Olive Wilhelmina KAU / LOVELL
Born January 1915 at Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow, Western Australia[P15]
Daughter of "Fred" Johann Frederich KAU and May Minnie Annie BOTHE [P15]
Resided with her parents and later also brother Harry on Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow 1915-1926 [P15]
Student at the Coorow State School until 1926 [P15]
She attended Perth College from 1927 to 1929 and then Saint Bridgid's College near Kalamunda in the Perth hills in 1930 [P15]
At the end of 1930 she shifted back home to live with her parents on Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow [P15]
For a period she worked in Carnamah with tailor Alfred E. NIND and his assistant Harry ROBINSON [P15]
Attended the McCabe Academy of Dressmaking at the Orient Line Building, 56-60 William Street in Perth [4: 11-No-1933] [120: 26-Oct-1933]
McCabe Academy advertised themselves as "An Asset To Every Woman" with a profession giving lifelong independence [120]
She likely registered her interest with a coupon from an advertisement that appeared in The Western Mail newspaper [120]
Returned to Coorow after concluding her dressmaking qualifications at the McCabe Academy [5: 13-Oct-1933, 20-Oct-1933]
In October 1933 she commenced working as a Dressmaker in Carnamah [5: 13-Oct-1933, 20-Oct-1933]
She operated her dressmaking business from Cowderoy's Buildings at 2 Macpherson Street in Carnamah [4: 2-Dec-1933]
Undertook all classes of dressmaking and children's clothes with a specialty for evening wear [5: 24-Nov-1933]
In addition to working as a dressmaker in Carnamah she also visited neighbouring districts by appointment [4: 2-Dec-1933]
On leaving Carnamah she shifted back to Coorow and once again resided with her parents and brother on Meadow Dale Farm [P15]
Sewing Mistress of the Coorow State School from 1936 to 1940 [73]
She rode her horse from her parents' farm to the Coorow State School once a week to teach the schoolchildren how to sew [P15]
When clothing materials for the school were in short supply she used hessian bags from her grandparents store in Coorow [P15]
As sewing mistress her annual salary in 1936 was £18/16/- and from 1937 to 1940 it was £20 [73]
During a portion of the Second World War she helped her father run Meadow Dale Farm as labour was hard to obtain [P15]
Among other work, she drove the tractor at both seeding and harvest time during the war [P15]
Her engagement to George Peter CHARLESTON was announced in September 1940 [39: 3-Sep-1940]
Following her engagement her photo appeared in The Sunday Times newspaper on 22 and 29 September 1940 [81: 22 & 29-Sep-1940]
George, who was a Private in the Australian Army's 24th Anti-Tank Company, died of wounds on 2 May 1941 [16] [39: 16-May-1941]
She resided with her parents on Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow until her marriage to George LOVELL in 1943 [19] [P15]
Wore a frock of beautifully embroidered blue silk georgette to the Coorow Hospital Ball on 14 June 1930 [4: 28-Jun-1930]
She wore a white lace frock with an uneven hemline to the Coorow Cricket Club's New Year's Eve Dance in 1930 [4: 10-Jan-1931]
Attended an evening in Coorow in aid of raising local church funds on 27 June 1931 [4: 4-Jul-1931]
Attended the annual Bachelors and Spinsters Ball held at the Coorow Hall on 26 March 1932 [4: 2-Apr-1932]
She was recorded as attending in light blue georgette of ankle length with two hip flares and a flower on her shoulder [4: 2-Apr-1932]
In July 1932 helped organise a concert in Coorow to support George RAFFAN in the local Popular Football Competition [5: 15-Jul-1932]
Her frock for the Popular Girl Dance at Carnamah on 28 July 1932 was of white lace and georgette [4: 6-Aug-1932]
Attended the Carnamah Grand Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Thursday 28 July 1932 in a gown of white lace and georgette [5: 5-Aug-1932]
Exhibited and won prizes in two sections of the first Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show on Thursday 8 September 1932 [5: 16-Sep-1932]
Won 1st prizes for Decorated Cake, Yeast Buns and 2nd prizes for Fancy Scones, Collection of Jams and Butter [5: 16-Sep-1932]
She wore frock of apple green satin and chiffon to the Coorow Show Ball during the evening of 8 September 1932 [4: 17-Sep-1932]
The next week won 1st prizes for Home-made Bread and Best Decorated Cake at the Carnamah Agricultural Show [5: 23-Sep-1932]
She attended the Show Ball after the Carnamah Agricultural Show on 15 September 1932 in a gown of green chiffon [5: 23-Sep-1932]
