A Family Arrangement

Ellen Elizabeth (Nellie), the youngest child, had a son born out of marriage in 1890. We can only speculate on the choice of the baby’s first name, Lancelot. The choice of the second name, Constantine, recognised Walter’s great friend and pastor, Father Constantine Rossolini who would have provided much needed support at such a stressful time.

The stigma of an illegitimate birth in the community’s most prominent Catholic and civic family appears to have been borne stoically and sympathetically by Nellie’s parents. A letter to Nellie from Walter several months after the birth shows deep affection, but no mention of the baby. Mary demonstrated her affection for her ‘improper’ grandson by recognising Lance, alone of all her grand-children, with a share of her residual estate equal to the shares left to her surviving son and daughters.

Knowledge of the circumstances of the pregnancy has been buried with the earlier generations. Was fear of the dark which afflicted Nellie throughout her later life related to a traumatic experience in 1889?

A year after her father’s death, Nellie travelled to Singleton, probably in the company of Walter’s friend and executor, Denis Hogan and of her sister Maria Emily as her mother’s representative. There, in the garden of the house of Walter’s brother, Henry, she married her first cousin, Richard Walter (Watty) Adams.

The couple returned to Bundaberg where they built a residence, Newnham, next door to Summerville House. They were supported in its domestic management by Watty’s sister, Mildred Grace Elizabeth (Mil) until her marriage to Bundaberg grocer, Joseph George Williams, in 1900 and by Maria Emily after Mary Adams’s death in 1904. On coming to Bundaberg, Watty worked for Wooley, Bergin and Company, wholesale and retail ironmongers. The engineering section of the company was made an independent unit, The Bundaberg Foundry Company Ltd, in 1898. Watty joined the new company as Secretary and Accountant in 1899. In 1910 he became General Manager, a position he held until his retirement due to advancing years and ill-health on 15th April 1941.

Watty was a foundation member and the first Secretary of the Bundaberg Rowing Club and a prominent cricketer, popular for his good nature and humour. Nellie and Watty had three sons and five daughters, Eric Walter Henry, Leila Bernadette, Leslie Joseph, Mary Eileen Angela (Aileen), Marjorie Hammond (Peggy), Jean Marie, Dudley Manus Clair and Betty Ursula.

Lance worked for the Queensland National Bank at Bundaberg, Wondai, Cairns and in the Gulf Country, probably at Burketown. His health was badly affected by the latter appointment and, on his return to Bundaberg he worked part-time in clerical roles.

Eric suffered from epilepsy. He worked on a casual basis until his tragic death by drowning.

Leila established Adams Beauty Salon in Bourbong Street, Bundaberg in the 1930’s and on the death of Aunty Sis she also assumed the main responsibility for administration of “Newnham” and the family estate. She was an accomplished pianist with a broad and strong theatrical interest. During World War II, Leila, with her sister, Peggy, produced concerts, musical comedies and plays for the entertainment of servicemen training in the district and to raise money for the war effort. After the war the sisters continued to produce shows of a professional standard in support of various charities.

Leslie trained as a fitter and turner at the Bundaberg Foundry. He suffered a severe injury at work, including the near complete loss of the fingers of one hand, and was forced to fall back on a clerical role. Later in life he also was badly injured when struck, as a pedestrian, by a car. Les was a dedicated office holder both in the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and in the Hibernian Society.

Aileen initially worked as a clerk-typist in the office of the Bundaberg Foundry. She then joined Leila in the management of the Salon and as a practising hairdresser.

Peggy (Marjorie Hammond), following the precedent set by her elder sisters, attended the Ursuline Convent at Armidale. Here she studied music and later, after establishing a reputation in Queensland as an artist of great promise, she continued her education under the tuition of Dame Nelly Melba at the Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne in 1928. During the course of this tuition Peggy began to suffer from infrequent, but severe, asthma attacks. Dame Nelly advised her that, “you need the constitution of a cart horse” to have a successful singing career. While not abandoning singing and elocution recitals altogether, Peggy was to accept this advice and to concentrate on the violin as her main musical instrument and source of income.

Ellen and Richard Walter’s wedding reception – at Henry Adams premises in Singleton N.S.W.

A hectic time followed in which she performed roles in J. C. Williamson Ltd musical comedies, including “Rio Rita” and “Rosemarie”, played for the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, and gave recitals and concerts in Victoria and Queensland. She supplemented her income by playing for silent movies and in vaudeville, for which she had a great affection. From 1934 to 1936, Peggy was engaged as a violinist on the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company Ltd liner, s.s. Ormiston , which had a regular three weeks run from Melbourne to Cairns and return. In 1936 she joined the s.s. Nellore which plied the Orient run to Japan and Hong Kong for the Eastern and Australian Steamship Company Ltd.

Peggy married Laurence Kingsley Connor, the radio operator on the s.s. Nellore . Laurie later joined the Department of Civil Aviation as a communications officer, and they resided in Sydney, first at Cremorne and then at Mosman. During World War II, Peggy returned to Bundaberg with her two sons, Richard and John where she maintained her involvement with music and the theatre by playing the violin, producing concerts, musicals and plays, and teaching the violin, recitation and singing to local students. Descendants of Peggy Connor (nee Adams) carry the surnames of Connor, Musgrave, Power and Deane.

Jean worked as a nurse and receptionist for a Bundaberg dentist, Ivan Jones. During World War II she moved to Brisbane when Ivan transferred there to service practices left vacant by dentists enlisted in the services. On Ivan’s death, she joined Eagers Holdings Limited in a receptionist/clerical position and she worked for that firm until her retirement. Jean was an excellent tennis player and was active in the sport through the Queensland Catholic Tennis Association for many years.

Dudley worked as a fitter and turner for the Bundaberg Foundry for over 30 years. After being retrenched in a down-turn in the Company’s fortunes, he joined Jean in Brisbane and worked for the Brisbane City Council Transport Department. He was greatly respected by his peers as a tradesman and mentor of apprentices.

Betty learned the hairdressing and beautician trade in her sisters’ salon in Bundaberg where she became engaged to a Royal Australian Air Force member who had received his training in Bundaberg and who was killed on duty overseas. She moved to Brisbane after the war and there she met and married Colin (Col) Hall who worked in a clerical and accounting role for Peters Slip on the colourful Brisbane waterfront. They had two children, Carolyn and John.