My grandfather wrote this memoir in his 80s while he was living with us. I did not discover it until after his death, so was unable to clarify any of the parts that are indecipherable. I have added footnotes where appropriate, and inserted the full text of poems he quoted from.

Stephen William's Diary

The three Quintrell brothers (my great-uncles) all died in the War—Clarrie and Dick were killed in battle, and John died on the ship home from wounds and trauma he had sustained.

I am indebted to my second cousin Brian Cooper—Brian's grandmother Alice Emma, and my grandfather Stephen William, were sister and brother—for these stories. I have inserted them unchanged, apart from the need to re-transcribe parts where there were problems with the scanning of original documents.

2.1. Clarence Horace Quintrell

Clarence H Quintrell

2.2. Richard Hugh Quintrell

Richard H Quintrell

2.3. John Adolphus Quintrell

JAQuintrell and WW1

I have created my father's story using personal memories, his war records, parts of my grandfather's memoir, and family photographs.

Norman O Quintrell

I tape-recorded some of my mother's stories of her childhood and I have imaginatively reconstructed these using her narrative and historical records. Some family stories (see 'Lily and the potted palm' and 'Minnie's Ring') have been drawn from other family members' recollections. Mum kept a detailed trip diary of her overseas trip in 1959 and I have drawn on this for the stories of her life in the 1950s. The remainder comes from my own and family members' recollections as well as family photographs.

These include short pieces on a variety of subjects.

5.1 Lily and the Potted Palm

An imagined letter to my maternal grandmother who dies before I was born. I have also incorporated this into the tribute to my mother Olive.

5.2 Anniversaries

Another imagined piece—a letter to my brother and father in a mythical after-life following my attendance at a 50th anniversary re-union of old baseballers—incorporated into the tribute to my father Norman.

5.3 Minnie's Ring

A family story from the past—also included in Olive's story.

5.4 My Brilliant (Football) Career

Written for our grandson Aaron, a keen footballer, on his eighteenth birthday.

5.5 Carys' Quilt

This describes the family quilt the family made for our grand-daughter Carys' eighteenth birthday.

5.6 Cornish Festival Moonta

A trip to the biennial Kerweneek Lowender Festival that celebrates South Australia's Cornish heritage.

5.7 For my great-grandmother

A trip to the biennial Kerweneek Lowender Festival's 'Dressing of the Graves' at which we honoured Mary Ann Datson, my great-grandmother.

5.8 The lilac hat

A story of our trip to the Northern Territory in 2005.

5.9 Crossing the white line.

An account of Aaron's first league football game.

5.10 Completing the set

A connection with our grandparents!

5.11 On Quadra

A bagatelle of being in our 'Canadian home'.