Today I captured a Golden Age portrait for the lovely Jen. I met her at Dora Creek op shop where she volunteers & told her about my project. When I sent Jen my list of questions, she sent back a very brief summary & said to me that she doesn't have much of a story..
I knew that definitely wouldn't be the case after living for over 80 years, so I spent some time getting Jen to expand on her life. She does in fact have quite a story.
She was born 1/10/1945 in Camperdown in Sydney NSW
Her Mother was a cook, her Father was a motor mechanic then later became an engineer. Then went on to become a Doctor of Engineering.
Jen grew up in Roseville and Turramurra on the north Side of Sydney. Eldest of three children, she lived in a federation home in Roseville. Then her Dad built the house Turramurra.
She went to Roseville public then North Ryde and then Cheltenham ladies college.
She remembers even though they were in suburbia they still grew veggies and had chickens.
Jen remembers always having a love of drawing and art. She had an uncle who was an architect & gave her beautiful art supplies and papers etc to draw on.
She recalls drawing a naked lady in a cocktail glass at about age 8 much to her family's shock. They couldn't understand where she had come up with something like that.
Her first job was at a grocery store stacking shelves and doing the window displays, she said she was a master at the stacking of the can displays.
Jen fell pregnant at 15 and was forced into getting married at 16 to save the families reputation. She was then forced to give her daughter up for adoption at 4 months. She said there was no alternative & her opinion & feelings were never considered. Her marriage was annulled before the baby had even been given up.
Jen started a new relationship when she was 18 & married at 21 she already had second daughter Michelle by then, & Alan, Naomi and Anthony all arrived within a few years. They moved to Cessnock &
Jen went back to work to support the family at Burton’s plastics she was the colour coordinator for the button displays. Later she worked for Bonds and at the Cessnock hospital shop
She also worked at Ron Fields corner shop which was a convenience store for 4-5 years.
Jen didn't ever tell her other children about the daughter she was forced to give up for adoption. When her daughter Sally made contact to find her birth mother, Jen was in her forties.
She said that it was an incredible burden to feel grief & guilt over her daughter & not know where she was & if she was ok for all those years without being able to talk about it.
She said filling in the census where it asked how many children, she had was especially & unexpectedly heartbreaking for her.
After 40 years together the marriage ended & Jen moved to Dora creek when a long time friend offered his house. They had been friends for 30 years & their children had grown up together. Jen had also worked for Doug when he was running the hospital shop. This living arrangement eventually turned into a relationship. They have now been together for 20 plus years. Jen said he has given her the freedom to buy her art supplies and encourages her work, & she can be herself with someone who makes her feel safe & loved.
In her 60's Jen went back to University to complete a fine arts degree full time. She continues to draw and paint and recently took up watercolour painting.
She currently helps with classes at the Dora creek school of arts U3A. She sets up the still life displays. Jen also loves to make cards & crochet. She has made many beautiful baby items over the years.
Jen has 16 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren.
