"Elsie" Mary Ellen PARKIN
Born 23 April 1901 in Cornwall, England [P18]
Daughter of "Harry" Henry PARKIN and "Mary" Philippa Mary BILKEY [20] [21]
In 1911 was living with her parents and siblings Olive, Maud, Tom and Millie at Wheal Hope in Perranporth, Cornwall, England [20]
Her father arrived in Western Australia in January 1912 and began working as a Railway Fettler in Carnamah [7: page 142] [19] [70]
Along with her mother and siblings, she departed London, England on the steamship Ajana on 24 December 1912 [203]
After a voyage of just over a month, they arrived on the Ajana in Fremantle, Western Australia on 1 February 1913 [70]
They arrived in Carnamah on 13 February 1913 to join her father, who they had not seen in over a year [7: page 142]
She resided in Carnamah, Western Australia from their arrival in 1913 until her deathin 1990 [1] [7: page 142]
Initially lived in Carnamah with her parents and siblings at Gable Cottage or The Gables at 4 Yarra Street in Carnamah [92]
With her sisters sang "exquisite songs" at the farewell in Carnamah for the stationmaster and his wife on 7 May 1913 [9: 16-May-1913]
Member of the Carnamah Sunday School in 1914 [7: page 238]
Attended the first ever Carnamah Agricultural Show as a teenager and drove in a horse and sulky competition [P10]
As a young woman participated in local kangaroo hunts on horseback near the Mulliah / Yarra Yarra Lakes [P10]
Assisted her sister Olive with the Post Office and ran an agency for the State Savings Bank inside the family home [P18]
In 1917 and 1918 she did most of the ordering of goods for her father and sister's shop The Supply Stores [92]
Dressmaker in Carnamah from 1920 until after 1949 [6]
Attended the Carnamah Race Club's Ball at the Carnamah Hall on 10 April 1924 in a white dress with radium lace [10: 24-Apr-1924]
Attended the Grand Plain & Fancy Dress Ball in Carnamah on 6 August 1925 in an evening dress of blue morrocain [9: 21-Aug-1925]
Came third in the "Miss Carnamah Competition" held in 1926 to raise funds to improve the Rifle Club's rifle range [4: 11-Sep-1926]
Bridesmaid at the wedding of her sister Millie and Robert W. GRANT on 12 August 1927 in Carnamah [4: 20-Aug-1927]
Attended Charles ROBERTSON and Winifred LANG's wedding dance on 27 March 1928 at the Carnamah Hall [4: 31-Mar-1928]
Attended the wedding dance for Alexander J. F. BROWN and Clara V. BERRIGAN in Carnamah on 28 August 1928 [4: 8-Sep-1928]
She was among the 400 people who attended the Matrons and Benedicts Ball held in Three Springs on 31 August 1928 [4: 8-Sep-1928]
Attended the Carnamah Cricket Club's Ball held at the Carnamah Hall on 2 April 1929 in a dress of salmon lame satin [4: 27-Apr-1929]
On Saturday 11 May 1929 attended the surprise party tendered to Mrs Ida's CROSSING at Ida's home in Carnamah [4: 25-May-1929]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Ball on 18 May 1929 in a dress of figured ninon in lavender shades [4: 25-May-1929]
Attended the Plain and Fancy Dress Ball at the Carnamah Town Hall on 8 August 1929 as a "Spangled Butterfly" [4: 17-Aug-1929]
On 19 September 1929 attended the Grand Ball following the Carnamah Show and opening of Centenary Park [4: 28-Sep-1929]
Attended the Carnamah Anglican Church's Freak Ball in Carnamah on 3 October 1929 in a lavender floral organdie dress [4: 12-Oct-1929]
Attended the Roman Catholic Church's Ball in Carnamah on 24 May 1930 in pink net trimmed with rosebuds [4: 31-May-1930]
Dressed as a "Daffodil" she attended the Fancy Dress Ball held in Carnamah on Thursday 28 August 1930 [4: 6-Sep-1930]
Attended the Carnamah Race Ball on 2 October 1930 in a eau de nil lace dress with shoulder posy and dipped back [4: 18-Oct-1930]
Ran the Fancy Stall at the Carnamah Presbyterian Church Ladies Guild's Sale of Work held on 13 December 1930 [4: 20-Dec-1930]
Said to have had lots of pets and animals; and was very good friends with "Daisy" Margaret D. BOWMAN [P9]
In December 1931 opened tennis courts at 1-3 Caron Street, Carnamah with her sister-in-law Mrs Marjorie E. PARKIN [4]
The courts were constructed from white ant hills and were equipped with electric lighting for night tennis [4: 19-Dec-1931]
Founded a tennis club, later known as the Parkinson Tennis Club, which entered the local tennis association in 1933 [4: 4-Feb-1933]
Member of Carnamah's Parkinson Tennis Club 1933-1937 - was Treasurer from 1934-35 to 1936-37 [5: 10-Mar-1933] [56]
Attended the Parkinson Tennis Club's Dance, which was held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 14 April 1934 [5: 20-Apr-1934]
Attended the Carnamah Grand Ball at the town hall on Thursday 28 July 1932 in a gown of lavender satin [5: 5-Aug-1932]
Attended the Show Ball following the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 15 September 1932 in a gown of blue georgette [5: 23-Sep-1932]
Steward in Charge of the Flower section at the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's Show in 1933 [13]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Monster Ball on 2 September 1933 in a dress of cornflour blue georgette [5: 8-Sep-1933]
In early October 1933 her dog died after an unknown person illegally poisoned dogs around Carnamah [5: 13-Oct-1933]
