Historical information

John Alfred Lyell "Alf" Haeusler was born in 3rd February 1922, and was the only child of Louis and Ilma Haeusler. He lost his mother Ilma at the age of six and was raised by his father and his Aunt Nellie. He was a quiet lad with a limp, possibly caused by an illness early in life, later diagnosed as polymyositis. As a young boy, Alf was fascinated by electricity and radios. Like his father Louis, Alf had the ability to engineer and fabricate almost anything using humble materials, from mending the broken handle of a teapot, to making a toy xylophone, a homemade crystal radio set or a homemade drill.

Alf attended Wodonga West School No. 1058 until the eighth grade. Due to his medical condition in order to avoid the two-mile walk to school, Alf travelled by pony, which was hired from another student, Tom Ardern for sixpence a week. The two boys remained lifelong friends. Tom Ardern died in Wodonga, Victoria on 10th January 1996 and Alf Haeusler died on 5th October 1997.

The Haeusler Collection consisting of manuscripts, personal artefacts used by the Haeusler family and a set of glass negatives was donated to the Wodonga & District Historical Society. It offers a unique visual snapshot of the domestic and social lives of the Haeusler family and local Wodonga community in the early 20th century.

Significance

This photo is significant because an aspect of the early life of Alf Haeusler of Wodonga.

Physical description

Framed black and white image of two boys on horseback on their way to school.