After just a few days and thanks to a flood of information from the public, the case of the mystery woman in a photograph found underneath a Margaret River home has been solved.
According to Margaret River and Districts Historical Society (MRDHS)’s Val Wyld, the woman in the photograph is Marjorie Macaulay.
“Marjorie was a friend of Joyce MacKenzie, and died tragically from a ruptured appendix on July 3, 1937 at only 19 years of age,” Mrs Wyld said.
“Her mother was Amy Macaulay, and she ran the corner shop in Witchcliffe.
“When she (Amy) died on December 18, 1962 she left her shop to the McKenzies and they ran this for several years.”
Mrs Wyld said the suitcase, which was recently uncovered during renovations to a house on Townview Terrace, was placed under the home by the McKenzie family.
Mrs Wyld said assistance from the public had helped the Society piece together the puzzle and give the lady in the photograph a name.
“Thank you to the people I have spoken to and those who have rang and emailed with information, and thanks also to the Mail for creating awareness,” she said.
Marjorie’s father was John (Jim) Macaulay, and he died on March 17 1948 aged 64 years.
The graves of the family are located in the Margaret River Cemetery.
“Along with recipes, knitting patterns and embroidery we found this photo and we were keen to identify the lady,” Mrs Wyld said of the fact-finding mission, which began in earnest on Friday after the Mail published a call for public help.
“Snippets from a few local identities helped fill in the gaps.”