On 3 September 1939, as they were stepping into the jeweler’s store to buy the engagement ring, a news boy on the street corner cried out "War! England declares War on Germany!"

Emma Dennis’ engagement ring.

Two months later, on 4 November 1939, William and Emma were married. War time was not a good time to get married. There was a scarcity of everything. Emma decided to have a small wedding without any fuss. Her sister Ada, however, insisted that she have a "proper" wedding. A veil was borrowed and Emma wore her white church choir dress. In the photograph you can see the hem of the dress that was being taken up when William first fell in love with her. Emma’s best friend Joan Mackay was the bridesmaid and her sister Ada’s daughter Rosemary was the flowergirl. (In 1955 I was the flowergirl at Rosemary’s wedding, and carried the same flower basket.) William’s German friend, Gerhardt Hammer, who also lived in Ross Street Toorak, was the best man. Also appearing in the official photograph was my mother’s uncle Jack Washington.

Wedding of William Graham and Emma Dennis, 4 November 1939

After her marriage, my mother decided that, at the age of 40, it was time for my father William to have his own money and not to go, hat in hand, to his father John whenever he needed something. She insisted that John pay William a salary each week and from that she was given her housekeeping money.

In 1941 Ronald John Graham was born. My mother had an attack of influenza late in the pregnancy and he was born six weeks early.

William Henry Graham

Emma Vida Graham nee Dennis