1950s Melbourne hosted an exciting bohemian scene, one that championed unconventional thinking. Within that community there was a general disregard for social norms and traditions. This artistic counterculture, full of intellectual freethinkers and early feminists, was particular to Melbourne, and can be seen in the various places where artistic and literary types thrived.
My parents, Leonard (Len) French and Helen French (née Bald), were swept up in Melbourne’s bohemia during the first flush of their relationship. Both were at the beginning of their careers; he was an aspiring artist and she a fledgling fashion designer.
