Gabrielle Timbs

Gabrielle Timbs was the victim of polio at the young age of two or three and was confined to a wheelchair all of her life.

Gabrielle attended St Joseph’s Convent School (now St Paul’s) at Albion Park with one of her brothers pushing her to and from school. In later years her cousins from Rosetta Hill farm at Mount Terry would take her to and from school before making the journey home again.

From very early on Gabrielle was encouraged to sew and on leaving school she took classes at Wollongong Technical College, travelling there by train.

Gabrielle became a qualified dressmaker and worked from the family home Moculbo, Tongarra Road, Albion Park (now demolished). Initially Gabrielle did all of her sewing by hand before acquiring a hand operated machine.

Every year the Timbs family would spend six weeks in a cottage at Manly for the holidays and Gabrielle loved it. The family rode ferry’s and saw the latest shows and musicals.

Gabrielle moved to Manly permanently with her family in 1937 and set up a dressmaking school under the name Mena Brielle. She had up to 100 pupils at a time and conducted evening classes at home as well.

Gabrielle was an expert pattern drafter and could create patterns from simple photographs or drawings. Her skills were widely known and holiday makers would go to her for measurements and to have patterns drafted. These patterns were then posted to the clients home to be made and were always an excellent fit.

 Gabrielle retired from dressmaking when she was in her 70s. She died 17 October 1988 aged 86 years.

‘Journey Through Timbs’, Timbs Family Tree Incorporated, 1997.

 

Gabrielle Timbs 1902-1988.
Shellharbour Images, Shellharbour City Libraries.

 

Charles Daubeny Bateman

Charles Daubeny Bateman was born in 1892, the 8^th child of 11 known children born to Dr. Arthur Wigley Bateman and Anna Louisa Kennedy.

Dr Arthur Bateman built the family home ‘Ravensthorpe’ at Albion Park in 1893 and had a small surgery in a detached building next to the house. He lived there with his family until his death on 1899 when he was just 54 years old.

 

Charles’ eldest sister Mary Louisa Daubeny Bateman married John Raftery and they lived at the Commercial Hotel at the crossroads at Albion Park which was operated by the Raftery family for 74 years. About 1921, John Raftery purchased ‘Ravensthorpe’ from his wife’s parents for 1900 pounds and the Raftery family lived there until 1974.

Charles followed in his father’s footsteps, also becoming a doctor. He studied at the University of Sydney Alumni; graduating Bachelor of Medicine in 1915 and Master of Surgery in 1916. On enlistment with the AIF in 1916, his address was Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Camperdown.

In 1922 Charles married Dorothea Loveday in Sydney and lived in Windsor and Newport for many years. He died in 1979 aged 86 years and is buried at the Albion Park Anglican Cemetery.

 

Charles Daubeny Bateman
Tongarra Museum collection.