Ruth Telfer

Role: Youngest daughter of Francis Charles Telfer and Amy Ellen Telfer (née Provis) — sister of Murray John Telfer
Born: 26 October 1931 — Saddleworth, South Australia
Parents: Francis Charles Telfer (1875–1954) & Amy Ellen Telfer (1884–1951)
Brother: Murray John Telfer (1924–2009)
Siblings: Francis Kelson, Clarice May, Emily Amelia, Jean, Gladys, Doris, Edwin Roy, Reginald Masters, Murray

Life Summary

Ruth Telfer was the youngest of the ten Telfer children born to Francis and Amy Telfer. She was born at Saddleworth, South Australia, on 26 October 1931 — her birth name was Pamela Ruth Telfer, but the family called her Ruth.

Her sister Jean McMurtrie wrote in her memoir:

\"Our youngest sister Ruth was born while we were at Saddleworth, mother was 48, and that was very hard for her, but Ruth being so much younger than the rest of us has been a real blessing to us all.\"

Ruth appears in a cherished family photograph circa 1936 at approximately age 6, riding the family horse Duchess with her brother Murray (then aged ~12), accompanied by the family dog.

The photograph captures a tender moment of rural childhood on the Eyre Peninsula — Ruth beaming with joy in her bob haircut and light summer top, bare legs dangling, while Murray holds the reins responsibly. Duchess, a bay with distinctive white blaze and four white socks, was clearly a beloved family horse.

Further details of Ruth's life — marriage, children, later residence — are currently being researched.

Sources

• Family photograph: Murray and Ruth on Duchess the horse, circa 1936 (original print held by family)
• Murray John Telfer profile: confirms Francis Charles Telfer and Amy Ellen Telfer as parents