Four generations

It's common thing to do, especially with the first great-grandchild - when the four generations are together set up on the front verandah or garden for a photo. And this is what happened when my father-in-law, Neil, was a baby in 1924.

The people in this photo had all lived in the Euroa area of Victoria, but only the great-grandmother was living there in 1924:

• Great-grandmother Christina, about 75 years old, was born in 1849 in Scotland and came to Victoria with her parents in 1851. The Gordon family were farmers at Balmattum near Euroa. Christina married Daniel McKernan who was from Ireland and settled in the Balmattum area as well. (Daniel died in 1919, several years before this photo was taken.) 
• Grandmother Maggie, about 50 years old, was born in 1873 and married William Phelan who was the head teacher at Balmattum school. Maggie and William lived in the house attached to the school. 
• Roy Phelan, about 26, was born at Balmattum in 1897 and served in France during WW1. He was a storekeeper at Mitiamo when his son, Neil was born in 1923. 

It was the only possible four-generation photo for baby Neil. All of his other great-grandparents had died by the time he was born. The photo could have been taken in Balmattum or Euroa if Roy and Annie Phelan were visiting the great-grandmother, or Mitiamo if Maggie and her mother were visiting the new baby, or maybe at Rochford where William Phelan was teaching.

Four generations, 1924: Neil Phelan is the baby. He is held by his father, Roy.
His grandmother, Maggie Phelan (nee McKernan) is standing left,
 and his great-grandmother, Christina McKernan (nee Gordon) is seated.