Date2022DescriptionNorma’s home is so unassuming but so beautifully feminine and ornate on the inside, so lovingly looked after and cared for.
92 years young, Norma was born and raised in Fairfield. She has remained a resident of Fairfield her whole life, still living in the same house her father, a tradesman, built for their family in the 1930s. She grew up there with her brother and then continued on to raise her own family of 4 children in the same house with her late husband John.
The Quartermaine family, originating from Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain, has a ‘family crest’ or emblem that depicts four hands. They are known to be great with their hands, and Norma was no exception, making a career out of her hands working as a dressmaker and then later on working in a small sewing shop near the arcade on Ware Street.
She excitedly tells the story of one moment that really stood out to her, a crisis with a bridesmaid’s dress on the day of her daughter’s wedding. While everyone was incredibly stressed out and coming up with solutions to buy a completely new dress. Norma was able to come to the rescue and tailor that dress to look even better than it originally did, completely saving the day. Asking whether the event stressed her out at all, she recalls that it was so instinctual, the innate skill within her took over and she was able to perform with utter confidence.
Norma takes a lot of pleasure in great craftsmanship, she has become a collector of many trinkets along her travels. Every little element in her home is associated with a special memory she can recall fondly in a heartbeat and bring her back to that moment in time.
One of her prides and joy is her garden. “If you are ever feeling poorly, you can simply come out to the garden and feel like everything is ok. You can keep yourself busy with the beauty of the flowers and nature.” When her garden is in full bloom, it’s quite spectacular, many people walking by can’t help but to stop and take photos.
- Renata Dominik, March 2023PhotographerRenata DominikNotesThese photographs are part of the 2022 City Photographer project.
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Image ColourColourTypeDigitalCopyrightPartial restriction. Please contact Fairfield City Heritage Services for image use.AcknowledgementRenata Dominik, 2022 Fairfield City Photographer. Image courtesy of Fairfield City Heritage Collection.
Norma Quartermaine: The Garden Home (2022). Fairfield City Heritage Collection, accessed 19/01/2026, https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/4584
