Maxine’s Story Excerpt - Ellen and Alf
Ellen Graham Whiteside married William (Alf) Alfred Newbey in the town of Busselton on 12 May 1905. The ceremony took place at the Congregational Church. Ellen was given away by her father, who had risen to the rank of corporal in the police force. A newspaper report says that the church was filled with friends and was becomingly decorated with white flowers.
Above the aisle hung an ‘orthodox’ wedding bell. The need for the reporter to emphasise the normality of the bell makes you wonder how often unorthodox wedding bells appeared in Busselton. Bells were an important part of the ceremony at the time. Once the couple was married, they were rung to banish evil spirits. Hopefully, Ellen and Alf’s bells worked on any orthodox, and any unorthodox, spirits that may have been lurking around.
Ellen’s dress was quite something. It was a ‘very lovely’ dress made from white china silk, and had a long train trimmed numerous tiny frills and edged with soft lace. The bodice (well, I blush) was relieved with small sprays of artificial orange blossoms. Her two bridesmaids were both dressed in cream, the colour not the milk-based food. It was, remember, an orthodox wedding.
After the wedding, breakfast was partaken at the residence of the bride’s parents. The writer doesn’t record exactly what was ‘partaken’ at the breakfast. Maxine said her preference would have been Vegemite toast or Weet-Bix – but sadly neither had been invented then. The happy couple then boarded a train to Perth, from which they travelled to Victoria for their honeymoon. It all sounds rather delightful, and pretty upmarket, if we are being honest.
Busselton is one of the few places on WA’s west coast where the sun does not truly set over the ocean. Geographe Bay, which was named after the ship of one of those naughty Frenchies, largely faces north rather than west. The Bay’s shallow waters are usually peaceful, clear and for those who enjoy a bit of fishing, full of King George Whiting and Blue Swimmer Crabs. The surfing is, however, rubbish. Luckily, nearby Yallingup has both wonderful surf and proper sunsets.
The town has had a few names over time. Wadandi Booja, the Noongar, name for the region was perhaps its most evocative. For a time Busselton had also been called Vasse, but the name was changed to recognise the heroically pioneering or callously domineering (depending on whose version of history you prefer) Bussell family.
Today, Busselton’s big claim to fame is that it boasts the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Construction commenced in the 1830s, and the length of the jetty was extended in bursts over the next 125 years. In 1978, the jetty was largely destroyed by a cyclone which had strayed more than 2000 kilometres south of its normal tropical boundaries. After a period of disrepair, it was rebuilt and is once again a focal point for the community.
When told that her grandparents had married in Busselton, Maxine’s only comment was ‘well it would have been a lot nicer than where they lived’. Oof. Alf had travelled to the wedding from his farm 250 kilometres inland. It’s fair to say that life on an inland farm would not have been to Maxine’s liking.
By coincidence, one of Maxine’s Perth-bred children was married in Busselton 86 years after her grandparents. The wedding took place on the same plot of land, but not quite the same church. By then, a modernist 1960s building had replaced the original church.
In both cases, the reason for choosing Busselton for the wedding was simple. It was where the bride’s parents lived. Robert and Catherine had moved there with their family from Broomehill, where Alf and Ellen (most likely) first met at a local dance. Maxine’s son also met his Busselton-born future wife at a dance – if shuffling around a dodgy nightclub in Scarborough can be called a dance, that is.
It is probably lucky Maxine’s son did not fall in love with someone from Broomehill. She might not have come to the wedding.