Past Christmases: 1950s to 1970s.

Some of our family members got together recently for a pre-Christmas family reunion. To mix in a bit of family history with our get-together, I searched back through some old photos and family slides from Christmases gone by and came up with a few old photographs. To share these with family members on the day, I enlarged them to A4 size, printed and laminated them to pass around during the day. Both old and young members of our family enjoyed looking through them and I've included some of the photographs below and a few extras.

Family Christmas tree made by Leo NORTHCOTE, my grandfather in the 1950s

Christmas at Five Dock in the late 1950s

Christmas decoration at Five Dock in the late 1950s

Beverly Hills Christmas in the late 1950s: Aunty Carmel, Grandfather WALTERS, Grandma WALTERS, Mum, Uncle Tom, Uncle Barry, Grandma NORTHCOTE, Grandfather NORTHCOTE

Beverly Hills Christmas in the late 1950s: Mum, Uncle John, Uncle Barry, Grandma NORTHCOTE, Grandfather NORTHCOTE, Grandfather WALTERS, Uncle Tom

Beverly Hills Christmas in the late 1950s: Grandfather NORTHCOTE, Grandma NORTHCOTE, Uncle Tom, Dad, Uncle Barry, Grandma WALTERS, Grandfather WALTERS, Aunty Carmel

Beverly Hills Christmas in the late 1950s: Grandma NORTHCOTE and Grandma WALTERS

Beverly Hills Christmas in the late 1950s: Uncle Tom and Grandfather WALTERS

Maria and Santa, Christmas 1967

Monique and Maria, Christmas 1969

Backrow: Aunty Pauline, Mrs O'Gorman (Aunty Ailsa's mother), Catherine, Aunty Carmel, Aunty Ailsa, Mum, Aunty Grace, Grandma Nellie Northcote, Grandma Lil Walters

Front row (children): Bernadette, Maria, Monique, Greg, Matthew in foreground

Christmas Day, Beverly Hills with the family in the early 1970s:
Backrow: Aunty Pauline, Mrs O'Gorman (Aunty Ailsa's mother), Aunty Carmel, Aunty Ailsa, Mum, Aunty Grace, Grandma Nellie Northcote, Grandma Lil Walters
Front row (children): Catherine,  Bernadette, Maria, Monique, Greg

As a child, I can remember the pre-Christmas excitement more than the presents themselves. My sister, brother and I would all scream into our pillows with excitement on Christmas eve. One Christmas eve, I was absolutely sure that I saw the lights of Santa's sleigh over the skies of North Ryde in Sydney!