Pix. Somewhere, Circa 1970.

Pix. In America. Circa 1970.

Pix. In America, Circa 1970. I spent three months hitch hiking around the country.

Letter to parents from farm at Dorroughby, NSW, studying for Higher School Certificate, 1970.

Early attempts at photography, Circa 1966.

Early attempts at photography, Circa 1966. Including scenes around 123, now 137 Wallamutta Road, Newport. The street, the front entrance, the back of my father's shed, he was always building things, and a view out the window of a Cessna when we took a trip around Australia. That same street is now lined with million dollar homes. My father bought the block for 50 pound.

School Photo, Newport Primary School, 1964.

Report, Pittwater High School, May, 1969.

Early attempts at photography, Fremantle, Circa 1966.

The Camera Saga, Circa 1965.

Photo, My Grandmother Sarah Audrey Higginbottom, Circa 1960. With her car.

My Grandmother Sarah Audrey Higginbottom, Circa 1960. With her car in the background.
She brought up six children during the Great Depression, and learnt to drive when she was some 60-years-old, an achievement which was the source of much pride and fascination.

Photo, Off to School, Circa 1960.

Scenes from 123 (now 137) Wallamutta Road, Newport, Sydney, Australia. Circa 1960.

Feeding Parrots, Wallamutta Road, Newport, Sydney. Circa 1965.

Off to High School, 1965. Wallamutta Road, Newport, Sydney.

My mother, Nola Lorraine Stapleton, Circa 1965.

My father, Andrew William Stapleton, Circa 1965.

Report, Pittwater High School, June, 1966.

Early attempts at photography, mother Nola, brother Doug, Circa 1966.

Early attempts at photography, brother Doug and mother Nola, Circa 1966.

Setting up tripod for camera, Wallamutta Road, Newport, Sydney, Australia. Circa 1966.

With camera, 123 (now 137) Wallamutta Road, Newport, Sydney, Australia. Circa 1966.

Photography, with my father, Circa 1966.

My father and I were getting on so badly that my mother campaigned for us to develop a common interest together, which turned out to be photography. It did not go well.

Photo, in park with younger brothers, Circa 1963.

Photos, early attempts, Circa 1966.

Early attempts at photography. I wanted to be everything, a photographer, a musician, a painter, a market gardener, a writer. 

Postcards from Coolangatta, 1967.

Postcards sent from Coolangatta. The assurances that I was out dancing every night having fun was not designed to reassure my parents I was a good Christian lad. I was yet to turn 16, and therefore could not legally leave home.

 

Photo, Grandmother, Mary Anne Stapleton, Circa 1970.

Photo, Grandmother, Mary Anne Stapleton, Circa 1970. My father's mother.
She, like my grandmother on my mother's side, brought up six children during the Great Depression. She was a bustle of a woman, and would never stop working.

Postcard, Stella Maris, 1967.

I became so impossible that my parents sent me off for a holiday on my own to Coolangatta. I stayed in this guest house, Stella Maris. I loved it.

Photo, Unhappy, Circa 1965.

Note to Miss Minto, Circa 1970.

I was briefly working as a cleaner in Chelsea, London, long story, and had just moved into a new flat.
Even then, Chelsea was London's millionaire row and they would regularly throw out what to me as an impoverished young man who would ride the underground just to stay warm, was perfectly good material.
This day this woman had thrown out a whole lot of high quality cutlery and crockery and I decided that instead of putting them out in the garbage I would take them home.
The police picked me up going down into the underground n the way home and accused me of stealing them.
They refused to believe anyone would throw out such high quality goods, but eventually listened to me long enough to go to this woman's plush doorstep.
Miss Minto, a pleasant younger woman from Canada I think, dripping wealth, looked rather surprised to see the cleaner of her apartment building standing there with two policemen on either side, but confirmed that indeed she had thrown the goods out.
The police became quite friendly after that, and we drove around aimlessly for a while before their radio went off for another job, and they dropped me off at Earl's Court, because to them all Australians came from Earl's Court.
It was nowhere near where I was living.

Bedroom under construction, Wallamutta Road, Newport, Sydney, Circa 1963.

We were getting older and it was decided that we should have our own private spaces. We moved rooms and my father built this divide down the middle of the room. My brother Doug was on the other side. This is a picture while the room is still under construction.

Phito, With younger brothers brothers Doug and Warren, Circa 1963.

Report, Pittwater High School, November, 1966,

Report, Pittwater High School, November, 1965.

Report, Pittwater High School, August, 1968.

Report, Pittwater High School, May, 1967.