Historical information

Ruby Wilson wrote to an English paper asking for a pen friend in 1930. John Archibald (Archie) Harker answered her request and thus started a long correspondence between the couple.eventuating in Archie sending Ruby an engagement ring. in July 1931. The correspondence continued till Archie came to Melbourne in June 1933 on the" Oronsay" and they married in December 1937. 280 letters in all. Ruby's elder sister Amy Thelma married Stanley Wieland thus placing the couple in the Wieland family and their story is in the Wieland's of Heathmont book by Pat and Don Talbot.

Physical description

Large number of personal letters, separated into pockets - letters written on lined note paper from Archie Harker to Ruby Wilson. Some postcards. Due to the private nature of these letters, they have not all been scanned and will not be made public. They can be inspected by appointment at the RDHS Archives