Mary Ann Hicks nee McKenzie 1839 - 1930 of Thirroul.
Born at Fairy Meadow, in 1839, Mary Ann McKenzie was the first Illawarra-born child of Alexander McKenzie and wife Anne. She married Henry Thomas Hicks on November 5 1861, and so would be described on her death as one of the grand old pioneers of the district. On marrying Henry Thomas Hicks she became a member of the pioneering Hicks family of the northern Illawarra. The family lived in various locations : Russell Vale (from 1842), Austinmer - North Bulli (from 1843), Wollongong, Towradgi and Thirroul - Robbinsville (circa 1880's).
Above - Mary Ann Hicks (with cap) and daughter Edith Florence Joy (nee Hicks) - circa 1920's
Alexander McKenzie, father of Mary Ann McKenzie, was born on the Isle of Skye in 1803, and had married Anne McLean in 1829 at Armadale, on the Isle of Skye in the Parish of Sleat. They travelled to Australia, on a bounty ship in 1837 (the William Nicol), with their elder 4 children:
- Daniel b 1831 Armadale, Isle of Skye
- Donald b 1832 Armadale, Isle of Skye
- Alexander b 1834 Armadale, Isle of Skye
- John b 1835 Armadale, Isle of Skye
Four more children were born in the Illawarra :
- Mary Ann b 1839 Fairy Meadow, NSW
- Catherine b 1842 Berkley, NSW
- Agnes b 1843 Springhill, NSW d 1844
- Another child, Anne, died 1846 Berkeley
Settling in Ellengowan
In Australia, Mary Ann's father, Alexander McKenzie of Ellengowan became active in the Illawarra Agricultural and Horticultural Society for much of the 1850-60's. Ellengowan was in the Fairy Meadow - Parameadows area - which was the site of a battle between the Bong Bong tribe and a Wollongong tribe 4/3/1827 - known as the Battle of Parameadows.
Following first wife Ann's death, Alexander had remarried in 1849 at Parramatta to Elizabeth Hanks, they had eight children :
- Elizabeth b 1850 Balgownie, NSW
- Robert b 1851 Balgownie, NSW
- Hugh b 1853 Balgownie, NSW
- Thomas b 1854 Bulli, NSW
- Anne b 1858 Bulli, NSW
- Flora b 1860 Bulli, NSW
- Charles b 1861 Bulli, NSW
- Christina b 1863 Taralga, Goulburn
On 5.11.1861, Mary Ann McKenzie married Henry Thomas Hicks, the eldest son of James and Margaret Hicks of Austinmer, then known as North Bulli.
Mary Ann and Henry Thomas Hicks lived on Hicks Farm in Thirroul, with their ten surviving children, four did not survive - 14 children in total! One wonders how much time Mary Ann had for herself in bearing 14 children over the twenty five years of 1862-1887 ?
Above : Mary Ann Hicks (aged 75 years), daughter Edith Florence Joy (nee Hicks), grandson Kenneth Charles, unknown girls at her home, "Everest", Seaview Terrace or Hicks Farm(?) Thirroul 1915.
