Marion Morton Page

In the early hours of a Thursday morning in April 2012, Marion Morton passed away quietly in her sleep, at her home in Alfred Street, Sans Souci.

Marion was born in March 1934 in the rectory of the Anglican Church at Binda, a small regional town in Crookwell Shire near Goulburn. Marion’s Father was the Rev. Hugh Alfred Morton, and was the Anglican Minister at Binda. The Mortons were a pioneering family who hailed from Benjeroop, Victoria. Marion’s Mother was Annie McKenzie Morton nee Rowan. The Rowans were another great pioneering family from Victoria. Annie came from the rural district of Terrip Terrip near Euroa. Annie became a teacher in the N.S.W. Education Department, and had met Hugh whilst teaching in the Riverina.

Marion was the youngest of four children. Her siblings are Annette, Mary, and Hugh, and have all survived her.

In June 1937, when the Morton family was in the midst of a move to the Denman Parish in the Hunter Valley, Marion’s farther fell from a ladder whilst hanging pictures in the rectory and tragically passed away. Having left one parish and not settled in another, Annie and her young family were in a difficult situation. They moved to 42 Hewlett Street, Waverley, and Annie retuned to teaching to support the family. In these turbulent times, the family was split up for a time and young Marion went to live with her aunt and uncle on the family farm “Woodlands” in Terrip Terrip, for five years. Whilst living in Terrip, Marion started her school life by attending the small local primary school which was held in a single room building.

After returning to Sydney, Marion attended St Gabriel’s School at Waverley until she was 15, and obtained her Intermediate Certificate. She did not at this stage go on to do her leaving certificate.

Soon after leaving school, Marion found employment with Manufacturers’ Mutual Insurance Limited, working as a typist in the Accounts, Garage and Bradma sections. (Bradma were an Indian manufacturer of cash registers and currency counting machines)She worked there for ten years, until January 1960.

Marion was appointed a Justice of the Peace for New South Wales on the 22nd November 1961.

Her next job was with Tom Piper Limited, where she performed a variety of clerical duties, and developed a taste for saus and veg. She was with Tom Piper until June 1962. Following Tom Piper Marion took on a position with the Overseas Stevedores’ Association as a book-keeper-typist for six months and then resigned so that she could travel overseas.

In 1963 Marion left Australia on a big overseas adventure aboard the Orient Line passenger ship Oronsay. In preparation for her overseas travel, Marion had organised letters of introduction signed by the Prime Minister Robert Menzies, and by the Mayor of Waverley. Always interested in her own family history, Marion went in search of, and found, her distant McKenzie relatives in Scotland. Whilst living there, Marion worked as a receptionist / book keeper for the Gairloch Hotel in Ross-Shire for six months in 1965. She also found work as a barmaid and babysitting during her stay. Marion returned to Australia by air in November 1965.

Upon returning to Australia Marion worked during 1966 for six months as Chief Clerk for the bookbinders Stanley Owen and Sons Pty Ltd, and then for a similar period as bookkeeper/clerk for Atlas Printery Pty Ltd. From 1967 to early 1970 Marion held a clerical position at Smith Sons and Rees Limited, where one of her duties was wages preparation on a Boroughs book-keeping machine. Her skill with this mechanical adding equipment meant that she had the now completely defunct job title of comptometrist.

By this stage, Marion’s siblings were all married and had families of their own. Marion who never married lived with Annie at Hewlett St, and then moved to Bath St Monterey in 1968.

In 1971 Marion started her long association with the NSW Department of Education by applying for a position as a typist in the School Library Service. She stayed at the School Library Service for three years, during which time she felt the need to further herself and complete her secondary education.

Marion sat and passed the Higher School Certificate Examination in 1973. The following year she enrolled as a mature student in an Arts degree at the University of New South Wales, and subsequently completed a Diploma of Education in 1977.

Marion’s first teaching appointment was to St. George Girls High School where she was an assistant English/History teacher for a short time. Soon after she was appointed to Caringbah High School as an Assistant Teacher / Librarian. She held the position of Librarian there until the end of the school year in 1991, and for Marion the fourteen years she spent at Caringbah High was her longest period of working for the one employer. Whilst at Caringbah, Marion also taught photography as an Other Approved Study course for five years and ran the camera club.

Annie passed away in June 1989, and Marion lost not only her mother, but a great companion and friend. The villa in Bath Street was sold and Marion purchased a small unit in Alfred St, Sans Souci.

Marion was appointed to Endeavour High School as a Teacher Librarian at the start of 1992, and worked there until she retired in March 1994, one day before her 60th birthday.

Marion was far from idle in her retirement, and had many activities to keep her busy.

From the late 1960s Marion had a long association with the Marrillac Centre and the Daughters of Charity. The Marrillac Center was a social and rehabilitation centre, located in East Sydney. Its target audience, was disadvantaged young girls, the elderly and the poor and needy living in the inner city of Sydney. Marion was active in fundraising activities, often manning the street stalls regularly held in the local area. Her Nephew, Peter, can remember as a young teenager, repairing broken toys, replacing missing wheels on model cars and repainting them, then accompanying Marion to distribute these gifts to needy but grateful children in Darlinghurst and Redfern, just before Christmas. In November 1984 Marion was made an affiliate to the company of the Daughters of Charity. Marion held the position of President of the Marrillac Committee for a term of three years from October 1991.

