"Nell" / "Nellie" Helen Kay BOWMAN / DIXON
Born 15 June 1900 in Kinglassie, Fife, Scotland [28]
Daughter of colliery manager John BOWMAN and "Maggie" Margaret Swan DOW [28]
Resided with her parents at Bowhill Colliery, which was managed by her father, in Auchterderran, Fife, Scotland [P1]
Later resided with her parents at Rosefield House on Gardenside Avenue in Uddingston, Lanarkshre, Scotland [P1]
Departed London, England with her parents and younger sisters Vi and Daisy on the steamship Osterlery on 9 May 1915 [P1]
They arrived on the Osterley in Fremantle, Western Australia on 11 May 1915 and a few days later shifted to Carnamah [P1]
Resided with her parents in the homestead on Lot M950 of The Home Farm, Carnamah-Perenjori Road, Carnamah 1915-1927 [P1]
Won the Ladies Driving Competition in the Horse Events at the Annual Show & Sports Carnival in Carnamah in 1923 [86: 4-Oct-1923]
Attended the Carnamah Race Club's Ball at the Carnamah Hall on 10 April 1924 in a dress of lemon charmeuse [10: 24-Apr-1924]
The Midlands Advertiser newspaper on 15 May 1925 that she had undergone a serious operation, but was recovering [9: 15-May-1925]
Attended the Fancy Dress Ball held in the Carnamah Hall on 6 August 1925 dressed as an "Early Victorian, 1878" [9: 21-Aug-1925]
Participated in the annual Carnamah kangaroo hunt of September 1925, riding a horse named Streak [9: 18-Sep-1925]
Came second in the Ladies Flag Race in the Sports section of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society's 1926 show [9: 15-Oct-1926]
Married "Jim" James William DIXON on 5 April 1927 at the family homestead on The Home Farm in Carnamah [P31]
Their wedding day was a double wedding, being shared with her sister Violet N. BOWMAN who married Ivan JOHNSON [P31]
It was reported as a "a very pretty double wedding" with Rev. Walter B. KENWORTHY of Dongara officiating [39: 12-Apr-1927]
Her father had built for her and Jim a house on Lot M1017 of his The Home Farm next to the freshwater Prowaka Spring [P131]
Her husband helped build the house and named it Lockington after the parish of that name in Yorkshire, England [P130]
Resided with her husband and two children at Lockington on her father's The Home Farm in Carnamah until about 1935 [P131]
Member of the Carnamah Rifle Club 1926-1934 [9: 25-Jun-1926] [4: 29-Sep-1928, 29-Mar-1930] [5: 7-Sep-1934]
During the existence of the first Carnamah Rifle Club she was one of only two known female members [4] [5] [9]
Came 1st in the Gretna Green and 2nd in the Lady's Hack in the Ring Events at the Carnamah Agricultural Show in 1927 [9: 21-Oct-1927]
Attended the wedding dance for Charles ROBERTSON and Winifred M. LANG on 27 March 1928 at the Carnamah Hall [4: 31-Mar-1928]
Came 2nd in the Trotting Race in the Horse Events at the Carnamah Show & Sports Carnival on 4 October 1928 [4: 13-Oct-1928]
Along with her husband and their infant daughter returned to Scotland and England for a holiday in 1930 [4: 31-May-1930] [P130]
Returned from their holiday on the steamship Bendigo, arriving in Fremantle, Western Australia on 7 December 1930 [63]
Established a large chicken run up behind their home Lockington and sold both chickens and eggs in Carnamah and surrounds [P131]
Their run was named the Lockington Poultry Farm and bred White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Australorpe and Light Sussex [13]
Attended the Show Ball following the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 15 September 1932 in a gown of green lace [5: 23-Sep-1932]
Sent a wreath for the grave of Christina B. D. FORRESTER of Carnamah at the Winchester Cemetery on 31 August 1934 [4: 8-Sep-1934]
Won 2nd prize for Brown Hen Eggs at the Carnamah Agricultural Show on Thursday 12 September 1935 [5: 20-Sep-1935]
Sent a floral tribute for the grave of Miss "May" Mary L. LANG at the Winchester Cemetery on 26 November 1935 [5: 29-Nov-1935]
Along with her husband and children left Carnamah C.1935 and resided variously at Rothsay, Gulawa, Yalgoo and Fields Find [P131]
Attended the very largely attended Carnamah Tennis Dance at the Carnamah Hall on 17 April 1937 in floral taffeta [5: 23-Apr-1937]
With ticket 32 she won the early arrival prize at the Coronation Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Wednesday 12 May 1937 [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]
Helped transport 55 children to a Sunday School picnic at Mulliah / Yarra Yarra Lakes in Carnamah on 4 September 1937 [5: 10-Sep-1937]
In 1939 shifted with her children back to Lockington on her father's farm in Carnamah while Jim was working in Mount Ida [P131]
Shortly after moving back to Carnamah they left Lockington and shifted into the Carnamah townsite [P1]
In the Carnamah townsite they resided in a rented house next to Parkin & Son's power station and then at a house in Caron Street [P1]
Along with her two children left Carnamah in October 1940 and shifted to Perth[0: image 03933]
Shifted to Perth to be nearer her husband who was with the Royal Australian Air Force at Pearce Air Base in Bullsbrook [0: image 03933]
During most of the war herself and her children lived with her sister Vi and Vi's children at 26 Arthur Street, Subiaco [P31]
While living at 26 Arthur Street her niece Jean JOHNSON ran and got help after she had her first heart attack [P31]
Worked as a Clerk for the Crown Law Department before being transferred to help manage rations during the Second World War [P1]
Following her husband's discharge from the Royal Australian Air Force in January 1946 they resided in Park Street, Subiaco [P131]
Spent a holiday in Carnamah staying with her parents in early 1951, returning to Perth on Saturday 13 January 1951 [0: image 04600]
Resided in the house in Park Street, Subiaco until 1952 when they moved to Chittering [P131]
In 1952 resided on her sister Ruth and brother-in-law Peter W. THOMSON's farm in Chittering, of which Jim was overseer [P131]
Around 1953 they purchased a 100 acre property The Bend in Chittering and later extended it by a further 50 acres [P131]
Resided on The Bend in Chittering from C.1953 until her death in 1959[P131]
On The Bend they ran sheep, grew grapevines, oranges and on one occasion half an acre of cabbages [P131]
Passed away following a series of heart problems four days before her 59th birthday [P1]
Mother of Betty and Bill [P1]
Died 11 June 1959 in Perth; buried in the Churchyard of the Holy Trinity Church in Chittering [P130] [P131]
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Helen Kay Bowman / Dixon' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/helen-kay-bowman [reference list] |
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