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10 May 1948 – 14 September 1998
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I welcome any letters that you may have from Hazel — I shall photocopy them and return them.
The irony is that Hazel herself did not keep letters or postcards — well, hardly ever. I had sent her a postcard on one of my overseas conference trips, and was surprised and disappointed to see it in the rubbish bin, while Hazel’s wardrobe doors were covered with cards. “You’ve got to understand,” she said, “that the reason I keep cards isn’t because of who sent them, but because I like the pictures.”
Letters by Hazel
- The holiday from hell? A postcard from Pitlochry, written when Hazel was 17 or 18 — U.K. postage of 3d. To Judy James, Hazel’s old friend.
- Hazel’s decision to leave science and enter the Australian Public Service, much to the disgust of her mentor at the C.S.I.R.O., Sir Otto F. An aerogram on April 2, 1972, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
Hazel’s 1990 curriculum vitæ gives more information on her career since 1970.
- Hazel decides to start law part-time and her tennis-playing life in Canberra. An aerogram on November 20, 1972, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- On Queensland, effort, and the blind. An aerogram on January 29, 1974, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- Hazel’s itinerary for her first trip back to Europe at Christmas, 1974. (Israel, Portugal, and England). An aerogram on November 25, 1974, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- Pissing in Tokyo, the royal bastard, and orthodontics; written on her twenty-seventh birthday. An aerogram on May 10, 1975, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- The house, the Dismissal, the Parliamentary Committee, and the teeth braces. An aerogram on June 26, 1976, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- Chris' wedding, South Africa, the economic Committee, the new boyfriend & eating, where to live? her mother and father. An aerogram on June 14, 1977, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- H. is admitted as a solicitor, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef but not scuba-diving, forthcoming visit to England? An aerogram on January 24, 1979, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- Babies, old university friends, Fraser and the ALP, the election-night fire, the new Braddon house, Maggie Thatcher. A letter on December 28, 1980, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- H. as aunt and Godmother, her vanishing lawyers, CHOGM, daily piano lessons, Rob the Canadian lodger, UK politics, the arrival of Bob Hawke, opportunistic strikes. A letter on November 15, 1981, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- Her fortieth birthday dinner next to the brothel in May 1988. To Joan Marks. (Found scattered amongst Joan’s papers after she went to an Alzheimer’s unit in May 2000.)
- A critique of Ben Elton’s novels, written in October 1989. A thank-you note to Mike Richards and Wendy Wilmoth in Melbourne.
- Josh's birth, a pregnant visit to England a year earlier, nannies! A Christmas card to Chris Eborall (née Friend) in 1989.
- Josh’s first shoes and Sally Morgan’s My Place, written a month after Hazel’s forty-second birthday in June 1990. To Joan Marks.
- Zoë’s exhausting birth, and Josh’s first numeracy test. Written three weeks after Zoë’s birth on Christmas Day, 1990. To Joan Marks.
- On the kids, Patrick White, and vegetables, written in September 1991. A brief letter to Mike and Wendy in Melbourne, enclosing photos, no doubt of our summer holidays together at Sorrento.
- Health, a California spring, Josh’s fourth birthday party, her wonderlust, movies, Keating winning the unwinnable election, Waco, Zoë’s Donald Duck imitations, Rob’s haircuts and gout, written in April 1993. From Menlo Park, California, to Denise Kraus and Michael Hutchinson on their return to Canberra from Texas, after Michael’s heart problems.
- The new PowerBook, sailing to the Channel Islands, and a delivery to Josh's Montessori teacher. To Anita Mathews Pollard. From Hazel's laptop, June 1993.
- To Hazel's accountant, Rhinestone Bruce. From Hazel's laptop, July 1993.
- Health and insurance, Josh & Zoë's development, travelling to Santa Fe, Rob's work. To Sybille Kovacs. From Hazel's laptop, July 1993.
- The Channel Islands, the kids' mischief. To Hazel's 81-year-old friend, Nell. From Hazel's laptop, July 1993.
