ALICE MARY HOPEWELL | amhopewellcollection

ABOUT ALICE - HER EARLY LIFE

Alice Mary Hiddle was born on 3rd May 1891 at Yarrawonga, Victoria to Arthur Barwise Hiddle and his wife Margaret Jane (known as Jean), nee Thomson.

At that time Arthur, in partnership with others, was a storekeeper of Berrigan, NSW. Margaret was the daughter of William Thomson, Kyneton Shire councillor and president for many years from the mid 1860's..

In January 1894 a fire broke out and the Berrigan store and stock was lost. The insurers refused to pay out on the claim on the grounds that a full inventory of losses had not been supplied within the specified time of 15 days. Arthur Hiddle took the case to court and lost after a final appeal to the Privy Council, London in March 1896.

The Hiddle family moved to Kooringa (Burra), South Australia some time prior to September 1896 where A B Hiddle worked as manager for Urwin & Sons, drapers. In February 1904 the business became Urwin & Hiddle, Drapers, Milliners & Clothiers.

Alice attended the local private schools, including the Burra High School known as "Bleak House". She studied Music and Art, passing her musical examination with a Credit in 1903. Alice also passed the Trinity College Intermediate Music Examination with Honours, as a pupil of the Sisters of St Joseph, Kooringa in 1907.

In May 1907, A B Hiddle sold his share of Urwin & Hiddle to Mr Robson Urwin and purchased "an interest" in the stores of J W Manfield, based at Farina. The Hiddle family moved north to Farina in the following month. It was at about this time or perhaps a little later that Alice was given her camera.

The storekeepers license was transferred from John West Manfield (retired) to his son-in-law Frederick Budge and Arthur Barwise Hiddle in September 1907. At that time there were three stores - Farina, Hergott and Oodnadatta with the store at Innamincka probably being run under the Hergott license. They continued trading as J W Manfield.

During 1909 some or all of the Hiddle family were living at Port Augusta where Alice's younger brother and sister attended school for the full year. They had a house at Conway Town and Alice remembered all of her father's bottles of whiskey clanking in the water when the tide came in and filled the cellar.

By 1910 the family was living at Hergott Springs, although Arthur and possibly Alice were already living there in the latter part of 1909. Probably prior to this move he undertook a trip to Yudnamutana, accompanied by Alice and travelling from Farina with John Napier. John had stores at both Farina and Yudnamutana and ran a stock coach between them.

There was also a trip to Innamincka where Arthur and Alice travelled as far north-east from Hergott as Nappa Merrie, just over the Queensland border. This trip was also undertaken in 1909.

In April 1911, a young telegraphist, Edward Valentine Hopewell (Val) was transferred to Hergott Springs from Quorn. He had previously worked at Eucla repeater station and then relieving at various South Australian towns.

Frederick Budge became the sole trader of J W Manfield in 1913 and Arthur Hiddle and family moved to Edwardstown (Adelaide) where Arthur was working at Linn's Stores.

Val and Alice were married in Adelaide on 31 May 1913 and moved back to Hergott where Val was still working. Their daughter Phyllis Mary was born on 12th September 1914.

The Hopewells left Hergott at the end of 1916 when Val was again transferred as part of his work on the PMG's relieving staff. This meant they moved around to a lot of different country towns, including Gawler, Angaston, Eudunda, Gladstone, Port Wakefield and Morgan, among others.