She and Miss Ivy BINGHAM were good friends and "went around together as two sophisticated young ladies of Coorow" [P84]
Member of the Coorow Tennis Club in 1932-33 [4: 10-Dec-1932] [5: 17-Mar-1933]
Attended the Carnamah Football Club's Monster Ball in Carnamah on 2 September 1933 in black lace over red satin [5: 8-Sep-1933]
Received four 1st and five 2nd prizes at the Second Annual Agricultural Show in Coorow on 7 September 1933 [5: 15-Sep-1933]
1st: Cream Puffs, Decorated Cake, Marmalade, Butter; 2nd: Biscuits, Yeast Buns, Farmer's Luncheon, Fancy Bread, Butter [5]
The next week, on Thursday 14 September 1933, won three 1st and two 2nd prizes at the Carnamah Agricultural Show [5]
Received 1st prizes for Yeast Buns and Decorated Cake; both 1st and 2nd for Biscuits; and 2nd for White Bread [5: 22-Sep-1933]
Attended the Three Springs Golf Club's Annual Ball in Three Springs on 12 October 1933 in a dress of blue georgette [5: 20-Oct-1933]
Member of the Carnamah Tennis Club in 1933-34 [5: 20-Oct-1933]
Attended the dance at Carnamah organised by the newly-formed Carnamah Town Band on 28 October 1933 [4: 4-Nov-1933]
She was among the 150 who attended the Carnamah Tennis Club's Dance at the Carnamah Hall on 9 December 1933 [5: 15-Dec-1933]
Over the first five months of 1934 she holidayed in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia [4: 20-Jan-1934] [81: 27-May-1934]
She returned to Western Australia on the steamship Karoola, arriving in Fremantle and then Coorow in late May 1934 [81]
Attended the Roman Catholic Church's Ball in Carnamah on 26 May 1934 in a pretty frock of apple green georgette [5: 1-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]
Organised and catered the food for the the Coorow Rifle Club's Dance held on 14 July 1934 [4: 21-Jul-1934]
Attended the Dance in aid of the Institute for the Blind held at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday evening 18 August 1934 [5: 24-Aug-1934]
Her friend Bess REYMOND stayed with her at Coorow in September 1934 and again in January 1935 [4: 15-Sep-1934, 2-Feb-1935]
Attended the 21st birthday party for Mary E. GREENWOOD on Maryland Farm in Waddy Forest on 13 October 1934 [4: 20-Oct-1934]
On 13 December 1934 she was one of about 50 guests to celebrate the 21st of Ivy L. BINGHAM at Coorow [4: 22-Dec-1934]
Gave a recitation at her BOTHE grandparents Golden Wedding celebration at the Coorow Hotel on 26 February 1935 [5: 1-Mar-1935]
Holidayed in Perth during the month of March 1935 [4: 6-Apr-1935]
She was one of three people who trained the children for the Fancy Dress Ball held in Coorow on 6 July 1935 [4: 13-Jul-1935]
The other two were "Pat" Charlotte RIDLEY and Bronwen M. OWEN, teachers of the Waddy Forest and Waddy Well schools [4]
Returned to Coorow on 9 October 1935 after undergoing an appendix operation in Perth on 24 August 1935 [4: 31-Aug-1935, 12-Oct-1935]
Member of the Coorow Golf Club in 1935, 1936 and 1937 [5: 12-Jul-1935, 19-Jun-1936, 11-Jun-1937]
Attended the Carnamah Girls Club's Masquerade Ball at the Carnamah Hall on Saturday 7 December 1935 as a "Senorita" [5: 13-Dec-1935]
She was part of the Best Dressed Set as "Spaniards" with nine others from Coorow dressed as Senoritas, Toreadors and Bulls [5]
Member of the Coorow Tennis Club in 1935-36 and 1936-37 [4: 31-Oct-1936] [5: 7-Feb-1936, 23-Oct-1936]
Spent a fortnight's holiday in the Perth metropolitan area during January 1936 [4: 18-Jan-1936]
Her parents hosted a 21st birthday party for her at their home on Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow on Saturday 18 January 1936 [4]
To her birthday she wore a white lace frock finished with georgette frills [4: 25-Jan-1936]
Attended the Mad Hatter's Leap Year Ball at the Carnamah Hall on 29 February 1936 wearing black silk ring velvet [5: 6-Mar-1936]
Attended the surprise 21st birthday party for Arthur E. TYLER in Coorow on 11 May 1936 [4: 16-May-1936]
Attended the Coorow Golf Club's Opening Day for the 1936 season in Coorow on Sunday 17 May 1936 [5: 22-May-1936]
Helped decorate the Agricultural Hall in Three Springs for the Roman Catholic Church's Annual Ball on 9 July 1936 [5: 17-Jul-1936]
Attended the Anglican Church Mid-Winter Ball in Carnamah on 11 July 1936 in eau de nil georgette with Grecian drapings [5: 17-Jul-1936]
Best Dressed Girl at the Coorow Tennis Club's Back to Childhood Ball at the Coorow Hall on Saturday 22 August 1936 [5: 28-Aug-1936]