- Joan Marks' Alzheimer's, Wimbledon on TV. To Hazel's mother, Ada. From Hazel's laptop, July 1993.
- Practising law, "Bare Babette" and the BBC World Service, royal fascination, Clinton's election, health insurance, CJD, the English hearth. To Sarah & Don Heffernan. From Hazel's laptop, July 1993.
- Leaving California, squashed computer, arriving back in Balmain, unreliable nannies. To Andrea & Fredy Giger. From Hazel's laptop, October 1993.
- Coming back to Balmain, work, Hazel as an Californian? To Sarah Wild & Christopher Byrne. From Hazel's laptop, October 1993.
- Rob and the kids in Melbourne for Easter, In the Name of the Father, Kerstin the au pair, consorting with drug-dealing murderers, plans to see the family in England, Rob is let down by Fred Hilmer, Joshua’s fifth birthday party plans, trips around Sydney. Written to Steve Cohen and Nancy Clark in Palo Alto a few days before the cancer was diagnosed in April, 1994.
- Resuming work and getting back to Sydney after the year's leave without pay in Palo Alto, Rob and the kids in Melbourne for Easter, Kerstin the au pair, plans to visit her niece and mother in England, a friend to The Hague, their old friend Nell and movies with Emma Thompson and Antony Hopkins. A draft found among recycled A4 printing paper at 6 Vincent Street. Written to her old undergraduate friend Ruth a few days before the cancer was diagnosed in April, 1994.
- The Bridge from Balmain, a minor car altercation after the first chemo. A postcard to Jas Ljuhar one month after the first diagnosis, May 1994.
- Cancer diagnosis, treatment and telling people, painting lessons, singing lessons, jazz piano, the kids respond. To Olya Khaleelee. From Hazel's laptop, June 1994, two months after the first diagnosis.
- Orchids, painting, blues piano, niece's wedding, treatment, visiting, J & Z and piano, Rob's work and health, J & Z, wildflowers, reading. To Nancy Clark and Steve Cohen. Dated 28 July 1994.
- Cancer diagnosis, treatment, painting, décor noir, the blues, Josh & Zoë & Rob. An aerogram on August 8, 1994, to Christine Eborall (née Friend).
- Losing our au pair, Pat's forthcoming visit, Rob's promotion. A brief letter written to Andy & Alison on the day Rob heard of his promotion to Associate Professor, 23 August 1994.
- Remembering summer at Sorrento, Grandma, and her dog; Hazel is able to relax now the kids are at school and day care. Written to Joan Marks in early 1995, eight months after the cancer was first diagnosed.
- The kids' toys, frightening clowns, camping at Mudgee, treatment, Caitlin soon, Curtis and Christine's films, back to work. To Hazel's sister, Pat. From Hazel's laptop, April 1995.
- Camping en famille, Hazel's physical appearance, first days at work, buying a painting. To Hazel's mother, Ada. From Hazel's laptop, May 1995.
- Three undated postcards, most recently from England on the occasion of her mother, Ada’s, eightieth birthday party in early 1996, about six months after the secondary cancer was first diagnosed. To Denise and Michael in Canberra.
- Christmas presents for the kids, visiting England and the giggling Churchs, latest tests and treatment, her mother's fine form. A card written to her friend Raye on 5 February 1996.
- Tests, homeopathic treatment, visiting England for her mother's eightieth birthday, hair. A card written to Sybille on Hazel's return to Australia in February 1996.
- Starting the first chemo after the secondary cancer diagnosed, no more alternative therapies, an Australian republic soon?, mad cow disease and British politicians, Josh and Zoë at school, Sydney in autumn. A letter to Hazel's sister Joan in England in March 1996, six weeks after Hazel's last visit there.
- A card to Rob, which Hazel had saved because of its illustration. It was one of the cards she'd displayed in the bedroom, not because of who'd sent them, but because of the images she liked. Perhaps to accompany a birthday present?
