Laura Molesworth, the widow of Voltaire “Vol” Molesworth, who wrote “A History of Australian Science Fiction Fandom, 1935-1963,” passed away on June 6. Chris Nelson posted to the Trufen list:
They married in 1946 and Laura became active in the Futurian Society of Sydney, serving as the club Librarian (her profession) for a period despite not being recognized as a full member of the Society. She assisted in the organisation of several of the earliest natcons in Sydney and was a member of “the femme fan group” that produced “Vertical Horizons”, a short-lived fanzine in the early 1950s. By the time Vol died in 1964 neither of them was very active in fandom, though when Heinlein visited Oz for a second time in the late 1960s (the first having been in 1954), he met no local figures except Laura. She wrote the preface to Vol’s history when Ron Clarke reprinted it in The Mentor in 1980.
[Via Andrew Porter and Chris Nelson]
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Hi, Laura Molesworth and Voltaire Molesworth are my parents, I would just like to take this oportunity to thank you for your enlightening infomation. Mum was laid to rest at Lismore cemetary last friday, 18/9/09 it was a small gathering as she requested. I remember Robert A Heinein very well as a child he took us for a tour of his yacht that he had at the time docked in Sydney Harbour. I can also remember him being at the house for a meal. Mum has left alot of dads writting including some of his unpublished work, as we sort through we will keep an eye out for articles of interest. Thankyou once again on behalf of both of my parents.