Financial Member in 1936 and Committee Member in 1939 of the Coorow-Waddy Forest Districts Agricultural Society [150]
One of the prominent prize winners at the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show at Maley Park in Coorow on 3 September 1936 [5]
Awarded five 1st prizes for Wedding Cake, Preserved Fruits, Yeast Buns, Embroidered Cushion and Hand-painted Article [5]
Received five 2nd prizes for Decorated Cake, White Bread, Biscuits, Marmalade and Home Made Soap [5: 4 & 11-Sep-1936]
Attended the Show Ball held on the evening of the show at the Coorow Hall wearing "biscuit lace, cape en suite" [5]
Won 1st for Pickles and Decorated Cake and 2nd for Jams at the Carnamah Agricultural Show on Thursday 10 September 1936 [5]
In the evening attended the Show Ball at the Carnamah Hall dressed in black taffeta and net with silver rope girdle [5: 18-Sep-1936]
Attended Roy M. PATTON's birthday at the dam on Longforest Farm in Waddy Forest on Sunday 8 November 1936 [5: 13-Nov-1936]
Holidayed in Perth at the end of December 1936 [4: 2-Jan-1937]
Spent two weeks holidaying in Perth with her parents in late March and early April 1937 [4: 10-Apr-1937]
During the stay she attended the University Graduation Ball at Winthrop Hall in the Perth suburb of Crawley on 2 April 1937 [39]
She was mentioned as one of the dancers in charming frocks, wearing moon-glint angelskin girdled with silver lame [39: 3-Apr-1937]
Returned to Coorow on Monday 5 April 1937 [5: 9-Apr-1937]
Attended the surprise 75th birthday for her grandfather Heinrich W. BOTHE in Coorow on Tuesday 13 April 1937 [5: 16-Apr-1937]
In mid April 1937 she was a patient at the Carnamah Private Hospital at 14 Robertson Street in Carnamah [4: 24-apr-1937]
Attended the Coronation Ball in Carnamah on 12 May 1937 in "midnight blue angel skin with silver lame trimmings" [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]
Partook in the Empire Parade dressed as India at the Anglican Church's Annual Ball in Three Springs on 17 June 1937 [5: 25-Jun-1937]
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]
Member of the Carnamah Repertory Club in 1937 [5: 2-Jul-1937]
She gave a much-appreciated elocutionary item at the September 1937 meeting of the Club [4: 2-Oct-1937]
Coorow-Waddy Forest entrant in the North Midlands Popular Girl Competition in aid of the Anglican Church in 1937 [5: 9-Jul-1937]
A successful Mad Hatter's Dance in Waddy Forest in July 1937 raised £4 to further her candidature in the competition [5: 23-Jul-1937]
A Back to Childhood Ball to raise further funds for her candidature was held at the Coorow Hall on 14 August 1937 [5: 13-Aug-1937]
Runner-Up of the North Midlands Popular Girl Competition at a Grand Ball in Three Springs on Tuesday 31 August 1937 [5]
At the Grand Ball the Very Rev. Dean MOORE of Saint George's Cathedral in Perth presented her as the "Duchess of Coorow" [5]
Her 13,184 votes, only 1,882 votes short of the winner, raised £54/18/8 for the Anglican Church [5: 3-Sep-1937]
Wore a frock of lilac moire taffeta with a posy of violets to the Coorow-Waddy Agricultural Show Ball on 2 September 1937 [4: 11-Sep-1937]
Accompanied by Miss Daisy WEBB she motored from Coorow to Perth during the last weekend of October 1937 [4: 6-Nov-1937]
She rendered vocal or musical items at the trophy presentation dinner of the Coorow Golf Club at end of October 1937 [4: 6-Nov-1937]
Attended the Saint Patrick's Day Ball held in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Day, Thursday 17 March 1938 [4: 26-Mar-1938]
Attended the wedding of her friend Ivy L. BINGHAM and John W. RANSOM in West Perth on 2 July 1938 [81: 3-Jul-1938]
Mrs Valmai NETTLETON of Subiaco spent a holiday staying with her in Coorow during early October 1938 [4: 15-Oct-1938]
She was among the guests at the 21st birthday party for her cousin Themla J. BOTHE Of Coorow on 6 November 1938 [4: 12-Nov-1938]
Attended the Catholic Ball held at the the Coorow Hall on 31 November 1938 [4: 3-Dec-1938]
Committee Member of the Coorow-Waddy Forest Agricultural Society in 1939, 1941 and 1942 [4: 2-Sep-1939, 3-May-1941, 9-May-1942]
Attended the wedding of her cousin Thelma J. BOTHE and John H. BINGHAM in West Perth on 27 January 1940 [81: 28-Jan-1940]
Attended the 21st birthday party for her cousin "Bill" Albert C. BOTHE on Glenfield Farm in Coorow on 10 August 1941 [4: 16-Aug-1941]
Married George Henry LOVELL on 27 March 1943 at the Perth College Chapel in Perth [39: 22-May-1943]
After her marriage, but still during the war, she was the driver for the Minister for Defence [P15]
