My maternal Grandmother, Julia Nellie Gadsby was born in Stratford England in 1903 and came to Australia with her family.
She died before I was born and that is all I knew. My mum, Marlene was still finishing her education when she died and my lack of knowledge, I put down to it all being too painful for my mother to talk about.
It wasn’t until I started Family History in 2012 that I pasted together more of the story. Mum had left me a tree with names and a few dates. She had gathered a couple of certificates before she too died in 1992.
Here’s what I found. My grandmother was named Julia after her grandmother Julia Baker. She was the daughter of Selena and Thomas Gadsby, one of 14 children. They migrated to Sydney in 1912. Here is the family as they appeared in the 1911 census back in England.
The Gadsby's 1911 Census in London
Not all of Julie ‘s siblings had survived the harsh London weather and the family ‘s living conditions. She was the fourth of eight daughters and the eighth child of Selena and Thomas Gadsby. Selena and her six young children travelled to Australia on the Zealandia. According to the shipping list Julia was 10 years old. Quite possibly dad, Thomas and the older boys Harold and Jack travelled as crew on other ships.
Four children had died in London prior to them leaving and oldest brother Thomas was enlisted in Queens Own Hussars. Julia’s older sister Selina (Lena) was 22 and engaged to a butcher in London so would have been quite helpful to her mother in keeping the children in hand. They were entertained with stories, fashions and cooking tips from the Girls Own Annual which was a prized possession of Julia’s in later years.
The family settled in Sydney. Early on though Maude, Julia, Catherine and Grace attended school in Katoomba. Later they returned to Newtown to live.
Julia’s mother separated from her father but not before having a further baby, Edith (Edie) who she left to be brought up by her older daughter Lena. Selina senior had taken up with Lena’s ex-fiancé from London. They spent the early days moving around the Cooks River area of Sydney with Thomas working as a bricklayer. With a large tribe it was difficult to keep the wolves from the door and they were sometimes evading eviction. Her mother sent meat parcels from North Sydney which the children picked up off the local train. They finally settled at Undercliff when the girls were a little older.
Cooks River
With the outbreak of war older brother Harold had joined the Navy and Jack the infantry and they proceeded overseas. When they were old enough Julia and Maude took jobs at Grace Bros Broadway in the glove department. Julia was the prettiest of the Gadsby girls. Maude was very successful at sales due to her slender hands displaying the gloves to best effect. However, when the management wanted to publicise the store, they chose Julia to appear in the photo!
Harold had served on the “HMAS Australia” during WWI. Frank Leonard Kelf, Julia’s future husband, served with Harold also. After Harold and Frank returned to Australia Frank moved close to where the Gadsby’s lived as he had previously only lived in Melbourne for a short stint after immigrating.
Back L-r Harold, Catherine, Frank Front l-r Maude, Grace and Julia
The romancing of Julia by Frank is something out of a romance novel. Imagine the sisters whispering and gossiping when this handsome and debonair Norwich man, educated at King Edward VII Grammar School arrived unannounced for a visit in the cool evening air and the pair went strolling along the river. Cousin Bet tells the story that Julia would be putting her hair up in curls for the night at Undercliff and then word would be sent that "Frank is here" - the rollers(rags) would come out and she would rush out to see him. Next day she suffered from straight hair!
“Marry him” “Grab him -he’s an Earl".
Beautiful Julia was urged to snap him up with encouraging words of “Marry him” “Grab him -he’s an Earl". He wasn’t but he was a handsome catch. You can see her demure appeal in this photo taken at Lena’s wedding in 1918 aged 15.
Frank was an up-and-coming furniture designer who was a draftsman in a furniture warehouse. He presented her with a dining table chairs and a buffet/sideboard when they were married in 1921. Years later I found this furniture was still around – some in my own home.
I like the honeymoon photos of the two- they look happy and like they were a fun-loving couple. They settled into married life in Flinders St Undercliff. Their first child, Frank Trevor was born in 1923 and daughter Airdrie Desolie was born in 1925. Julia and Frank enjoyed visits and motor car rides out with Catherine and her flashy beau Victor and keeping in close contact with the rest of the siblings.
Julia and Frank on their honeymoon
At a point in time when Frank was little Julia’s Mother-in-law visited from Norwich in England. I think she was a rather critical woman and probably found the Gadsbys a little bit beneath her station. Her comment to Julia that she always dressed her Frank in “wwhite” while little Frank was crawling around the floor didn’t go down well (and was always remembered). After all Julia had been caring for her baby siblings for years.
