Historic photos found at auction will be returned to owners

A collection of photos documenting the history of a family from the turn of the century has been unearthed by accident at a West Gosford auction and is now on its way back to the owners.

Tanya Green with the suitcase full of old photos she bought at an auction which will soon be returned to their rightful owners. Picture: AAP / Troy Snook

A collection of photos documenting the history of a family from the turn of the century has been unearthed by accident at a West Gosford auction.

The photos were inside an old suitcase bought by Tanya Green of Tuggerah-based event hire company Behind The Scenes and will soon be on their way back to the Victorian family they belong to — thanks to some determined sleuthing by Ms Green.

One of the family images found by Tanya Green in an old suitcase at an auction - apparently from the early 1900s.

One of the family images found by Tanya Green in an old suitcase at an auction, possibly 1930s.

Ms Green said she regularly bought vintage items at garage sales and auctions for her hire business.

“I bought it for about $30 and then put it on a shelf at the back of the warehouse and told myself I’d have a good look at it later,” Ms Green said.

“Much later I had a few moments and sat down to start looking and found myself still looking two hours later,” she said.

Childhood image believed to be Peter Hamilton's mother Gwen.

Photo of a small child in a pram - one of the family images found by Tanya Green in an old suitcase at an auction.

Ms Green said after a peering at the pictures contained in the suitcase, she felt compelled to try to track down the rightful owners.

She painstakingly examined every item in the suitcase — photos, postcards, newspaper clippings — jotting down names that might give a clue to the owners.

One of the family images found by Tanya Green in an old suitcase at an auction - possibly Gwen and Frank Hamilton.

Some images date back to the early years of the 1900s and many are from the WWII era.

“The power of the internet led me to discover most of the family had passed away, however one deceased notice and names allowed me to track and reach out via a private Facebook message to someone I thought might be a descendant — a granddaughter,” Ms Green said.

WWII era image.

A man in air force uniform during WWII.

“It turned out to be right and I got a voicemail from a gentleman, Peter Hamilton, who lived in Victoria.

“He is the son of the suitcase owner Gwen Hamilton.

Image believed to be Peter Hamilton's mother Gwen in the days when she was a radio announcer on 3GL.

“We had a lovely chat over the phone and I was able to relay information of the images showing his parent’s courtship and images of himself and his now deceased brother as babies. “Mr Hamilton was able to share information of his family and link some of the images to memories he had.

One of the family images found by Tanya Green in an old suitcase at an auction believed to be Frank Hamilton with his infant son Peter.

Peter Hamilton said he was delighted to have the images returned and was looking forward to seeing them.

He said the suitcase of memories had come to the Central Coast with his mother who remarried and settled at Point Frederick in the 1980s. His brother, David, had also moved to the Central Coast at that time.

One of the family images found by Tanya Green in an old suitcase at an auction - believed to be Peter and David Hamilton as children.

He said he was not entirely sure how the suitcase had ended up at the auction, but said he was glad it was Tanya Green that found them.

“It’s phenomenal that she did that and managed to find us,” he said.