After the war her husband stayed in the Navy and she lived in Perth, Melbourne, Darwin, Sydney and again in Perth [P15]
In 1950 she and her husband were of both Darwin and 112 Bennett Street in East Perth [39: 27-Mar-1950]
She and her husband returned from Darwin in August 1951 and spent a holiday with her brother in Coorow [4: 1-Sep-1951]
She was the owner of two quarter-acre blocks, Lots 70 and 72 of Cockburn Sound Location 508 [80: 11-Dec-1953]
Both her blocks were resumed by the Government of Western Australia in 1953 for the creation of the Kwinana Industrial Area [80]
She dedicated much of her time to helping raise money for the Spastic Welfare Association [P15]
Resided of late at the Carinya Nursing Home in Perth suburb of Mount Lawley [39: 5-Feb-2003]
Died 5 February 2003; ashes buried at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, Western Australia (Roman Catholic, NC, 307) [2]
From The Irwin Index newspaper, Saturday 11 November 1933:
Dressmaking
"Ladies desirous of obtaining the services of an up-to-date dressmaker would do well to consult Miss Kau, who has commenced business in Cowderoy’s Buildings at Carnamah. Unlike many dressmakers in the country, Miss Kau has had a thorough training in her profession, having been a graduate of the McCabe Academy of Dressmaking (Perth). She is therefore thoroughly up-to-date in the latest methods of cutting, etc., which play such a large part in giving just the right effect to make a dress distinctive. Miss Kau is prepared to visit other centres by appointment."
From The North Midland Times newspaper, 24 January 1936:
21st Birthday – Miss Olive Kau
"On Saturday evening, January 18 at the invitation of Mr and Mrs F. J. Kau, of Coorow, a number of the young people of the district visited their home to celebrate the coming of age of their daughter, Olive. Dancing and competitions, held in the large hall and dining room, provided enjoyable entertainment for the guests. During the evening a sumptuous sit-down supper was served on the long verandah. A three-tiered cake daintily decorated in a floral design in shades of pink, mauve and green, and 21 candles to match, with a pink ladder, supported by a horse shoe and key on top occupied pride of place on the table. During supper Mr Baxter Bothe, uncle of the guest of honour, presented Miss Kau with a large polished key, which was afterwards autographed by the guests. Mr Bothe proposed the toast of the guest of honour, calling on Mr Geoff John to respond. After lighting the 21 candles and cutting the cake, Miss Kau thanked everyone for attending and for the many useful gifts. She was the recipient of numerous congratulatory telegrams from friends who were holidaying in Perth and unable to attend. Miss Betty Read thanked the host and hostess, on behalf of all present, for a most enjoyable evening. Dancing and games continued until the early hours of the morning. Amongst the guests present were: Misses Bess Reymond, Ivy Bingham, Elsie Sims, Joan Read, Betty Read, Madge Jones, Net Waldeck, Thelma Bothe, Joan Hunt, Hettie Franklin, Mary Roberts, Daisy Webb, Irene Dawson, Messrs Dave Todd, Jack Bingham, Kevin King, Arthur Tyler, Tom Read, John Read, Ben Lampard, Frank Bradley, Eric Bradley, Harry Edwards, Ted Jones, Albert Bothe, Jack Roberts, Geoff John, Bill Jordan, Ken Pettit, Harry Kau, Mr and Mrs B. D. Bothe and Mr and Mrs H. W. Bothe."
From The West Australian newspaper, Friday 16 May 1941:
Death of Fiancé
"CHARLESTON. Private George Peter, died of wounds received May 2. One day we will, hand-in-hand, Link the chain of golden memories. Inserted by his loving fiancée Olive Kau (Coorow)."
"CHARLESTON. Private George Peter, died of wounds received May 2; dear friend of Mr and Mrs Kau and Harry. One day we will understand."
From The West Australian newspaper, Thursday 25 March 1943:
Approaching Marriage
"The marriage of Miss Olive Kau of Coorow, only daughter of Mr and Mrs Kau, of Coorow, to Supply Petty Officer George Henry Lovelle, RAN, eldest son of Mr and the late Mrs G. H. Lovelle, 50 Barron Street, East Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria, will take place at Perth College Chapel at 5 pm Saturday March 27."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Olive Wilhelmina Kau / Lovell' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 26 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/olive-wilhelmina-kau [reference list] |
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