Attended the House Party at Tom and Marjorie PARKIN's home in Carnamah on Friday 13 October 1933 [5: 20-Oct-1933]
Member of the Carnamah Presbyterian Ladies Guild - was Treasurer in 1933 and 1934 [105]
Ran the Needlework Stall at the Carnamah Presbyterian Church's Fete and Concert in Carnamah on 2 November 1933 [5: 10-Nov-1933]
Member 1933-1934 and Committee Member in 1935 of the Carnamah Badminton Club[5: 2-Jun-1933, 24-Aug-1934, 3-May-1935]
Member of the Carnamah Girls Club - was Secretary 1934-1936 [5: 11-May-1934, 8-May-1936]
Member of the Carnamah Golf Club in 1934 [5: 29-Jun-1934]
Attended the Dance held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 30 June 1934 to raise funds for Church organ repairs [5: 6-Jul-1934]
Attended the Badminton Club Party at John and Doris MCLEAN's home in Carnamah on Monday 23 July 1934 [5: 27-Jul-1934]
Member of the Carnamah Lodge of the Manchester Unity Oddfellows Friendly Society in 1935 [5: 3-May-1935]
Helped run the Work Stall at the Presbyterian Church's Fair at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 18 May 1935 [5: 24-May-1935]
Herself and John MCGOWAN won the trophy for the Parkinson Tennis Club's Mixed Doubles for the 1934-35 season [5: 5-Jul-1935]
Attended the Show Ball after the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 12 September 1935 in a gown of pink floral silk voile [5: 20-Sep-1935]
Attended the funeral of Miss "May" Mary L. LANG of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 26 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Competed in the Parkinson Tennis Club's New Year Tennis Tournament in Carnamah on Wednesday 1 January 1936 [5: 3-Jan-1936]
Attended the Mad Hatter's Leap Year Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 29 February 1936 wearing floral silk pique [5: 6-Mar-1936]
Played for the combined Carnamah-Parkinson tennis team against Winchester-Waddy-Coorow on Sunday 5 April 1936 [5: 3-Apr-1936]
Member of the Carnamah Social Club in 1936 and 1937 - was Treasurer in 1937 [5: 7-Aug-1936, 9-Apr-1937]
Attended the Carnamah Repertory Club's Social Evening & Play Presentation at the Carnamah Hall on 17 June 1936 [5: 19-Jun-1936]
Played for the defeated Carnamah Social Club in badminton against the Carnamah Badminton Club on 5 August 1936 [5: 7-Aug-1936]
As part of the Carnamah Girls Club conducted the very successful "A Night in Iceland" in Carnamah on 15 August 1936 [5: 21-Aug-1936]
Attended the Show Ball after the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 10 September 1936 dressed in apple georgette and lace [5: 18-Sep-1936]
Attended the Carnamah Repertory Club's Social including three plays at the Carnamah Hall on Friday 2 October 1936 [5: 9-Oct-1936]
Competitor in the Parkinson Tennis Club's Tennis Tournament held in Carnamah on New Year's Day 1 January 1937 [5: 8-Jan-1937]
Competed in the Carnamah Tennis Club's Easter Tennis Tournament at Centenary Park in Carnamah in March 1937 [5: 2-Apr-1937]
Attended the meeting in Carnamah on 28 April 1937 to organise Coronation Celebrations for the children of Carnamah [5: 30-Apr-1937]
Attended the Coronation Ball at the Carnamah Hall on 12 May 1937 dressed in "eau de nil georgette and lace" [5: 14-May-1937]
The ball and its festivities celebrated the coronation of King George VI of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth [5]
She was among the 80 who attended the Carnamah Repertory Club's Social Evening at the Carnamah Hall on 25 June 1937 [5: 2-Jul-1937]
Most Original Lady as "Coronation Celebrations" at the Masquerade Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 24 July 1937 [5: 30-Jul-1937]
Foundation Committee Member of Carnamah's branch of the Red Cross Society in 1939 [0: image 03834]
Member of the Carnamah Tennis Club in 1940 and 1941 [0: images 03940 & 04039]
Shop Assistant at Andrew SMART's store at 7 Macpherson Street, Carnamah [P18]
Along with Mrs Marion CLUNE ran the portion of the Carnamah Social Club for junior members in 1941 [0: image 04043]
Member of the Carnamah Badminton Club 1949-1954 - was Secretary and Treasurer in 1950 [0: image 04626] [4: 10-Sep-1949 & 17-Jul-1954] [75]
Member of the Carnamah Tennis Club in 1950 [4: 22-Apr-1950]
Along with Marion CLUNE and Eunice ROWLAND ran the Juvenile Badminton Club in Carnamah in the 1950s [0: images 04676 & 04782]
Member of Carnamah's branch of the Red Cross Society 1970 onwards - received the 15 year Long Service Medal in 1985 [141]
Resided in her family home The Gables at 4 Yarra Street, Carnamah until C.1971 [P18]
At The Gables she was telephone number Carnamah-6 [60]
Resided at 29 Caron Street, Carnamah from C.1971 to 1990 [P18]
Guest Speaker at the "Day of Pioneers" luncheon at the Carnamah Shire Council Chambers on 13 October 1982 [7: page 251]
Member of the Carnamah Bowling Club [P10]
Died 22 January 1990 at 17 Simpson Street, Perth suburb of Quins Rock; buried Winchester Cemetery, Carnamah (Row F, Plot 9) [1]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Mary Ellen Parkin' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 April 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/mary-ellen-parkin [reference list] |
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