Easton Family

Frank and Vera Easton, and their two children May and Doug, were local identities who owned the corner store in the photograph. Vera was one of three daughters of the Bennett family, early settlers in The Gap, whose original home was opposite the store. A second Bennett daughter, Ellie, married and became Mrs. Ellie Johnson, living in a house directly behind the store in Payne Road, and neighbour to my parents Edward (Ted) and Eileen Cahill who had bought land in 1948.

Payne Road life seemed to gravitate to Easton’s store for obvious reasons. It was not only the one stop shopping spot, had the only public telephone, and produced the best milk shakes – a rarity in those days – it catered for everything and anything a family could need from sugar to Dunlop sandshoes. Tristrams drink signs (also pictured) ruled long before Coca Cola billboards. Store windows had colourful posters of the next picture (not movie) to screen at St John’s Wood Picture Theatre, to which my parents and I went each Friday night.

Payne Road Memories – by Brenda Cahill
Source: Reflections 1, Memories of The Gap, by Richard Speechley.

More information: Bennett Family

  • Death Adder

    This death adder succumbed to gunshot wounds after falling off a passing truck transporting logs from Mt Nebo to the mill, circa 1930s.

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  • Doug Easton

    A young Doug Easton fully prepared in his Shell motor oil outfit and oil in hand is about to give Bill Farmer’s Chev the works. Bill was The Gap bus proprietor in the late 1930s.

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  • Doug Easton

    A young Doug Easton on Jack Smith’s motor bike, circa 1938.

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  • Easton Family Wedding

    The wedding of Don Farmer and Margaret Easton (no relation to The Gap Eastons). Don is the son of Bill Farmer, The Gap bus proprietor who ran the local service in the late 1930s.

     

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  • Easton Farm

    The Easton’s backyard circa 1930s, the outhouse is visible in the background and a chicken in the foreground.

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  • Edna Vinter

    Edna Vinter in the side garden of Frank and Vera Easton’s house on the corner of Waterworks and Payne Roads, The Gap, circa 1931. Just behind Edna is the entrance to The Gap Handyman Centre in 2002.

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  • Frank and Vera Easton

    Frank and Vera Easton photographed on 4th April 1959. Frank is the great grandson of The Gap pioneers Joseph and Ellen Gridley and Vera is the granddaughter of pioneers Joseph and Rosanna Bennett.

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  • Frank Easton

    Frank Easton in the backyard of his home with his sister in law Elle Bennett’s house visible next door in the background.

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  • Grandma Louie Bennett

    Grandma Louie Bennett keeps a watchful eye on Doug and May Easton. In 2002 this is the site of house # 865 Waterworks Road. The Easton “Shopping Centre” 1930’s style is visible across the road.

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  • Home of Frank and Vera Easton

    Frank and Vera Easton’s home in Glenaffric Street, The Gap. The Paten’s home “Walton” is visible in the background on the right.

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  • Hygiene Services 1940s

    Hygiene Services float from The Gap Army Hygiene Camp in Payne Road 1940s.

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  • Jim Moran

    Jim Moran aka “Gentle Giant” on his horse outside Eastons Store on the corner of Waterworks and Payne Roads, The Gap. Along for the trip are Carolyn Hill (rear) and her sister Dorelle (front) and Brenda Cahill (middle).

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  • Local bus proprietor Denny Rosenthal

    Local bus proprietor Denny Rosenthal, circa 1937, with May and Doug Easton at the local store, one of his regular bus stops.

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  • Local Bus proprietor, Denny Rosenthal

    Bus proprietor, Denny Rosenthal making a stop at Easton’s shop, The Gap, circa 1937.

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  • Local Store

    Doug Easton outside the corner store owned by his parents, Frank and Vera Easton.

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  • Local Store 1939

    Doug Easton playing dressups in his big sister’s clothes outside the family store, circa 1939.

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  • Lone Pine 1930s

    Doug Easton (centre) at Lone Pine  with Joyce Pointer (left) and Mrs Annie Cowan (right) cuddling koalas.

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  • Louie Bennett

    Louie Bennett with grand daughter May Easton riding Tony, circa 1932.

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  • Louie Bennett and daughter

    Louie Bennett, wife of Alfred Bennett with her daughter Vera Easton, circa 1940s.

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  • Louie Bennett and May Easton

    Grandma Louie Bennett and May Easton behind the family shop.

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  • Louie Bennett driving horse and sulky

    Louie Bennett driving her horse and sulky. In later years she owned and drove a 96a Whippet. The Whippet was a very popular, classy-looking small car produced between 1926 and 1931.

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  • Louisa Bennett

    Portrait of Louisa Bennett, wife of Alfred Bennett. The Bennetts lived at 867 Waterworks Road, The Gap.

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  • May Easton 1933

    May Easton with the chooks in the backyard, circa 1933. In the earlier part of the 20th century most families kept a few chickens to provide eggs for the kitchen.

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  • May Easton 1944

    14 yr old May Easton with her friend Nancy Lawrence who lived down the road, circa 1944.

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  • Morris Shoe Factory 1930s

    The employees at Morris Shoe Factory in the early 1930s. Frank Easton, who worked as the shoe factory as well as having the shop at The Gap is on the far left with the black apron.

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  • Mrs Cahill 1930s

    Mrs Cahill with daughter Brenda under Frank and Vera Easton’s shop awning at the corner of Payne Road, The Gap, circa 1930s.

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  • The Gap locals 1940

    The Gap local residents Stan and Mrs Brambley on the left with Frank and Vera Easton, circa 1940.

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  • The Gap Methodist Cemetery 1930s

    The grave of Alfred Bennett in The Gap Methodist Cemetery. Photograph circa late 1930s. Alfred Bennett was the son of pioneer settlers Joseph and Rosanna Bennett. 

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  • The Gap Methodist Church 1940

    Doug Easton outside The Gap Methodist Church, circa 1940.

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  • Vera Easton

    Vera Easton (nee Bennett), grand daughter of Joseph and Rosanna Bennett, in the side paddock of her family home with a friendly cow. Holcrofts farm (the site of the future Ashgrove Golf Club) is visible in the background. Her parents home still exists at 867 Waterworks Road (in 2001).

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  • Waterworks Road 1940s

    Janice Eacott, daughter of Gwen and Vic Eacott, outside her home opposite her Uncle Frank and Aunty Vera’s corner shop, circa 1940s. Waterworks Road seen in the background is much quieter than today with only a few parked cars at the Ashgrove Golf Club. 

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  • Waterworks Road Tennis Courts

    Waterworks Road Tennis Court’s first team at 865 Waterworks Road, circa 1950.

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  • Wedding of Bertie and Ollie Curtis

    Bertie and Ollie Curtis’s wedding portrait with best man, Ollie’s brother, bridesmaids Helen Seeleither (left), May Easton (right) and Groomsman, Bob Mitchell.

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2019-12-22T04:02:12+00:00
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