- Elderly mothers, house decisions, the old mattress. An aerogramme to Hazel's sister Joan in England in August 1996, at the beginning of almost eighteen months of remission.
- “Gum trees and cliffs and sky:” The Blue Mountains house. An undated Chistmas card (Unicef, The Adoration of the Magi (detail), Juan Bautista Maino, 1569-1649) written to Jas Ljuhar in London, for Christmas 1996. The attraction of the mountain house at Dargan in the Blue Mountains for Hazel.
- Summer at Sorrento: snorkeling, snooker, and bush walks, Christmas presents. A postcard to Hazel's sister Joan in England on her last visit to Melbourne and Sorrento in January 1997, when she became enthusiastic about snorkeling at Diamond Bay.
- A letter to Henri Szeps after Hazel went to his one-man play, I Am Not A Dentist, with Josh in February, 1997, while Rob was overseas.
- A letter to Felicity and Sid Bloch after reading Fel's dad's autobiography, I Rest My Case by the late Mark Verstandig (Melbourne: Saga Press, 1995; Melbourne University Press, 1997; Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 2002), the story of his escape from Nazi Europe. The book had been given to us by Sid and Fel. March 1997.
- Josh' birthday cards, photos, painting, Dov & Cathy, Henri's joke. A one-page note to Steve and Nancy sent after Joshua's eighth birthday in April/May 1997.
- Saving the mountain house from the fires, Ada and Pat arrive, as does Hobbes the cat, Christmas presents and plans. A Christmas card to Hazel's sister Joan in England in early December 1997, at the end of the remission.
- Nancy's sister's book of photos, Anita's pregnancy, the New York suit. A short letter to our old friends, Nancy and Harold Wilkinson in May 1998, the last letter of Hazel's I have.
Jottings and Recipes
- A recipe for Spinach Frittata written for Anita Mathews Pollard.
- "Go on, swear!" A short anecdote about the kids. Found in a note book of Hazel's
- I went tap-dancing with my doctor, the creationist geologist, marrying kin, and others. Found on Hazel's laptop. Probably written in early 1996.
Some legal writings of Hazel’s
- Hazel on Legal Professional Privilege (PDF). A one-page sheet prepared for a presentation at the National Crime Authority in February 1988. Found on Rob's Unix archive.
- Some case summaries in administrative law that Hazel prepared for CCH, the legal publisher, while on maternity leave in 1989-90. Found on Rob's Unix archive.
Some travel writings of Hazel’s
The writings will be added slowly, as time and decypherment allow, but I have two long travel diaries: one a trip overland from Australia to England, and the other the famous trip around Europe in the London cab, both made during twelve months she took off work in 1982-83.
Other musing will also follow.
- July – November, 1982.
Hazel travelled from Sydney to Bali to Yogya to Djakarta to Singapore to Malacca to K.L. to Penang to Phuket to Bangkok to Chang Mai to Bangkok to Segaing to Pagan to Rangoon to Kathmandu to Megarkot to Pokhara to Bordertown to Chetwyn Park to Sanauli to Varanasi to Agra to Jaipur to Delhi to Srinagar to Jammu to Lahore to Multan to Karachi to Amman to the Dead Sea to Petra to Aqaba to Amman to Damascus to Palmyra to Kerik de Chevalier to Iskender to Urgup to Paonukkale to Ephesus to Troy to Cannakale to Istambul to Cavalla to Yugoslavia to Venice to London.
The Overland travel diary here. (123 pp)
- February – May, 1983.
Hazel drove through Paris to Strasbourg to Freiburg to Munich to Innsbruck to Venice to Florence to Siena to Rome to Pisa to Lucca to Milan to Genoa to the Italian Riviera to Nice to Le Trayas to Aix to Vallegieres to Perpignon to Barcelona to Taragora to Valencia to Alicante to Almectra to Sevilla to Bordeaux to London in her London taxi cab.
The Continental travel diary here. (68 pp)
- Some musings found in the same notebooks as the travel diaries. Here. (6 pp)
In the meantime, please feel free to email me, Robert.