Hi Sue,
The woman in the photo is my grandmother, Ivy Mary Powell, who married my grandfather, William Thomas Gelston, in 1907 In Tasmania. We believe the photo is a wedding photo, probably taken at home. I imagine it was taken in the style at the time. The pose is a bit unusual, compared to other time periods. There's probably a royal person of that time who posed in such a way and started a trend!
William was one of the two orphaned children mentioned in the will. Ivy had also lost her parents at a young age and was raised by a relative's family. She was fortunate that she was raised in a very loving household, as if she were one of their own children. She and her siblings were also separated and raised by different families, and in different towns, so I imagine it was considered acceptable at the time. In her case, after her mother died, the father abandoned his children and moved away to find work. Hard to understand how someone could leave 3 children like that, but he probably thought it was for the best.
Cheers.
Monica
