The Leading Ladies of the Goldfields –

In this story I have featured seven woman who were the wives of men in the public eye and I wish to show that they were much more than just a ‘support act’. This was in 1896, before women had to right to vote in Western Australia (this was not till 1899) but the ‘Married Womans Property Act’ did mean that she could own and control her own property. Most of these women would have been referred to using their husband’s first names and surnames and not either of their own names, which was the custom of the time. As you will know, there is a saying –

“Behind Every Great Man is a Great Woman”

used by people to give women credit when society has not recognized their achievements. This could not be more true than in the early days of the WA Goldfields. Not just men of importance, but in every walk of life, from the prospector’s wife to the Mayoress. Women brought civilization to the Goldfields as well as more comfort and lawfulness. It was a rare event in the early Goldfields that a woman would be abused or attacked.

The women who decided to accompany their men, or even those who came and married here, were I think very brave. They not only suffered the same privations that the men endured, but they also had the very real risk of pregnancy and child birth and then looking after the childfren who survived. I would like to give a short biography of some of these ladies who did indeed make a difference, not only for their families, but for women in general.

Coolgardie Pioneer 10 October 1896, page 16

Mrs John Michael Finnerty –

Mrs John M Finnerty – Bertha Mary OATES was born in 1873 on the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England. She was the only child of William Frederick OATES and Mary Elizabeth OATES. Bertha was 12 yrs old when her mother died in Cornwall in 1885. Bertha’s father re-married the following year and she had 5 step-siblings. She travelled to Australia with her family, eventually arriving in Southern Cross, Western Australia at the age of 18 years. Her father was to become the first Mayor of Southern Cross and it was here that she met and married John Michael Finnerty, who was 20yrs her senior. The couple’s first child, a daughter, Elizabeth Bethel Finnerty was born on 2 Jan 1893 in Fremantle, WA. Followed, then finally Aileen Salome Finnerty in Kalgoorlie in 1902.

At this time her husband was the Warden at Coolgardie. Their last child was Aileen Salome Finnerty born 11 Dec 1902 in Kalgoorlie WA. As the wife of the Warden Bertha played a large part in her husband’s career and she was instrumental in many charitable organisations. She was involved in the establishment of the first children’s hospital in WA in Coolgardie. Sadly Bertha was to die at the young age of 38yrs in Coolgardie on 17 August 1911 from Pneumonia and is buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery.

Mrs Harold George Parsons MLC

Mrs Harold George Parsons – Elizabeth Annie DEVAUX was born on 2 JAN 1852 in Islington, Middlesex, England. She was first married to Walter Thomas SNELL in 1870 in Dunedin New Zealand. They had one child, Cyril Louis SNELL born 1884. Walter passed away in 1894 in Perth WA. The following year Elizabeth married Harold George PARSONS in Saint Martin In The Fields, Westminster, London. Harold was to become Mayor of Kalgoorlie. They had no children, she was some 15yrs his senior. She herself died in Middlesex England in 1900 aged 48yrs. Her husband Harold died in West Africa in 1905 at the young age of 38 from overwork, actiing as District Commissioner of the British Government.

Mrs Kunibert Zabel.

Mrs Kunibert ZABEL – Frances Catherine SEEBECK was born in 1868 in Chewton, Victoria. The daughter of John SEEBECK and Joanna SMITH. In 1886 she married Kunibert Zabel in Bullengarook VIC. Her husband established the Pioneer Aerated Water and Brewing Company in Coolgardie and patented a new method of carbonating water. Mrs. Zabel, who was well known in journalistic circles in Perth in her own right, and for many years contributed to the ‘Daily News’ under the pen name of ‘Franzisca,’ died suddenly in Sydney on Sep 9 1933. She will be remembered by many as the founder of the Booklovers Library in Hay-street, Perth WA.
In Sydney she established the Roycroft Library, in Rowe Street. She also carried on her journalistic work there, and was book reviewer for the ‘Woman’s Mirror.’ Mrs. Zabel had been in indifferent health for some time, and a heart attack caused her sudden death. Her only child, Ferdinand Zebel, was  killed in WW1, he was born in Melbourne in 1887. Her husband pre deceased her in 1914.

