Murray Bridge couple look back on a lifetime of art and adventure

This story was contributed by Resthaven Murray Bridge.

For many years, Murray Bridge resident Elsie Madden would look at her painting of a silhouetted pelican swimming on the Murray River at Berri and think to herself, “There’s something wrong with that…”

“The neck was too thin,” Mrs Madden said.

“It looked like a duck,” her husband Ted quickly added with a laugh.

The painting was created during the years Mr and Mrs Madden lived in the Riverland, and is one of many artworks that adorn the walls of their room at Resthaven Murray Bridge.

Mrs Madden has since corrected the pelican’s neck, but still insisted there was more wrong with the painting – proof that even after decades with a paintbrush in hand, she still has a critic’s eye.

The Maddens are among Resthaven’s newest residents and have quickly settled into their new home after 67 years of marriage, countless kilometres on the road and a lifetime of creative pursuits.

Art and creativity have always been central to Elsie and Ted’s lives.

“As a school student, I would come into class early and the teacher would let me draw an artistic border around the edge of the blackboard in chalk,” Mrs Madden said.

“I’d have to stand on a chair to reach the top.”

Mr Madden’s creative outlet has always been photography.

“My first job was at Bourke Street Department Store, and with my first pay, I went to the camera department and bought my first camera,” he said.

Examples of both their works hang proudly on the walls of their room.

One of Mrs Madden’s favourites was her painting called Forest Floor, which captures the intricate textures and colours of leaves and debris scattered across the bush.

Another features vibrant banksias, while her “dead set” favourite is a painting of the top end of Queensland, inspired by a photograph taken by her son and daughter-in-law during their travels.

Perhaps her most meaningful work depicts the graves of soldiers on a World War I battlefield.

Among them is the grave of her great-uncle, Alfred Goller, who served as an army chaplain.

“He could see men dying on the battlefield and was compelled to soothe them in their dying moments,” she said.

“He asked for permission from his senior officer to enter the battlefield, and it was denied, but he went anyway and was shot and killed.

“He was married with a young family – it was a tragedy.”

Mr Madden’s passion for photography eventually became his profession.

Working for the Department of Mines and Energy, he photographed everything from mining operations to historical sites and projects.

“I did a lot of black and white photography for the department,” he said.

“For a while there, I spent most of my time in the darkroom.”

He helped produce around half a dozen books for the department before being diagnosed with asbestosis, which forced his retirement at the age of 55.

Rather than slowing down, the couple embraced a new adventure.

They purchased a long coaster bus, stripped out the seats, installed cupboards, a shower and toilet, and transformed it into a travelling home.

Before long, they were journeying around Australia, paying their way by selling arts and craft at markets along the way.

“We travelled all the way around Cape York,” Mr Madden said.

Mrs Madden painted stones she collected during their travels, turning smaller ones into fridge magnets.

“Sometimes we would make $1500 or $2000 in a morning,” Mr Madden said.

“Other times we might only sell $400 worth.”

Their travels also stretched beyond Australia.

Sharing a fascination with family history, the couple visited Rome, Turkey, Egypt and Britain, combining sightseeing with genealogical research.

“We both have a passion for family history,” Mr Madden said.

Among his ancestors were two convicts who arrived with the First Fleet.

“And they both married women who came out on the Second Fleet,” he said.

“It’s been amazing to see how much the name changes over the years – so much that you would hardly believe it was the same name.”

Their interest in Australian history also took them to Sydney for the Bicentenary celebrations.

“It’s something I’ll never forget seeing,” Mr Madden said, “watching the replica fleet coming into the harbour and being among the hundreds of thousands of people there.”

“It was just amazing.”

The couple lived regionally in South Australia for many years, with Mrs Madden running a gift and craft shop in Moonta for a time.

“I saw all the people coming into the shop with their art and I thought, I could do that,” she said.

It was there she discovered folk art painting, learning the technique of loading two colours onto a single brush.

“I just took to it,” she said.

“I used to fill the shop with all my artworks – and folk art is something I still like doing.”

The couple also lived in the Riverland for many years before moving into retirement living in Adelaide, Western Australia, and more recently, the Murray Bridge Lutheran Villages.

Through every chapter, art has helped them capture the people, places and moments that matter most.

Their story is a reminder that creativity knows no boundaries of place, time or age.

Looking back on their 67 years together, Mr Madden said simply: “It’s been a really, really good life.”