On the 14th April 2009 VIEW member of 41 years, the last six at Camden Haven Day, Violet Browne travelled down to Sydney to meet the last surviving member of her biological family for the first time in 87 years.
The following day in the company of her three daughters, Vi went along to a Nursing Home in Greenacre where her sister, Mavis Faith, suffering from dementia, now resides. She also was surrounded by her children. This wonderful event was made possible through the Internet.
Vi was born the youngest of seven children on 20th October 1921 to Edward and Mary Gray. Three months later her young mother was struck down by tuberculosis. Because of Vi's young age and sickly condition she was taken in by the Sydney City Mission and later fostered out to a young, recently married couple, Harold and Edith Williams, who some 15 years later would finally adopt her. The lengthy delay in the proceedings was her father's determination to never sign the papers, believing the situation to be temporary. This then resulted in a fisticuffs in the middle of Underwood Street, Paddington, between both her father, determined to have her back and her foster father, determined never to let her go. It would not be till after the tragic death of the father would the adoption proceed. Edward along with his eldest daughter, Irene was looking after the rest of the children and because work in his trace as a Bookbinder was limited, fishing was the main source of income. So on a stormy afternoon after a very successful haul Edward and his mates decided on another trip outside the heads, unfortunately they were never seen again. The care of this young family was now left in the hands of Irene, who was still only young herself. At age 20 Irene was married. At age 21 Irene died from a severe infection caused by an abyss on her tooth. This now left the family without a member capable of caring for them and so they were separated and sent to live with relatives.
While Vi grew up unaware of the situation, her siblings were kept informed of her progress through her Aunt Thursa, her adoptive father's sister. They promised never to approach or make themselves known to her. When eventually she was told she understood to make any contct would only upset her adoptive parents. It's believed Vi and Mavis's paths would have crossed numerous times over the years as they both raised their families in the Bankstown area only two stations apart, and in later years both went to live with their respective daughters again only two stations apart. One brother and one sister remained in the Paddington area the other members were wide spread.
Unfortunately because of Mavis's dementia (her only recollection of Violet is as the baby that was taken away) their relationship will be limited. The upside is that Vi has learnt, while she was raised in a loving home, the wonderful story of a young family. Her family who in hard times, determined and striving to stay together, only to be defeated by the tragic circumstances that befell them.
