Horace Mortimer Marsh

In 1907 the family came to live in Adelaide when Morty was three, and they spent the first few months at the Rectory of St Luke's Church, where his grandfather, Rev. W.G. Marsh was the Minister..

The family was then given the use of Thorpe Cottage, Crafers by his Uncle Ernest Ayers (son of Henry Ayers), who married his maternal grandmother's sister Barbara Milne. The family remained at Thorpe Cottage for several years..

Morty's first schooling was with a governess, Miss Rebbeck at "Derrymore", the home of Walter Hawker. His schoolmate was John Hawker. He remained there for twelve months and then started at Miss Collison's School, just below Thorpe. It was mainly a girls school, except for Morty, Tom Barr Smith, Mick Hawker and Bill and Bob Howard. Morty had beautiful golden shoulder-length hair at this time and was teased unmercifully by the other boys, who once tied him to a tree by his beautiful locks!.

When Morty and Mavis were children at Thorpe Cottage, Roy Milne, who was Kitty's first cousin and Morty's Godfather, used to dress up as Father Christmas and give them wonderful presents..

Once, Morty and Mavis found a cigar on the mantle-piece and thought they'd like to smoke it. So they borrowed their father's razor, which didn't cut very well. They smoked their two halves, and Mavis didn't turn a hair. On the other hand, Morty was so sick,that a doctor had to be called..

Not deterred - on another occasion Morty and Mavis were walking to church (of Epiphany, Crafers) when they found a packet of cigarettes between Thorpe Cottage and the Church. Once again they smoked one, Mavis didn't turn a hair, but Morty fainted in church!.

When Morty was eight or nine he went to board at Miss Stanton's School on Broadway, Glenelg. His father was employed by Teasdale Smith & Timms as paymaster when this firm of civil eigineers were putting the railway line through Sedan and to the West Coast. Mavis and Kitty used to go and camp there with him during his two year stay..

In 1916 Morty began school at St. Peter's College and boarded with Dr. Fooks, father of his friend Pem Fooks..

Meanwhile the family moved to Sydney when Horace transferred with Teasdale Smith. Morty played in the B cricket team and cleared 5'3" in the Under 14 high jump. On one particular Sports Day, Morty's mother was watching him jump with Mary Price, who just at the crucial moment shouted "Jump, you fool"!.

In 1921 Morty left school at 17. On the day he left school, Morty went to Birks, a department store in Rundle Street, bought himself a felt hat, then on to Lawrence's Tobacconists where he bought a pipe and a tin of tobacco, and then marched up and down King William Street blowing clouds of smoke everywhere and taking great delight in not tipping his hat to any school-masters he met! A few days later Morty boarded a train and went to Sydney, where he stayed for three years. During this time he was employed by Holt & Thompson, Public Accountants, where he was a trainee accountant. He had a wonderful social life, as young men were in short supply and because he had no money the girls used to pay for dinner and taxi fares..

In 1924 the family returned to Adelaide and Morty joined Edgar Sabine, Public Accountants, where there was the possibility of a future partnership with the son, Rolf Sabine. However, this was not to be, as Morty got the sack! Sometimes he used to sneak off for afternoon tea with Betty Bonython. Once when he was playing in a tennis tournament with Nellie Hamilton (later Begg, a State tennis player) he stepped on a ball and sprained his ankle, which put him out of action for a week or so,and he was unable to go to the office. Unfortunately he went to the finals of the tennis tournament and found himself sitting next to his boss, Mr Sabine, who, during a break in play, leant across and said quietly "Don't bother coming back to the office Mortimer"..

Morty then chose a life on the land, working for the next number of years on "Anama" and "Kalabity" Stations with the Hawker family, and then "Mount Victor" with his life-long friend John Chomley. Once at Kalabity, Morty slashed himself while shearing; Walter Hawker cobbled up his arm with twine and a baling needle, and gave Morty half an hour off). After several years working with his godfather Roy Milne in Milne & Co. Morty developed T.B. in his eye, and was unable to do any close work. He had been turned down when he tried to enlist at the beginning of the 2nd World War due to very bad varicose veins, and following his interest in music, Morty left Milne & Co after long months during 1944 trying to shake off the T.B. and joined 5AD to begin a career in radio which lasted for the next 30 years until he retired. The mutual love of music shared by Morty and Murlie led to their famous "jam" sessions with Murlie on the piano and Morty on the fold-up organ he had bought from a travelling preacher when he was working in the bush. The organ finally "died" at a party at the Bob Seppelt's when he played it until it disintigrated! For years afterwards bits of it were found in the flower beds!.

After Morty and Murlie's divorce in 1959, Morty married Rhonda Weepers, a colleague at 5AD in 1964 and their daughter Lucinda was born in 1965..

Morty lived quietly and happily with his new family until he died.[1]