Marion was a member of the Anglican Board of Mission’s Sydney auxiliary, whose fund raising activities raised money for a vital project each year. Marion’s passion for the work done by the ABM probably stems from the fact that her father was for a time was secretary of the ABM after he left the Parish of Binda. Marion really enjoyed attending the monthly ABM meetings.

Marion was a keen photographer, and in December 1962 joined the Eastern Suburbs Photographic Society. In March 1963 Marion was elected as a member of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, which was a real achievement, because she was the first female to be accepted as a member. Marion was a member of the Waverly Camera Club and was their secretary prior to 1967. Marion owned a variety of cameras, but it was her trusty Rolleiflex, a double lens reflex camera with a 56mm square negative format, that she used most often. Her nephew Derek remembers, when he was about 12, being taken by Marion into town and down the south coast and being taught how to take photos. This included how to compose the elements in the photo and make interesting and balanced shots. She taught him how to develop the negatives, print the photos in the dark room and even how to enlarge. This lead to him to enter photos in the Royal Easter show two years running.

Marion was an avid reader, and had a particular passion for fantasy fiction. As a young teenager, Marion gave her nephew the Mars trilogy by Edgar Rice Burrows to read, and that started him down the path of a love of science fiction and fantasy. Marion did not slow down in her later life, in her ability to devour book after book.

For the period that Marion lived at Monterey and Sans Souci, she had a long association with St. Paul’s Anglican Church. She was an active member of the congregation, and was a member of the ladies guild, serving as president for a time. Marion served as a churchwarden, and was also a member of the Parish Council serving as secretary. It is fitting that her funeral was held at St. Paul’s, to celebrating Marion’s life, with so many of her parish friends in attendance.

Marion was the chronicler of the family history. Growing up in such an interesting time in Australia’s history, and being surrounded by examples of her rich family heritage, she put a lot of effort into researching the Mc Kenzies, Rowans, Grants and Mortons. This involved research trips through rural Victoria, staying with distant relatives, photographing head stones in cemeteries, visiting the Victorian Lands Department and photocopying their records. Her filing system contains a wealth of family history information. Marion has produced a document with a chapter written on each branch of the family. With the help of her good friend Tricia, she completed an extensive photographic record, in large albums complete with captions. Her work is a legacy for future generations to enjoy. Marion was a member of the Clan Grant Society, and was a life member of the Women’s Pioneer Society of Australia. In the process of recording the family history, it was necessary Marion to become computer savvy. At best she had a love hate relationship with computers. Her nephew Peter became her helpdesk, and it was not unusual to get a phone call explaining how the work she had just spent hours typing in had just disappeared. Marion’s relationship with computer technology is perfectly sumarised by the small caption taped to the front of her computer “I have single handedly fought my way into this mess”.

Marion had a great love of cats, and had quite a number of them over her lifetime. Here they are named in chronological order. Snowball, Angus, Dilly, Robbie, Callum, Digby, Ming, Archie, and Hector. Each cat had their own quirky ways, and distinct manner and mischief. Her Niece, Jenny, for instance, remembers as a young girl being terrorized by Archie who would attack her ankles at inopportune times. Below are some sketchy reminiscences Marion made of her cats.

CALLUM – a one woman cat, a passion for cars his downfall.
DIGBY – dear beautiful ballet dancer.
MING – (Mr McKenzie) Our lovely too well bred inbred cat who gave so much pleasure.
ARCHIE – Clever, unknown, yet potential, love hate syndrome. Many late home comers thought they had seen an apparition. When a large white cat sitting on a white gate pillar rose to his full height, they scarpered. Gift from Nicky, small white kitten with blue ribbon bow got lost in coal heap (coal fire in grate then) 13 years old.
ANGUS - (14 years old) a great friend and gossip. Alcoholic given the opportunity. Drank up Shirley’s gin at parties. Also Mother’s glass of scotch that was to see her through a big gardening effort. A big hangover for Angus 3 days.
DILLY - A friend of Angus, they told each other everything. (even to the red jelly on the window sill). Dilly 2 years old sandy Persian. Beautiful but out of time and environment.

Marion was a keen and competent driver. Her nephew David can remember being taken for driving lessons in Marion’s old Hillman, in Centennial Park, back in the days when it was a safe haven for Learner drivers. In January 1973, Marion completed an advanced driving course run by Peter Wherrett. She subsequently joined the advanced drivers club which gave her the opportunity to practice her newly developed skills on the race track. Again, David can remember Marion passing on some of these advance driving tips, like left foot braking in an automatic and not making the bonnet dip when braking heavily. Marion’s faithful Ford Festiva was driven by her until the end.

Marion Morton led a full life. It is Marion’s sense of humour and mateship that will be missed the most. To her siblings, nephews, Nieces, grand nephews, grand nieces, and great grand nieces she was a good friend and will be sadly missed. Her many friends from her teaching days, from ABM, from St. Pauls Parish, St Gabriels, and Animal Welfare, will remember her with fondness.