These photographs show Gordon and Cherry Parker and their friends and family, during the time of the novel At the Foot of the Cherry Tree and afterwards as their story continued.
![The first Japanese war bride arrives in Australia, greeted by her Australian family. Venn, holding Margaret Parker, embraces Cherry. Venn's husband, Harry Parker, holds Cherry from the other side as Cherry's husband, Gordon Parker, watches on holding Kathleen Parker.]( "Cherry Parker arrives in Melbourne")
The reunited Parker Family grin as Cherry, Gordon, and their children arrive at Essendon airport. L to R: Margaret, Venn, Cherry, Harry, Gordon, and Kathleen.
![Harry Parker stands in his mayoral robes, looking past the camera with a serious expression on his face.]( "Mayor-Grandpa-1")
Mayor of Ringwood, H.E. Parker, during his term in 1940-41.
![Mabel Venn Parker dressed in a blue outfit, cuts a ribbon to open H.E. Parker Reserve in Heathmont, named for her late husband, Harry Parker.]( "Venn-Opening-HE-Parker-Reserve")
Mabel "Venn" Parker officially opens H.E. Parker Reserve in Heathmont in 1962.
![Two young Japanese people grin at the camera. The young boy is Charlie, around 12 years old. The young woman is Nobuko Sakuramoto, also known as Cherry Parker, who has her arm around Charlie and is around 18 years old.]( "Image0000001A")
Mitsuhiro "Charlie" Hamada and Nobuko "Cherry" Sakuramoto in Kure around 1948.
![Gordon and Cherry Parker, also known as Nobuko Sakuramoto, pose on their wedding day in Japan, with three of their British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) friends, plus a Japanese woman and their daughter, Margaret. Cherry wears a white wedding dress and holds a posy of flowers, Gordon wears a suit.]( "Wedding2")
Cherry and Gordon's Christian Wedding in Kure, 1949.
![Cherry and Gordon Parker laugh as they pull apart a wishbone at a party welcoming Cherry home as Australia's first Japanese war bride.]( "Gordon-Cherry-after-arrival")
Cherry and Gordon at Greenwood House the day Cherry arrives home in Melbourne, 1952.
![The Parker family and their friends are gathered around a fireplace and pose for the camera. Gordon watches Cherry, who holds baby Kathleen. Harry, Venn, Robin, and June are also in the image.]( "Image0000030A")
Friends and family gather at Greenwood House. Cherry is seated on the far left, holding baby Harry in her lap. Partially hidden on Cherry's left is Venn. Harry (in the glasses) stands behind Venn. Gordon watches Cherry. On Gordon's left is his younger brother, Robin (with his arm on the mantlepiece) and Robin's soon-to-be wife, Wendy. Next to Wendy is Gordon's sister, Jennifer, and crouched next to her is her future husband, Gil. June is on the far right of the image, sitting in the armchair.
![]( "The-Parker-Family-1960s")
The entire Parker family in the 1960s. L to R: Gordon, Linda, Ian, Ed, Jen, Rob, Harry, Kathy, Margie, and Cherry.
![Two older men and a woman sit around a table at a Japanese restaurant in Japan. Charlie and Gordon raise pints of Kirin to the camera, Yumiko smiles.]( "CharlieGordon")
Charlie, Gordon, and Yumiko (Charlie's wife) enjoy a meal in Japan. Cherry is taking the photograph.
![An older couple, Gordon and Cherry Parker, stand in front of a blooming sakura tree.]( "InJapan")
Gordon and Cherry at the foot of the cherry tree in Japan
![A group photograph of Gordon and Cherry Parker, their children, and their children's children, taken in 1988. Cherry stands in the centre, Gordon stands behind her.]( "Parkers1988")
Gordon and Cherry with their children, their children's partners, and their children's children in 1988.
![A large group of people stand under a tree, all there to celebrate Cherry Parker's 90th birthday. Cherry stands in the middle of them all.]( "IMG_7874")
The extended Parker family (and friends) at Cherry's 90th birthday in 2019.
