Ria Murch (1918-2014), writer and muse, was brought up in King’s Cross and attended the Thosophist school in Mosman before acquiring secretarial skills at Miss Hales Business College. She worked as a cadet journalist at 2UE before joining the Sun. In 1940, the strikingly attractive 22-year-old was writing a story about the Original Ballets Russes, and met artist Arthur Murch, who was drawing the dancers. The attraction was irresistible; they married in 1941 and moved to Waterview Street, Mona Vale, the ‘mad half-mile’ where artists, writers and poets lived. After Arthur Murch’s war service, they moved to Avalon, where they built a house together. In 1954, Ria returned to work, while Arthur looked after their two children. Both Ria and the children appear in Murch’s paintings. She wrote advertising and publicity copy and a guide to Australian wine; later, she arranged flowers professionally, and worked at an art gallery. She was also a talented photographer. In the 1980s, she supported Murch during his decline from Alzheimer’s disease; in 1989, she commenced work on Arthur Murch: An artist’s life (1997). Late in life, she was a tireless writer of letters-to-the-editor and a passionate advocate for the care of the Northern Beaches.
Margaret Michaelis photographed Arthur (in his army clothes) and Ria Murch in 1945 at 4 Delwood Close, Mona Vale. Delwood Close is a small street that ran off the ‘mad half mile’ in Waterview Street. Weaver Hawkins painted and drew here and Kate Grenville refers to the area in her book One Life. In October 1947 an article about the area featured in the journal Australia, with photographs by Margaret Michaelis.
