Daphne Lorna Josephine Bishop, known all of her life simply as "Daph", was born on August 8, 1878, at Inkerman Street, St. Kilda.Her parents were noted as being 38 year old accountant Henry Bishop, from Stamford, Lincolnshire, and Bertha Hughan of London. Of course, Bertha's age was given as 38 when in reality she was 40.
Daph was the baby of the Bishop family- her brothers Roland and Guy were aged 11 and 7 at the time of her birth, and her three elder sisters Olive, Vi and Myrtle were 9, 3 and 1.
Daphne grew up in South Yarra and Oakleigh and was educated at Springfield Lodge, a Ladies' College in Murphy Street, South Yarra.One of her report cards from 1887, when she was almost nine years old, is in the following blog.
Daphne was twenty years old when her mother Bertha died in 1898. As the youngest daughter, she kept house for her father when her sisters Vi and Olive were married and left home.It must have been liberating for her when her father Henry relocated to Mulwala, NSW, to live with Olive and her husband Harry Oakley in c. 1906-7.
Daphne found herself free to pursue her career as a nurse, and she began her training at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, eventually graduating as a nurse and midwife.
The electoral roll for 1909 states "Daphne Lorna J. Bishop, 53 Powlett Street, East Melbourne, nurse."
The roll of 1914 has Daphne at Alfred Hospital, Prahran, home duties.
During the early stages of World War 1, Daphne delivered an infant for a wealthy woman named Mrs. Williams, and after the birth of the child she was engaged by the Williams family to travel with them to England in the capacity of a specialist nurse for the baby.
This information, as given by my grandfather Norman Oakley before his death in 2000, is supported by shipping records found at findmypast.com and Ancestry.com.au. In the database "U.K Incoming passenger lists 1878-1960", I found Miss Daphne L. Bishop arriving in Plymouth on April 25, 1915, per the ship 'Orsova'.Also on the same ship were Mr and Mrs Gerard Williams and male infant.
Findmypast.com showed records for Gerard Williams and his wife leaving London on January 16, 1914, sailing first class to Sydney.Further investigation reveals a possible name for Mrs Gerard Williams...on June 1, 1910, at Westminster,England, Annie Blake, daughter of William John Blake, married Gerard Williams, son of William White Williams.
When the fighting intensified, Daphne surrendered her position with the Williams family and worked in the casualty ward at the Woolwich Arsenal until after the War ended in 1918.
She loved England and remained there for some years after the War, taking up private nursing. As a member of a Nurses' Agency, Daph was employed by a number of England's top society families.
In 1931 Daphne returned to her homeland. She lived for a time in Mulwala with her sister Olive and the Oakley family, and also in Melbourne for a period before finally settling down in Sydney.
The 1936 electoral roll finds Daph living with her sisters Violet and Myrtle at 31 Dalton Street, Mossman, and her occupation is 'nurse'.
Daph was a kind and compassionate woman, and a dedicated nurse. Her nephew, Gordon Oakley, wrote:
" Daphne nursed Mother, Violet and Myrtle in their final illnesses, and earned the grateful thanks of all descendants".
Her eldest brother Roland Bishop thus described her in a letter:
" She is such a dear, lovable old thing, and rather worries about my condition."
Daphne Lorna Josephine Bishop never married, and died in Sydney on May 5, 1969, at the age of 91 years.
In a following blog is an undated letter written by Daphne to her cousin Norma Robley in which she discusses being diagnosed with breast cancer and the surgeon's decision to remover her breast. Because the letter is undated, we do not know if the operation was successful, or if it was in fact breast cancer that finally claimed a wonderful woman's long and very worthwhile life.
No comments:
Post a Comment