Catherine Addison (nee Dolan)

Catherine Dolan was born in County Carlow, Ireland in 1832 and emigrated from Ireland via Plymouth on March 28th 1855 aboard the Sea Park. She arrived in Port Adelaide on the 25th of June that year.

Catherine met her future husband, Thomas Addison a coachman for Dr Wark of Magill, whilst nursing the Doctor's family through a bout of diphtheria. She stayed on with the family to nurse the survivors.

Catherine spent her married life as a Midwife in the Black Hill district. She travelled by horse and cart and would see patients at any time of the day or night¹.

She died in 1898 at Glynde and is buried in the cemetery on West Terrace. After her passing it was said:

"Her kindness and benevolence were unostentatiously bestowed on the poor and needy... So quietly did she carry on her good work that members of her own household did not know all, and only learned of many of her kindly deeds during her illness, when grateful recipients of her bounty told of what she had done."²

Thomas Addison

Thomas emigrated from Scotland in 1856. He was born in about 1828 in Scotland and he died at Athelstone on the 1st September, 1884 and is buried in the Athelstone Independent Cemetery.

Peter Addison was born at Athelstone on May 24, 1864 and was educated at Miss Bollon’s school in Athelstone. He was interested in local government and was associated with council work for 10 years eventually becoming Chairman of the Campbelltown Council for 8 years. He was a noted athlete and won a championship cup for the mile, quarter mile and 220 yards. He spent his working life on the family farm market gardening and fruit growing. He married Alice Stewart on the 21st January 1886 in St Ignatius’ at Norwood. Peter Addison died on August 20, 1921⁵.

Of the six Addison sisters, Catherine and Margaret married the brothers Robert Joseph Ryan and James Ryan. Robert Ryan was a Campbelltown Councillor for a period.

Jane Addison married Michael Daly, the first Mayor of Campbelltown, on 1st June 1911 at Norwood. She died on the 9th July 1951.

Ellen Addison was never married and died in 1891.

Janet Addison married Harry Underwood on the 13th April 1899 in Pt. Pirie.

MaryAnn Addison, 26, married Edward Christopher Augustine Naughton a gardener from Paradise on May 8th 1895⁶.

Peter Addison was the last to farm the property as a whole. He stayed on the property until his death in 1921. He gave metal from his Torrens Valley Quarry to help build Gorge Rd. After his death the family owned a piece each.

The last members of the family to work the land were Bob and Jim Ryan who were the sons of Robert and Catherine Ryan, and also Mrs Catherine Atkinson who was the daughter of Michael Daly and Jane Daly.

Mrs Catherine Atkinson was the former Mayoress of Campbelltown and was married to Mayor Owen Herbert Atkinson.

The Atkinson family owned part of the Black Hill above the nursery but the Government later acquired it back as part of the Black Hill Conservation Park⁷.

Bob Ryan, Jim Ryan and Catherine Atkinson were the only ones of the third generation to actively farm the Addison property.