In 1924 'The Sunday Times' participated in the 'Search For Bonnie Babies Competition'. A baby Ronald Edward Grey from Subiaco won the Western Australian section of the competition.
The parents Mary and Albert Grey lived with Ronald at 55 Lawler Street, Subiaco. Mary Grey was born in Toodyay and the father Albert was born in Cue. The father Albert was a returned soldier in the Light Horse and worked for the Post and Telegraph Department. "...The Greys are a small but happy family and so they should be with a glorious little chap who has earned the title of the Bonniest Baby in Western Australia to bless their hearth and home..."
Regardless of who won all babies are beautiful. It was certainly an interesting way to judge babies.
Sunday Times Sunday, 6 July 1924.
SEARCH FOR BONNIE BABIES CONCLUSION of the COMPETITION
Subiaco Baby wins the Championship
Nearly 800 Competitors - As Fine a lot of Bairns as could be found in any Portion of the British Empire.
Originating with thc world wide quest, for thc Bonniest Baby in the British Empire. "The Sunday Times' " search for the finest little bairn to be found in Western Australia came to a conclusion during the past week, the entries closing on Monday and the judging taking place on Wednesday. From the first announcement the greatest and most widespread interest was taken in the competition, and entries rolled in from all portions of the State.
Though there was only very short, notice of the period during which entries would be received of babies with a chance of being selected to competition at the Empire Exhibition a matter of something like three weeks we received no fewer than 443 photographs, and in the battle in this connection between the various States we beat both Tasmania and South Australia combined.
And without doubt they were a bonnie lot of babies. Out of them 15 is from each class - were selected to compete for the Australian championship, and though the judges in Melbourne did not put any Western Australians in the prize money they picked, two from this State, Grey and Blackburn to join 16 others from the other States as the accredited representatives of Australia at the Empire Exhibition. And seeing what we have of the babies in this State, "The Sunday Times" awaits the result of that competition which no doubt will be cabled before the end of the present month with the greatest composure and confidence.
In view of the vastness of this State, and to give everyone a chance, "The Sunday Times" decided to keep the State competition open to June 30, and the wisdom of that course was proved when we received 342 additional entries between April I7 the date of closing of the Empire Competition and Monday last. The grand total of entries for the State Championship was therefore 785, and so beautiful were they on the whole that one had only to surround himself with a number of the bright and sparkling little faces to imagine himself in realms ethereal. Truly, we did not envy the task of the judges in making a selection from such a galaxy of juvenile beauty, grace and budding strength.
The judges were selected from representatives of the medical and artistic professions, assisted by well-known women welfare workers. Out of those originally selected, one or two, from various causes, could not attend on Wednesday night, when the arduous task fell on thc shoulders of the following :- Drs. E. A. Officer, John Dale and R H Crisp, Miss Margaret Saunders and Mrs. Morton. They carefully went over the multitudinous exhibits, and we do not think there will be many, except possibly a few disappointed mothers, who will disagree with their finding. The results are published below, and a point worthy of note is that only two of the 342 entries received subsequent to April 17 succeeded in getting into the prize money, the other seven prize winners being among the 15 originally selected as being the best in the State, with chance of competing at the Empire Exhibition. The judging was conducted with the photographs face upwards
and the score sheets covered. No reference was made to the latter until the selections had been made, when the score sheets were examined, and it was found that the whole of the nine.
RONALD EDWARD GREY.
Champion Baby of W.A. and first prize in Class B.
IRIS AUDRY BLACKBURN.
First prize in Class C.
ARTHUR HARRY NASH.
Second prise in Class B.
ERIC CASSAM.
Prize winners were breast-fed! This should be taken to heart by mothers and prospective mothers, and if it has the effect of making them feed their babies more as Nature intended the competition will have nail at least one good effect. The champion baby of Western Australia, Ronald Edward Grey, is a glorious little kiddie, according to the judges impossible to fault. When his photo was taken on April 11 he was 11½ months old, stood 31in. and weigh-ed 26lb. He first unaided, sat up at eight months, stood up at 10 months, and walked at 12 months. He will take the championship prize of £25 — which debars him from taking the £5 additional prize as winner in his class — and this sum will form a nice little start for a banking account to help him along life's journey later on.
Little Ronald Grey, who was born in this State, is of purely Western Australian parentage. Both his mother and father are comparatively young, and Ronald is an only child. The father, Albert Edward ("Bert") Grey, who was born at Cue, is 27 years of age and a returned soldier. During the war he enlisted, at the age of 18, in the Light Horse and saw service in Egypt, where he contracted malaria, from which he suffers occasionally now. At present he is a telegraphist in the Post and Telegraph Department. Ronald's mother, Mary Grey, first saw the light of day at Toodyay, and she is a couple of years younger than her husband. The Greys are a small but happy family and so they should be with a glorious little chap who has earned the title of the Bonniest Baby in Western Australia to bless their hearth and home.
When the competition was first suggested "The Sunday Times" decided to give £50 in prize money, cut up among the bonniest babies in this State. The result of the judging and the distribution of the prize money is therefore as follows:
CHAMPION BABY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
RONALD EDWARD GREY, 55 Lawler-street, Subiaco, 14 months ... £25
CLASS A.
First-ERIC CASSAM, 28 Devenish street, Victoria Parkt 9 months ... £5
Second-ALAN CHARLES EVANS, Merredin, 7 7 months... £3
Third-ALLAN JOHN MILES, 63 Tuam-st., Victoria Park, 8 months ... £2
CLASS B.
First-RONALD EDWARD GREY, 55 Lawler-st., Subiaco, ... 14 months.
Second-ARTHUR HARRY NASH, 31 Harold st., Mt. Lawley,... 20 months £3
Third-RAYMOND HAROLD HARRIDGE, 47 Mary-st., Highgate,...17 mths. «£2
CLASS C.
First-IRIS AUDRY BLACKBURN, 36 Venn-street, North Perth, 3 years
7 weeks ... £5
Second-JOYCE MERRALL MORGAN, 431 William-st., Perth,... 31/2years £3
Third-THOMAS ISAAC NYE, Katanning,... 4 years 2 months. £2..."
The Western Australian winner of the 'Sunday Times Baby Bonnie Competition' Ronald Edward Grey from Subiaco in 1924. The photograph is from 'The Sunday Times'. No copyright infringement intended.