Children of Mary Ann Hicks
- Ann Hicks (1862-1862)
- Catherine Hicks (1862-1862)
- James Alexander Hicks (1863 – 1939) married 1890 Edith Jones (?- 1896)
- Margaret Minnie Hicks (1865 – 1952 ) married 1899 Alfred Cook (?- 1930) nb Alfred was brother of Alexander Cook
- Alexander Henry Hicks (1866-1957) married 1884 Esther Mary Armstrong (1864-1918) - see North Illawarra local government nomination 1898 - elected mayor 1905 - a former mayor of North Illawarra Council
- Henry William Hicks (1868-1973)
- Unknown Male Hicks (1869-1869)
- Mary Alice Hicks (9.1.1871-5.9.1945) married 1929 Alexander Cook (nb his second marriage) – Alexander was also brother of Alfred Cook
- George Hicks (19.1.1873- 1956) married Lucy (Lou) Ann Keene – Australian Light Horse military history - Boer Wars, WWI
- Christina Ann Hicks (4.2.1875 – 1951) married 26.1.1903 Edward Woolley (1870-1935) – Woolley family history
- Henry Thomas Hicks (28.4.1877 -1944 or 1946) married 1898 Eva Kate Bottomly
- Edith Florence Hicks (25.3.1880 – 9.4.1958) married (11.9.1901) John Charles Joy (26.12.1873 – 24.2.1910)
- Ida McKenzie Hicks (10.9.1883?- 1967) married 1912 Arthur Frederick Webb
- Richard Ernest Hicks (4.9.1887 ?- 1953) married 1913 Teresa Catherine Creevey (1885-1963)
As kids we heard that Mary Ann and Henry Thomas Hicks had the orchards, also known as Hicks Farm. There were also stories of Mary Ann Hicks living at "Mount Hope" near the Thirroul Railway Station - Mary Ann's Bible shows her address as "Mount Hope".
Many of the children of Mary Ann and Henry Thomas Hicks had left Thirroul over the years, moving to Sydney and further north. Daughter Mary Alice Hicks remained at home, caring for Mary Ann for many years at Thirroul, before finally marrying widower Alfred Cook in 1929 when she was in her late 50's. Alfred was also the brother of Alexander Cook, husband of Mary Alice's oldest sister, Margaret Minnie. Another daughter, the widow Edith Florence Joy, appears to have returned to care for her mother in her last years.
Death of Mary Ann Hicks
Years ago, I recall seeing a beautiful tribute to Mary Ann, written in an old Church Parish newsletter (St David's Thirroul). Mary Ann had lived past 90 years of age, until her death in 1930. And the March 1930 Church Parish newsletter had later been safely stored away by her great granddaughter, Joan Adams (nee Callcott - who was also my mother). In working through my late mother's papers and books, I took some time to find the obituaries. Predictably among the last items to surface, at the bottom of large chest of drawers, finally enabling a window into some of Mary Ann's personal life. Re-reading them maybe 2 or 3 decades since I last saw them, these tributes now have even more meaning for me. Click to read tributes to Mary Ann Hicks nee McKenzie.
Mary Ann Hicks died at her home, "Everest", in Seaview Terrace Thirroul on February 23 1930 - see death notice Sydney Morning Herald February 24 1930.
HICKS- The Relatives and Friends of the FAMILY of the late MARY ANN HICKS are kindly invited to attend the Funeral of their late beloved MOTHER; to leave her late residence,Everest, Seaview-Terrace, Thirroul, on TUESDAY AFTERNOON at 3 o'clock for St Augustine's Church of England Cemetery, Bulli. W J WILLIAMS, Undertaker. (includes corrections)
Husband Henry Thomas Hicks of Thirroul - 1836-1909
Note - Mary Ann's husband Henry Thomas Hicks is mentioned in the Illawarra census of 1881, along with William Fry, Henry Stumbles, Michael Shannon, Thomas Francis Lindsay, George Brown and William Osborne.
Henry Thomas Hicks chaired a public meeting in 1865 for the establishment of Bulli National School. He was elected as an alderman to North Illawarra Council in 1887 and 1888 - a separate Bulli Shire Council would not be formed until 1905, although lobbying for its formation had occurred in 1889, with Henry Thomas Hicks and Mr Farraher actively involved. Henry's son, Alexander Henry Hicks, elected Mayor of North Illawarra and president of the Illawarra Miners Association in 1905, at the unveiling of the Mount Kembla Mining Disaster Memorial. It is interesting to note in Mary Ann Hicks' Obituaries, that she could, and would, discuss politics, and was committed to voting. Note - Henry Thomas Hicks' great granddaughter Kerrie Anne Christian (nee Adams) was narrowly defeated at the city-wide election of Wollongong City Council in 1989 - but was successful at Ward One elections in 1991, 1995 and 1995 - she did not contest the 2004 elections.
