I'm getting my money's worth out of Ancestry.com.au...

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about paying for a year's membership of the site Ancestry.com.au and how I was enjoying accessing records, but the best thing was when I found people who were also doing family trees which included my great grandparents and even ancestors further back. I've filled in a lot of the blanks in my mother's side of the family...dad's side will be more of a challenge but I'm not too concerned with that just at the moment.
However, because my dad was 'naturalised' (they used that term rather than citizenship previously) in the 1930s he is on the electoral rolls. I've been able to 'track' him via those rolls from north Queensland, down to the Granite Belt (Stanthorpe) and eventually to Brisbane. There are a few years between 1949 and 1954 where he disappeared from the rolls so I still don't know when he arrived in Brisbane. By 1954, my mother is on the roll . I always knew that we lived in Paddington; I knew the street, I knew that it was a groundfloor flat, I knew that there was an electrician's shop in front and I knew that my dad's boss owned the shop and flats. What I didn't know was what number and over the years I've driven along the busy street wondering which shop it was. (the electrician had long gone I suspect) Well, the electoral rolls 'told' me the number...102!!!...so I goggled it!

My second birthday; with dad in the backyard of the Paddington flat

It's probably had a number of 'identities' over the years but now the flats are obviously one dwelling again; and it is a B&B. So when I googled it I was able to find a site that had photos of the interior. Needless to say it looks a bit different these days...I was only 3 1/2 when we left there but it's surprising the memories I have. I remember the backyard as having a fence made of chicken wire and I remember an old fashioned clothesline with the post and cross piece to hold the lines. At night I used to see the shadowy outline of the clothesline posts and feel scared...I used to say to mum that it was a plane that was going to come through the window. I also remember the bedroom was tiny; my parent's bed and my cot seem to fill the room.

The shop front/B&B to the rear

B&B kitchen/dining area

A little terrace at the back

I wonder if this room was the bedroom in our flat

I really enjoyed finding my old home. I won't be so lucky with the previous residences where my parents and I lived. Those old residentials were torn down many, many years ago and replaced with high rise buildings.