Wedding of Shirley Kingsford McLeod to Ernst Willi Jurgeit, Smithfield NSW, 1955

Photograph Information

Date25/06/1955DescriptionShirley married Ernst Willi Jurgeit on 25 June 1955 at the St James Anglican Church, Smithfield.

Her husband Ernst Willi Jurgeit migrated from Germany in 1953. The marriage produced 5 children: Chris born 1956, Lisa born 1957, Steven born 1958, Helene born 1960 and Martin born 1968. The marriage ended in 1973 and she reverted to her single name of McLeod. The family has increased and by the end of 2019 she also had 10 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

Shirley Kingsford McLeod was born at Fairview Private Hospital in Fairfield on 6 March 1934. Her parents were Norman McAlister McLeod of Smithfield, who was a quarryman at Widemere Quarry at Wetherill Park and Edith Gwendolyn Hunt (Gwen) of Wetherill Park, a secretary at AGC in Sydney.

Shirley also had two brothers: Norman Frank and Kevin William (Bill). Her father later became a part time journalist for The Biz newspaper in Fairfield where he wrote a news column about the people of Smithfield. It continued until his death in 1978.

Shirley first lived at 33 Neville Street Smithfield and after World War Two moved to a newly built home at 81 Oxford Street Smithfield. Her education was at Smithfield Public School and later at Parramatta High School. On leaving school aged 14 she attended Burroughs Business College in Sydney where she learnt to be a comptometer operator. Her only position before marriage was at The Metropolitan Meat Industry Commission at Homebush where she did wages and bonuses for the slaughtermen. She resigned in June 1955 to marry.

She worked mainly at wages and bonuses being employed by Bonds, Rheem and Rexona. She also obtained a cab driver’s licence and drove at night after work and at weekends to help support her family. She semi-retired in 1989 after surviving a heart attack on a holiday at Geraldton in Western Australia.

Always an adventurer at heart she took up gliding at RAAF Richmond in 1977 where she had 24 flights. Then came skydiving where she survived 36 solo jumps at Wilton. In 1988 she also signed on as a crew member with the Bi-Centenary Fleet of square riggers and sailed from Hobart to Newcastle on the Swedish barquentine ‘Amorina’.

Having been forced to leave school at the age of 14 Shirley had a very strong thirst for knowledge. During her marriage she completed a Dressmaking course at East Sydney TAFE and completed her Certificate in Human Resource Management at Granville TAFE in 1987. But it was her love of Australian History that had the largest impact on her life.

In 2000 she decided at go to University and enrolled at University of New England at Armidale. She graduated in Advanced Diploma of Local, Family and Applied History in 2005 aged 71 years. She has since done another 3 subjects towards a BA but ill health put a hold on that.

The McLeod family connection with Fairfield commenced in 1896 with the marriage of John McLeod to Iniz Selina Annie Stein at St James Church of England Smithfield. Iniz was from the well known Stein family of which many lived in the Fairfield area. The family has had connection with the Fairfield district from 1896 to the present.
Geolocation^[1]NotesPhoto 005160: Shirley Kingsford Jurgeit (nee McLeod) with parents Gwen and Norman McLeod.

Details

Image ColourBlack & WhiteImage SizeB & W; Size: 100mm x 150mmRightsFairfield City Council

Connections

CollectionHistorical PhotographsSuburbSmithfield People & FamiliesShirley Kingsford McLeodRelated ItemsShirley Kingsford McLeod Oral HistoryGetting to know our ancestorsIt's all about the dress - The 1950s

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Wedding of Shirley Kingsford McLeod to Ernst Willi Jurgeit, Smithfield NSW, 1955

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