McDonald and Potts family tree » Isabella Robertson Steele (1877-1957)

Persönliche Daten Isabella Robertson Steele 

• Sie ist geboren am 5. August 1877 in Charles Street, Norwood, South Australia, Australia.
• Beruf: Oct 1908-1950 Home Duties and Fruit Blocker in "Bangalore", Renmark, South Australia Australia.
• Sie ist verstorben am 28. September 1957 in Renmark, South Australia, Australia, sie war 80 Jahre alt.

  Oorzaak: Stroke

• Sie wurde begraben am 30. September 1957 in Renmark Cemetery, Renmark, South Australia, Australia.
• Ein Kind von Robert Moore Steele Jr. und Theresa O'Leary Steele

Familie von Isabella Robertson Steele

Notizen bei Isabella Robertson Steele

Isabella Robertson Steele (known as 'Belle') was the first born, on 5/8/1877, to Robert Moore Steele III and his wife Theresa (nee O'Leary).

Belle told her daughters, that as a girl, she had sat at the knee of Isabella Steele (nee Robertson-Madonald) and asked to hear stories of Scotland. Belle had several illnesses in her young life, and wore high necked dresses to hide the Diptheria scars.

At Dryburgh House School, Belle excelled at singing, the piano and art. At home her mother Theresa taught her how to cook and how to become an excellent needlewoman, also embroiderer and lace maker. Belle played tennis and croquet and became the natural carer of her seven younger brothers.

Belle's aunt's and cousins, from her Mother's side were the Delano, McNamara and Von der Borch families. On her Father's side were the Steele's, Clezy, Dare, Robertson-Macdonald and Esau's, who provided fun, places and people to visit and life long correspondents.

From 'Kinlochmoidart' in Jeffcott Street in North Adelaide, Belle cycled to Henley Beach and Burnside to paint historic scenes, she traveled by carriage to receptions along with her parents. She caught the horse tram to the city shops.

At home Belle entertained and sewed with her many girlfriends, some of whom seemed more interested in her brothers!!

On a reluctant visit to the four daughters of Alfred Roper, secretary of the Renmark Irrigation Trust, Belle met Arthur Morant, the locale 'Olive-Wood', former home of the Chaffey brothers (who instigated irrigation in Australia).

Belle's family gave reluctant consent to the engagement of their daughter, but welcomed Arthur and his father Col. C.M.A. Morant into their home. The latter's poem was written in the early years of friendship with Belle's father. On the 21st April 1908, the marriage was solemnised at 'Kinlochmoidart'. Belle's 'old' friend Hetty Thomas (nee Haynes) and her new friend Ethel Holingdrake (nee Roper) were bridesmaids.

'Bangalore', the thirty acres with house, divided off the Colonel's original 100 acres of 'Walteela', became a mecca for visitors from Adelaide. Young ladies looking for husbands, brothers wanting pocket money from the picking, Vice-Regal couples touring thier domain (Belle couldn't disown the 3 year old Beryl who had fallen into her father's tar bucket on the morning of 25 September 1913)!

Belle's table fed all age groups, from World War I veterans who came weekly to cards or music, to the children of friends, whose mother's needed a babysitter, to the swagmen who passed through the district during the depression.

Belle and Arthur brought up three daughters: Beryl Lushington (23 July 1910), Eileen Lushington (18 November 1912) and Margery Lushington (1 September 1915). All of the girls were born at the Konetta Nursing Home in North Adelaide. Travelling was by train to Morgan, thern paddlesteamer, later a train went through to Paringa, and still later to Renmark (1927).

During World War I with three of her brothers, Wilfred, David and Ken at the 'front', Belle raised money and knitted socks for the Red Cross, She belonged to the 'League of Loyal Women' and wrote letters to friends and relatives affacted by the war. The lives of many people must have been enriched by her sympathetic and 'chatty' letters over these years, for there was no phone until1912.

Later, fundraising for the Church of England was helped by the annual fetes on the lawn. Always gardening too much time and energy.

After a devastingly lonely first Christmas (the apricot season was in full swing), Belle tried to escape to the city with her children, staying with her brother Tom and allowing the girls to bathe under the eye of Miss Titley his housekeeper. Occasionally Arthur was able to join her in visiting old friends and walking the Henley Beach promenade to listen to the band. Belle went to Perth for Wilfred's wedding alone, with her brothers (on 15 April 1936). Belle went with Arthur on a 25th anniversary tour of the eastern states.

Belle lost her mother Theresa to a brain tumor on 20 January 1914, later her brother Arnold died from cancer on 18 August 1916. Finally losing her father Robert succumbed when under an anaesthetic during an operation on 2 February 1920. The Steele house was broken up, Belle acquired the horsehair mattress and bed that she shared with Arthur and the delicate low chairs and couch that she shared with her friends.

Few women of her age could drive. Belle persuaded Arthur to pull out the large silky oak near the house for it had stopped a few cars, he was not pleased to unharness the horses from the plough and drag out a vehicle that went directly into his patch of irrigated sweet peas!! Belle didn't feel comfortable driving a horse and sulky, even "Grey Dawn" that pulled the baker's cart when they couldn't afford to keep it! Having been teased (we thought the 'Empire' was driving itself!), Belle refused to attempt "Lizzie", the Model T Ford. Visiting days then became afternoons at home unless Belle could ride a bike.

Having Miss Beevor as housekeeper for sixteen years allowed Belle time to cook, sew, read, write and entertain. She lent her ear to friends and children of friends and when her daughters married, to their children.

Margery married Harrison Penfold on 26 January 1938. Belle was intimately involved with the trousseau, the food and those preparations requiring 'mother of the bride's" approval. On 19 June 1940, Eileen's wedding to Roy Thomas Loveday was a subdued affair, her time spent away from 'Bangalore' minimal, as she worked before and after the birth of Peter (on 7 June 1941) at the packing shed office and later Angoves Distillery Office

Belle expanded her her child rearing skills on fragile babes Geoffrey and Eileen (Rosemary) Penfold (4 September 1942), who with Margaret (2 January 1939) joined Margery, Eileen and Peter. Beryl was then housekeeper and nurse.

Post-war, but with rationing still in place, the family became five in number. Arthur's chronic illness and the combined stresses of the war and children left Belle in a state of 'limbo' that the birth of Mary Loveday (born 28 June 1945) and twins Helen and Joan (born 5 March 1948) were not able to relieve, for Belle knew that her beloved husband of 41 years was dying.

Soon after the birth of Michael Penfold (on 20 Jun 1949). Belle's husband, passed away in his sleep (23 June 1949). Belle could not bring herself to attend the funeral and stayed at home with Eileen. Later that afternoon, her Trustee brothers sorted out the ongoing status of 'Bangalore', then left her with Beryl the new 'manager' of a busy fruit property.

Belle broke her hip five weeks later, having slipped with wet shoes after weeding her 'stylosis'. After a stay in the Calvary Hospital she returned to 'Bangalore' an invalid, but eventually rose from the wheelchair and was ableto garden, cook and sew, but with less energy. After a while she gave up the letter writing, excpt to Margery, now in Tumby Bay and mother of Christopher Morant (born 9 August 1950).

With Beryl, Belle purchased a new car, a 1957 Ford Prefect, giving the little and Inconvenient Morris A 40 to Eileen. She entertained a diminishing circle of friends, Belle now rarely went to the city, feeling keenly the loss of her brother Thomas on 7 November 1953.

On Saturday 28 September 1957, Belle suffered a devastating stroke and died soon afterwards. She was 80 years old. Belle is buried next to her beloved Arthur in the Old Renmark Cemetery.

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