Frank soon became known for his high-quality designs, designing foyers for hotels and working for The White House designers. Later he worked as furniture designer at a popular Sydney furniture store called Beberfalds. When Frank and Julia moved to the Eastern Suburbs around 1930s, I’m told Julie I love decorating and was always on the lookout for another apartment to upgrade to and give it her mark.
By 1930 they had moved to “Camira” Mitchell St Bondi. Electoral records show that Julia moved around the Eastern Suburbs to addresses in “Wodonga” Springfield Avenue Potts Point and the fancy new Spanish style “Santa Barbara” apartment 11 Edward Street Bondi. Here Maude and family was also a resident in 1936.
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| "Santa Barbara" apartments in Edward St |
During this time Frank and Julia’s marriage was in trouble. I’m not sure what the problem was but her husband urged them to try again and Marlene was born in 1935.
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| 10 Simpson St |
Then she moved to 10 Simpson Street Bondi and finally settled in 1943 at 318 Edgecliff Road Woollahra. (Incidentally my brother and I were born there.)
The family loved everything the Eastern suburbs had to offer. Besides shopping, favourite activities were horse riding at Centennial Park ice skating and swimming at Bondi, Nielsen Park, Rose Bay or Watsons Bay.
Unfortunately, Julie and Frank had separated again and by this time and war was definitely on the doorstep. Frank Jnr enlisted in the Air Force and was off in Canada, England, India flying. Airdrie had begun nursing and passed her Nursing Registration in 1946 returning to the Eastern Suburbs War Memorial Hospital to nurse. Marlene was an above average student. Despite the separation, husband Frank turned up weekly to contribute money to the upkeep of his wife and three kids. Julie took on a little bit of housekeeping work.
When young Frank jnr returned from the war he met and married Betty Galloway in 1949. Julia ‘s first granddaughter Jillian was born in 1950 and 12 months later the second granddaughter Airdrie jnr was born. Julia clearly loved her granddaughters. In this picture she is enjoying a visit in the backyard at Edgecliff Rd with the girls and her older sister Lena.
Julia with Jillian and Lena with Airdrie C1953
Julia had proudly seen Marlene successfully complete school and gain a clerical job with the Navy department, working to pay fees and at night studying for a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Sydney University.
Within a short time however their world turned upside down. Daughter Airdrie was preparing to go to London to further her nursing studies. Suddenly it was put on hold as Julia had Hodgkinson disease a type of lymphoma which is a blood cancer. Airdrie decided to stay home and nurse her mother. Older sister Lena was suffering heart problems and it was believed she’d be the first to “go” and Frank Junior ‘s marriage was in trouble. He was battling the demons of what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder. His marriage ended the week Julia died.
She died in Sydney Hospital on 13 January 1954 and she’s buried at the Church of England part of Botany Cemetery. She was aged 52. As a mark of the lady, she is remembered for allowing medical students to learn about her disease despite her pain whilst in hospital. She felt vested in the learning journey of these future Doctors.
Julia's grave at Botany Cemetery
There are not many people around here who knew Julia. My mum had died, my dad never met her. Son Frank had passed away in 1960 and all her sisters were gone. Only two nieces and a couple of nephews were around. The granddaughters Gillian and Airdrie were estranged from us for reasons of family breakdown.
Julia's earliest photo in Airdrie's room
Auntie Airdrie has fond memories but they are faded and like her younger sister it’s all too painful. I have elicited a little bit from Mum’s cousins Wendy and Betty Julia’s nieces filled me in. Julia was interested in world history and they had discussions about the United Nations, combating poverty and social justice. They remember that she was a deeply religious woman.
On the way to church with Wendy Gadsby, Marlene Kelf and Douglas Jacob
At a family reunion, I was thrilled to discover a photo of young Julia -one of her daughter Airdrie‘s prize possessions and now at the Nursing home.
Gloves and Fur!!
I think these photos show her as a classy, devoted, heart warming and playful person.
Julia and Airdrie
Julia and Marlene
When I started my family history journey I knew only about the 6-7 white marble rocks from Julia’s grave at Botany. Mum’s painful memory- we never visited the grave. I didn’t even know about the photos which my Mum had curated into albums before she died. I remember living at the Woollahra flat for a couple of years when I was really young. Perhaps I soaked up some of the energy, memories, fun and laughter of this lovely lady, Julia Nellie Kelf who had lived there 10 years or so before me. I played in her back yard and always remembered an imaginary friend who lived there!
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| Julia at Marlene's Speech Day |
Despite the separation Frank paid for her funeral even buying a double plot! I suspect he was just a little sad at the outcome of his marriage did not marry his girlfriend until many years later. I suspect the girls never quite got over their gracious mother. Frank jnr died a few years later. Julia was always remembered by her siblings and their children who enjoyed her intellect and her deep religious beliefs.
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