Well-known Healesville resident Anne Lehman, a bridesmaid in the 1982 wedding of Wayne Andrews and Debbie Sutherland, has collected the projector cartridge filled with slides found by Greg Chapman, on behalf of the Andrews family.By Dion Teasdale
ANNE Lehman, a well-known Healesville resident and post office worker, has helped link the present with the past.
Mrs Lehman is one of the mystery people captured in a 35mm slide, depicting a family wedding in the early 1980s, published in last week’s Mail.
Greg Chapman, a fellow Healesville resident, found a Hanimex projector cartridge filled with 35mm slides when cleaning out his garage recently.
He contacted the Mail, hoping to reunite the slides with the people caught on film, and last week’s story – appealing for help from the public – triggered a flood of memories and phone calls.
The Mail received more than 20 phone calls from people who recognised some of the people in the photograph and Mrs Lehman and Mr Chapman were also inundated with calls.
“The reaction to the story and the photo have just been amazing,” Mrs Lehman said.
“I’ve had dozens of phone calls at home and people have been coming into the post office and stopping me on the street.”
Mrs Lehman said she has vivid memories of the day the photo and others in the slide cartridge were taken.
“It was nearly 25 year ago. I was matron of honour in a wedding between Healesville resident Wayne Andrews and Gruyere resident Debbie Sutherland.”
Mrs Lehman, a good friend of both the Andrews and Sutherland families, said the wedding and the reception were held on 3 April, 1982 at the RACV Country Club in Healesville.
“Wayne and Debbie were married for a number of years before going their separate ways, and they have both moved away from the area,” she said.
“Their families are keen to be reunited with the slides though, because some of the people in them have since died, and that is where the slides belong – with their families.”
Mrs Lehman collected the cartridge containing 30 colour slides from Mr Chapman, on behalf of Mr Andrews and Ms Sutherland last week.
Mr Chapman said he was pleased the slides would be returned to their rightful owners.
“I’m very happy that the slides will go to the people they belong too, and that they haven’t ended up in a bin somewhere – lost forever,” he said.
