Just a line old chap…

02/12/2020

Black and white photograph of a landscape with a river, trees and small building on the river bank.

Melbourne emerged from a second lockdown in November. Restricted to a five-kilometre radius of one’s home for thirteen weeks, Melburnians had no choice but to get to know the local surrounds intimately. These restrictions kept many from seeing family and friends, and from travelling.

The restrictions were lifted to a twenty-five kilometre radius on 27 October. A further announcement on 8 November reunited Melbourne with regional Victoria, removing the ‘ring of steel’ police checkpoints separating Melbourne from the rest of Australia. I was amused to rediscover travel notes jotted in my diary pre-pandemic. My plans were to travel to Jamieson in April, Beechworth in May, Hepburn in June, and Brisbane in August. Humble travel plans scuttled by the pandemic. Instead, I discovered old grassy laneways, nature reserves hidden behind schools, and steep hills with glorious views to Mount Dandenong and the Yarra Ranges.

Last month it was my grandfather Jack’s birthday. If he was still around, he’d be 115 years old. He’s been gone for 15 years now. Despite receiving many postcards from far flung places during his childhood, he did not travel very far during his long lifetime. Notable exceptions included a working holiday in Cloncurry in Queensland in the 1920s and a trip to New Zealand in the 1960s. Attempts to join the Second World War efforts were thwarted by physical ailments. His childhood holidays were kept local to places like Lorne and Frankston. As an adult, he took his family on holidays to Mentone and Beaumaris.

I imagine that my travels over the next little while will follow a similar trajectory to Jack’s travels and I’ll stay local. I might even look through some of my old postcards. Here’s a collection of postcards that Jack kept, linking him to the world, as he travelled vicariously through the words of others.

Jack’s collection of postcards

Black and white photograph depicting a street bordered by buildings. Streetscape shows cars and people outside the Belfort Hotel

Postcard, Amiens – La Rue de Noyon, France, 1916

Amiens – La Rue de Noyon c.1916-17

My dear old Jack – A little while ago I got a very good & interesting letter from you & I hope you will write again. I suppose I wont know you when I come home again – You’ll be so big to what you were when I left. Don’t forget to study hard & be good at cricket & football too. You can do both if you try. All is ice & snow now in this country & I’m very very cold! I’d like to be back, Jack, in sunny Australia again.

Your loving brother Leo.

Postcard, Boelongan River, Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (Royal Packet Navigation Cy.) 1922

Boelongan Rivier 1922

My dear Jack,

To-morrow we arrive at Somabaya [Surabaya]. Doubtless your knowledge of geography will tell you at once where it is. Yesterday we were at Macassar [Makassar] – where the oil comes from. We saw natives from that island, Javanese, Chinese, Japanese, Indians and many other black and brown people. Bananas, cocoa, nuts, pine apples, all kinds of palm trees and tropical vegetation were growing like mad. All the children were quite naked and the adults nearly so. We have seen whales, flying-fish in thousands, porpoises, water-snakes, and innumerable other such things of interest and wonder. All the Officers on this boat are Dutch, the crew and stewards are Javanese, and the firemen and stokers Chinese. Good bye old chap, work hard. Love from Olive & Liff [Jack’s brother, Frank].

Black and white postcard photograph of Saint Éloi Catholic Church Dunkirk, France.

Postcard, Dunkerque, L’Eglise Saint Éloi, Dunkirk, France, 1924

St. Eloi, Dunkirk 1924

This – Jack is the beautiful cathedral of Dunkirk St. Eloi which I saw. It was greatly damaged by German obus! [Obus – French for bombshell] I am still at Southampton and expect to be here at least a month longer. I am sure you are flourishing and hope you are having a ripping time in every way. I hear you are more than ever a dabster at tennis. Hope to hear of you in Davis Cup company some day. I will come home loosely June July next year. Love to all at home your other brother Lux

Postcard illustration of the six-storey Midland Hotel in Oxford Street showing a garden in foreground with people, cars and a tramcar in the street.

Postcard, Midland Hotel, Manchester, England, 1926.

Midland Hotel, Manchester 1926

Just a line old chap. I hope you are keeping up the tennis: also the commercial side of life with the success I expect of you. What do you think of a little [illegible] this when I am tonight with 700 [illegible] ? Best of Luck, Write or can’t you ? Your churro Hook [Jack’s brother, Lux]