Four Golden Wedding Anniversaries And A Funeral In Subiaco... (1920's and 1930's).
While there are many notable men, women and children who lived extraordinary lives from Subiaco that were shared through the newspapers of the early years of the Western Australian colony, considerable extraordinariness can be found in the ordinary lives of people.
The engagements, marriages, marriage milestones and deaths of men and women are remembered and celebrated via the newspapers and its not until those milestones were reached and reported on is the extraordinariness of those individuals discovered.
This blog post is about four golden wedding anniversaries and a funeral of some residents from Subiaco during the 1920's and 1930's.
In July 1921, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hardman, of Olive-street, Subiaco celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mr. Hardman retired from the position of Deputy Postmaster General and was involved in establishing the telegraph in Western Australia.
In November 1928, Mr and Mrs Daebritz of 334 Perth-street, Subiaco, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. The newspaper article stated "Mrs. Daebritz had never had a day's sickness, but Mr. Daebritz's health failed 18 months ago..."
In October 1935, Mrs. and Mr. Hetherington of Salisbury-street, Subiaco celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mr. Hetherington was 75 years old and a tailor by trade and still owned a business in Rokeby-road, Subiaco celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Mr. Hetherington was one of the first councillors for Subiaco and held office for six years.
In May 1937, Mr and Mrs R. Fellows of Coghlan-road, Subiaco, celebrated their golden wedding. They were the parents of Effie the well-known and popular male impersonator who was featured in an earlier blog post.
In April 1931, Mrs. Edith Emily Wood, of 244 Barker-road, Subiaco died and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. She was an active volunteer in the Subiaco Community.
The articles and photographs are from Trove, the database of National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
Western Mail, 14 July 1921.
OLD TIME MEMORIES
By Hugh Kalyptus.
The ceremony of celebrating the golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hardman, which took place at their home, in Olive-street, Subiaco, a few days ago, added another function to the long list of interesting gatherings of old-time postal officials, Mr. Hardman having retired from the position of Deputy Postmaster General a few years ago.
Among the antique elements that were displayed at the ceremony were the marriage lines that were signed by Mr. and Mrs. Hardman in Saint Matthew's Church, Guildford, fifty years ago, a few months before that building was razed to the ground by the ravages of the terrible tornado that swept the coastline between Geraldton and Bunbury during the memorable Sunday morning of March 10, 1872.
During the sixties Mr. Hardman was a contractor for the conveyance of mails between Perth and Bunbury and between the city and the port. Subsequently he was postmaster at York, from which position he ascended the ladder of promotion, step by step, until he became the head of our postal service.
Mrs Hardman is a member of the old Elsegood family, one of whom, Mr. John Elsegood, constructed a large number of telegraph lines throughout the State, among his undertakings being that of wiring the line between Albany and Eucla during the years 1875 and 1878, and the subsequent erection of the line between York and Southern Cross.
Sunday Times, 11 November 1928.
A SUBIACO GOLDEN WEDDING
Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Daebritz, 334 Perth-street, Subiaco, who celebrated their golden wedding on October 17 last. They came from South Australia 32 years ago, and are both approaching their 79 milestone. They have had seven children, and there are eighteen grandchildren living. Mrs. Daebritz has never had a day's sickness, but Mr. Daebritz's health failed 18 months ago. Mrs. Daebritz's parents also enjoyed long life and celebrated their diamond wedding.
Daily News 8 October 1935.
Subiaco Couple Celebrate Golden Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Hetherington, of Salisbury-street, Subiaco, celebrated their golden wedding yesterday. Mrs. Hetherington was born in a quaint little thatched cottage near Manchester, situated within a mile of the home of Mr. Hetherington's parents. This little cottage, which is reputed to be over two hundred years' old, is still standing, though uninhabited. In 1885 at the Methodist Chapel, Manchester, Mr. and Mrs. Hetherington were married by the Rev. William Taylor, and a year later sailed for Australia in the ship Port Pirie, landing in New South Wales, where they lived for ten years. In 1896 they came to Western Australia, and took up residence in Subiaco, where they have lived ever since. Mr. and Mrs. Hetherington are an extremely active couple.
Mrs. Hetherington, at the age of 72, still cares for her home without assistance and does all her own cooking. Her husband, who is a tailor by trade, is 75, and still owns a business in Rokeby-road, Subiaco. He carries it on with the aid of his son, who acts as manager. Mr. Hetherington, who was one of the first councillors for Subiaco, and held office for six years, was also on the committee which arranged and signed for the Subiaco tram service. He still plays bowls, and is a member of the Kitchener Park Bowling Club. Last year he was a member of the winning team in the association pennant No. 4 grade competition. Mr. and Mrs. Hetherington have nine children, 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, all of whom are living in Western Australia. Most of them are settled in the metropolitan area.
Mirror, 29 May 1937.
Subiaco Couple's Golden Wedding
Famed Impersonator's Parents To celebrate the golden wedding of their parents, a most enjoyable party was given on Thursday evening, May 20, by the family of Mr. and Mrs. R. Fellows, at their residence, 74 Coghlan-road, Subiaco. All members of the family were present with the exception of their daughter, Effie. the well-known and popular male impersonator, who is at present engaged professionally in England (London), and their eldest son Richard, who was unavoidably absent.
The supper tables on the decorated veranda looked a picture, adorned with vases of gold flowers and the wedding cake with all gold decorations (gold shoes for the daughters and gold bells for the son held pride of place. At the bride and bridegroom's table hung a large gold bell. Mr. J. Pitsford, an old friend of the family, efficiently carried out the duties of chairman. Mr. and Mrs. Fellows were the recipients of numerous letters and telegrams of congratulations from all parts of the Commonwealth, and other expressions of goodwill from all present, tended to make the occasion a memorable one to the happy parents and family...Midnight brought to a close an evening of great pleasure to all who attended, thanks to those who assisted musically and otherwise in making the evening a success. That Mr. and Mrs. Fellows will enjoy good health, and spend many long years of future happy life together was the expressed wish of all.
West Australian, 28 April 1931.
FUNERALS.
Edith Emily Wood.
The funeral of the late Mrs. Edith Emily Wood, of 244 Barker-road, Subiaco, took place in the Church of England Cemetery, Karrakatta, on Saturday afternoon, in the presence of a very large: and representative gathering. The funeral cortege moved from the Y.A.L. Auditorium, Murray-street, at the conclusion of an impressive service conducted by the Rev. F. M. Oliver, assisted by Mr. S. M. Roberts, and music was rendered by the Y.A.L. orchestra. The late Mrs. Wood was a very active and veiling worker in various causes, notably the parents' auxiliary of the Y.A.L. of which she was a vice president, the mother's union of St. Andrew's Church, Subiaco, the Subiaco branch of the Ugly Men's Association, and the Subiaco Boy Scouts, and her lose will be very keenly felt by these organisations....