Frances ZABEL nee Seebeck – Photo Ancestry.com

Mrs Reginald Bradford Pell

Mrs Reginald Bradford PELL – Cora Elizabeth HARRIS was the daughter of Job HARRIS and Mary nee EVANS, she married Reginald B Pell in 1891 in Broken Hill NSW. The couple were to have one child, a daughter, Edith Maud Lilian PELL born in Williamstown, Kalgoorlie WA in 1894. Reginald Pell established the first auctioneering business in Kalgoorlie and was well know in racing circles and was known as the Pioneer of horse racing on the Goldfields. Mrs Pell owned and raced horses in her own right with her own colours of turquoise and fawn. She died in Perth WA in 1921 aged 50yrs, her husband pre deceased her in 1916.

Mrs William Hamilton-Fisher

Mrs William HAMILTON-FISHER – Evelyn Clara MUSSON was the daughter of John MUSSON and Clara nee DOWN and was born in 1860 in Sydney NSW. She first married Francis Horace STUBLEY in Victoria NSW in 1877. There were two children born to the couple, Francis Evelyn STUBLEY born in 1878 and Charles Vivien Roy STUBLEY born 1880, (Charles died at age 2yrs) and Ruby Maud Hypatia ‘Pat’ STUBLEY born 1883. Evelyn was widowed in 1886 when Francis passed away at 43yrs.
Evelyn then married William HAMILTON-FISHER on the 4th June 1889 in Hawksburn VIC. They had one son, Hurtle Melville HAMILTON-FISHER born in Elsternwick VIC in 1891. The family all travelled to Coolgardie in about 1894 and Evelyn was very much involved in the social and charitable scene in the town.

Evelyn died aged 89yrs in 1948 and is buried in the Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth in the same grave as William who pre deceased her by 7yrs. In 1968 the ashes of their son, Hurtle Melville, were also scatterd at Karrakatta garden area, he never married nor did his half sister Ruby Stubley.  Evelyn’s only child to marry was Francis Evelyn Stubley from her first marriage. She married Lewis James MACINTOSH of the WA Bank in Murrin Murrin in St Johns Church Kalgoorlie in 1907, she had 12 children.

Evelyn Clara Hamilton-Fisher,  Photo Ancestry.com

Mrs Charles Robert Cumbrae- Stewart

Mrs Charles Robert Ogilvie CUMBRAE-STEWART – Sarah-Jane ‘Jean’ BRAY was born in 1876. She was a nurse at the Coolgardie Hospital in 1895 when she married Charles Cumbrae-Stewart who was the Secretary of the Coolgardie Hospital, an accountant and a Councillor, he arrived in Coolgardie in 1892. Sarah-Jane was said to be a spinster at the time of her marriage at the age of 19yrs. Her father was listed as being a ‘Gentleman’. Upon the death of her husband in 1922, after a long and painful illness, Mrs CUMBRAE-STEWART was appolinted as Matron of the Coolgardie Hospital.

Mrs George Henry John Bellingham

Mrs George Henry John BELLINGHAM – Annie Amelia BENNETT formerly TWISS – born abt 1852,
St George Hanover Square, London. The daughter of Thomas Bennett and Georgina Martha nee PALMER.  Annie was first married to Edward Travers Fountain TWISS in 1869 in Battersea England. There was one child to this marriage, Elphinstone Robertson Travers TWISS born in 1872. The marraige was a troubled and unhappy one, where Annie claimed to have been assaulted by Edward. They formally seperated in 1874 but I have not been able to find details of a divorce. Edward TWISS died in 1913 in London. It appears that Annie came to South Australia with her son in about 1883, Annie was to marry George Henry John Bellingham on the 27 Jul 1883 in Port Adelaide South Australia where she stated that she was a widow.

She accompanied her husband to Coolgardie in 1893. George was a JP, a Councillor, one of the first members of the Coolgardie Stock Exchange, The Chamber of Mines and The Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the Hospital Board. There was a street named after him in Coolgardie, Bellingham Street, in Montana. I have not been able to find Annie’s death but she was still alive in Coolgardie in 1905 so it must have been between 1905-1913 when George married for the second time.  It doesnt appear that Annie had any more children.

Bayley Street Coolgardie 1895 – Bellingham and Danker Architects and Surveyors are in the Stock Exchange building on the far right – Photo SLWA

Gathering the details of these six ladies has taken a great long that I thought it would. As the wives of prominent men I had thought there would be a lot of details available but I found that although the newspaper article including them were numerous their first names were not mentioned and the most commen article were about what they wore. I’m sure though that these siz ladies would have known each other and would have mo0ved in the same circles. They would have all been involved in various charitable ventues as their position in society dictated.

Should anyone have any further details about the laduies I would love to hear from you. In coming weeks I will be featuring other Ladies of Coolgardie.

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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