He was also actively involved in the early days of Thirroul Public School, where he presided over the opening in 1889; also at St Augustine’s Anglican Church in Park Rd Bulli. He was a Captain in the Bulli Reserve Rifle Club from 1890, and also the Executor of a number of wills for local Northern Illawarra residents, including William Kirton. Also, possibly JP (Peter) Orvad, a member of the Bulli Progress Committee and owner of the Denmark Hotel, according to Rita Roberts one of Orvad’s descendants (as told to Kerrie Anne Christian during the “Back to Bulli” celebration of 1989).
Many of the children of Mary Ann and Henry Thomas Hicks had left Thirroul over the years, moving to Sydney and further north. Daughter Mary Alice Hicks remained at home, caring for Mary Ann for many years at Thirroul, before finally marrying widower Alfred Cook in 1929 when she was in her late 50's. Alfred was also the brother of Alexander Cook, husband of Mary Alice's oldest sister, Margaret Minnie. Another daughter, the widow Edith Florence Joy, appears to have returned to care for her mother in her last years.
Death of Mary Ann Hicks
Years ago, I recall seeing a beautiful tribute to Mary Ann, written in an old Church Parish newsletter (St David's Thirroul). Mary Ann had lived past 90 years of age, until her death in 1930. And the March 1930 Church Parish newsletter had later been safely stored away by her great granddaughter, Joan Adams (nee Callcott - who was also my mother). In working through my late mother's papers and books, I took some time to find the obituaries. Predictably among the last items to surface, at the bottom of large chest of drawers, finally enabling a window into some of Mary Ann's personal life. Re-reading them maybe 2 or 3 decades since I last saw them, these tributes now have even more meaning for me. Click to read tributes to Mary Ann Hicks nee McKenzie.
HICKS -February 23, 1930, at her residence, "Everest", Seaview Terrace, Thirroul, Mary Ann, relict of the late H. T. Hicks, in her 90th year.
Also funeral notice - Sydney Morning Herald February 24 2012.Husband Henry Thomas Hicks of Thirroul - 1836-1909
Note - Mary Ann's husband Henry Thomas Hicks is mentioned in the Illawarra census of 1881, along with William Fry, Henry Stumbles, Michael Shannon, Thomas Francis Lindsay, George Brown and William Osborne.
Henry Thomas Hicks chaired a public meeting in 1865 for the establishment of Bulli National School. He was elected as an alderman to North Illawarra Council in 1887 and 1888 - a separate Bulli Shire Council would not be formed until 1905, although lobbying for its formation had occurred in 1889, with Henry Thomas Hicks and Mr Farraher actively involved. Henry's son, Alexander Henry Hicks, elected Mayor of North Illawarra and president of the Illawarra Miners Association in 1905, at the unveiling of the Mount Kembla Mining Disaster Memorial. It is interesting to note in Mary Ann Hicks' Obituaries, that she could, and would, discuss politics, and was committed to voting. Note - Henry Thomas Hicks' great granddaughter Kerrie Anne Christian (nee Adams) was narrowly defeated at the city-wide election of Wollongong City Council in 1989 - but was successful at Ward One elections in 1991, 1995 and 1995 - she did not contest the 2004 elections.
He was also actively involved in the early days of Thirroul Public School, where he presided over the opening in 1889; also at St Augustine’s Anglican Church in Park Rd Bulli. He was a Captain in the Bulli Reserve Rifle Club from 1890, and also the Executor of a number of wills for local Northern Illawarra residents, including William Kirton. Also, possibly JP (Peter) Orvad, a member of the Bulli Progress Committee and owner of the Denmark Hotel, according to Rita Roberts one of Orvad’s descendants (as told to Kerrie Anne Christian during the “Back to Bulli” celebration of 1989).
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