Mary Alberta MacCallum Bourke 1879-1931

Mary Alberta MacCallum Bourke, daughter of Michael Bourke and Susannah Alletta Nicholson, was born in Parkes, NSW on March 14th, 1879. It is most likely that Mary's middle name "MacCallum" was in memory of the MacCallum family who owned the "Good Hope" homestead near Yass. Donald and Margaret, Mary's grandparents, apparently lived there, working for the MacCallum family in the late 1840's. Her father died in November 1883; Mary was aged 4 when this happened. The next few years are a little unclear. Her mother was working for a time as a shopkeeper in the Sydeney suburb of McDonaldtown when she remarried an engineer in 1888, and she also seems to have spent some time in the NSW town of Brewarrina. Along the way she became, like her siblings, quite well educated.

She married Joseph William Hill at St. Peter's Church on February 11th, 1901 in the Sydney suburb of Wooloomooloo at 21 years of age. Joe was born about 1869 in Rockhampton, Queensland, the son of Henry Hugh Hill and Maria Holmes.

Joe was employed as an accountant with the Mont de Piété Deposit and Investment Company Limited - a well-known Sydney money lending firm. He was to stay with the company for the rest of his working life, eventually rising to general manager. Mary and Joe resided at "Thalaba" in Muston St., in the Sydney suburb of Mosman in early 1902. This house was near the corner of Raglan Street, just off Military Road. Joe and his young family were to stay there for about five years before moving to Manly.

Mary, at 23 years of age and Joseph, at 32 years of age became the parents of their first child Argyle Hill in April 1902 in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. This child, most likely named after Mary's younger brother, was the first of three children born to them. Sadly he was born premature and only lived five weeks. She and Joe became parents for the second time with the birth of their son Geoffrey John (soon known to all as 'Jack'). In August 1907 Mary's mother died of cancer after a 10 week illness. There is also some suggestion that the family had moved to Rockdale for a short period - perhaps in support of Mary's mother.

Mary and Joe became parents for the second time with the birth of Donald Nicholson Hill in 1911. Before long they had moved to "Woniora", 78 Osbourne Road, in the Sydney suburb of Manly in 1913. This extended family, which at that time included Mary's sister Susie until she moved to London, were to live in this house until about 1917.

In 1917 they were still living at 78 Osbourne Rd. However, they were shortly to move to 58 Addison Road, next door to Mary's older brother Don on one side, and their friends the Gahan's on the other.

By the end of the decade, things had reached a high-watermark. Her sister Susie had returned from her war-time stay in London, married to Jim Beatty a friend of the family, and had had a boy named Argyle named after her brother. Argyle himself had returned from active service, largely unharmed. For at least part of this time the Beatty's were living only a short stroll away on the East Esplanade, and it is easy to imagine many pleasant times being shared by this close family.

However, things were not to last. At about the end of 1922 Susie was diagnosed with cancer of the breast, spreading to her liver in 1924. She spent her last days living with Mary, Joe and the two boys before dying in June 1924.

Mary, as the mother of the groom, most likely attended Margery Jean Smith and Geoffrey John Hill's wedding on November 2nd, 1929 in North Sydney.

Mary died on November 27th, 1931 in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, at 52 years of age of cardiac failure. Mary had been at the hospital for the last four months. She died leaving her husband Joe a widower. Her body was interred at the C of E cemetery on November 28th, 1931 in the Sydney suburb of Manly.

Mary and Joseph William Hill had the following children:

Argyle Hill was born in the Sydney suburb of Mosman in April 1902. Argyle died on May 24th, 1902 in the Sydney suburb of Mosman, at less than one year of age of syncope & asthenia premature. This cause of death means a short loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood pressure that was part of a general wasting away. From the first, Argyle must have been a weak baby, most likely due to being premature. His body was interred at St. Thomas' Church of England on May 25th, 1902 in North Sydney.

Geoffrey John Hill.

Donald Nicholson Hill.

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