Dora Ann Russell Manning ²⁶

  General Notes:

Ian Russell Watkins recalls:

As a young boy (6-8) I recall visiting 'Grandma' at her semi detached (Victorian style) house in Kew, Victoria. I think 'grandma' only just tolerated small children at this stage as I do not remember any particluarly happy times at grandma's house. My parents, together with me and my brother, were regular visitors.

I do remember a small vial (like a small perfume cylinder) of what was said to be gold that was kept on the mantlepiece. It was said to have been mined in the Warrandyte area.

I also recall grandma was admitted to a nursing home when she was in her 90's. I remember overhearing family discussions about how 'tough' grandma was and was only hanging around until she turned 100 years old - so she could receive telegrams congratulating her from the Queen etc.. In the event we celebrated her 100th birthday in the nursing home (I remember the birthday cake) and she received telegrams from the Queen and GG. As I later discovered her birth-date was incorrectly given (by her?) and she died at age 99. Cunning old gal.

More photographs and document images held and available on request.

Electoral Roll images held:
1919 Kew
1924 Kew
1931 Kew
1936 Kew

My Mum - by Russell Ray Watkins

My Mum was born on 23rd December 1875 at Kangaroo Flat, near bendigo. She had a sister (younger) Mary and also a younger sister (Isabella) who died in childhood. Her brothers were Bill (Arrarat, Reservoir & Preston), Jack (Brunswick), John (Pt Lonsdale), Harry (Brisbane) and Charlie (Bendigo).
I think my Mum may have gone to school at Kangaroo Flat, but I don't think for long. This part of her life I know very little of. Her mother died at the birth of my Mum's younger brother Charlie.
It's from here that the whole story seems to be contradictory.
I understood that my Mum, then at a very early age, had to attend to the rest of the family. Yet I next find my Mum telling me that she was living in Windsor - going to school there and living with someone she called 'Aunt', but was no relative. She told me that she and another girl used to walk over to the Albert Park swamp (now Albert Park Lake) to catch frogs.
From there the story is a blank until she married my father in 1892.
My Mum always maintained that she was married in Windsor, however my delving into records proved that she was actually married at a Minister's residence somewhere in Fitzroy. The question that arises is why was that mistake made? Was there something to hide?
Having been born on 23 December 1875 and married in 1892 she would have been 15 years of age#, my father having been born 3 May 1858 and married in 1892 would have been 33 or 34 years old - a big difference in ages.
I don't think my father was a good husband because I cannot remember my father ever taking my mother out once. My mother was a wonderful Mum. When times were tough, very tough, we kids never went hungry.
My Mum told me that she lived with her family in a house behind where the War Memorial is in Warrandyte. That is right opposite the bridge across the Yarra (river). She may have lived there with her father and siblings but it may also have been after she was married.

Now this part of the story is correct.

My father was a gold miner and received a 'miner's right' to a block of land on which he built or had built a fairly rough timber home and in which all of their seven children, except myself, were born. I was born in Kew in 1916
My father was away a lot of the time gold mining. Can you imagine what it was like for my Mum with all these kids and no one to help?
In 1911 the youngest (sic) child Reggie had just turned 6 and was playing cricket with his older brothers. A ball struck him in the back and it turned to cancer. He was taken to St Vincents hospital* but they could not save the little chap. In order to be near him the family left Warrandyte and they went to live in Cromwell street, Collingwood. It was whilst they were there that they lost the little chap. He died on 29 February 1912. They stayed in Cromwell Street for a few years then moved to a single fronted in Brougham Street, Kew.
They stayed there for only a short time then moved to a shop in High Street. Kew - opposite Mary Street. They opened it as a fruit shop and did very well. I must have been about one at the time.
We were there for about four years until the owner put the rent up to make the business unprofitable. Next door to the shop I can just remember a blacksmith shop with a very cruel assistant known by the horrible name of 'Nigger Lee'. He was horrid.
My Mum, besides minding me and doing all the housework also used to serve in the shop. The men had big rounds of deliveries. It was hard work.
We moved to 6** Mary Street. My Dad took on a carrying business with the horse and cart. I was 4 years old at that stage and went everywhere in the cart with my father. At age 65 my father retired and he had heart trouble.
Again who was it that saved the day - why my Mum of course. She went out doing washing. ironing, minding children and walked everywhere.
She used to do all this type of work. One of her customers was Mrs Menzies, the mother of the Prime Minister (Sir Robert Menzies).
We were there until 1924 then moved to Colleridge Street, but only for 6 months. The we moved to 56 Hartington Street into a house that my brother Alan owned. My Mum was still doing that work on five days each week. You could almost call my Mum a slave but she never let us. We had to be fed. Both Roy and Alice were out of work - so many were out of work - it was the 'Great Depression' time.
Then the back part of the house got burnt when no one was at home. It was thought to be arson. Roy and myself stayed at Ivy's place, Mum and and Alice at Roy's place.
My Mum wanted to get back into the house as soon as repairs were completed but Alan who owned the place wouldn't let us. This caused some very volatile friction so my Mum rented a place in Wilsmere Road. Alan was divorced by the rest of the family for about twenty years.
About 1935 Mum turned 60 so she was about to get the pension and give up all that work. For about two years before this she got a job as a cleaner at the Government Offices in Spring Street - 6am-8am and 5pm to 7pm. It was lighter work, but twice a day!!
But she gave up work altogether when she got the pension. After Thelma and I got married we stayed with her for 12 months.
We used to visit her every three weeks. She lived on her own for about another twelve years the she had a stroke.
My sister Alice had a separate room built in her back yard and took Mum down there. She lasted there for another three years and finished her life there 25 February 1973.
She thought she was 100 years old and they put on a terrfic turn for her - all the usual letters etc. When I started the family tree later I found out that she was really only 97.

She was a great Mum.

I'm wiping away the tears.

Ray


# She would have been 2 months short of her 17th birthday.
* Austin Hospital
** Electoral roll shows address was 10 Mary Street

  Noted events in her life were:

• Registered Birth, 22 Nov 1875, Sunrise Gully, Morongshire, County Of Bendigo, Vic. Australia. ²⁷

• Registered Christening: Christ Church, 23 Dec 1874, South Yarra, Vic., Australia. ²⁶

• Registered Marriage, 31 Oct 1892, Moor Street, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia. ¹⁴

• Electoral Roll, 1931, Kew, Vic., Australia. ²⁸

• Electoral Roll, 1937, Kew, Vic., Australia. ²⁹

• Electoral Roll, 1943, Kew, Vic., Australia. ³⁰

• Registered Death, 25 Feb 1973, Melbourne, Vic. Australia. ³¹

Dora married William Henery Watkins, son of Tracy Watkins and Caroline Gittoes, on 31 Oct 1892 in Moor Street, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.¹⁴ (William Henery Watkins was born on 3 May 1858 in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales,^17,19 died on 1 Aug 1931 in Kew, Victoria, Australia ¹⁵ and was buried on 3 Aug 1931 in Brighton Cemetery, Vic., Australia ¹⁶.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Registered Marriage, 31 Oct 1892, Moor Street, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.