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FOX Edith Mary Researched and compiled by Gordon Freegard May 2023 Edith Mary Fox was born on 25th January 1909 at Carmel, Western Australia. Her parents were William and Ada (nee Arstall) Fox who were married in Perth in 1902. Her father, William was born on 2nd October 1870 in Drigg, Cumberland, England. Her mother, Ada Arstall was born on 10th July 1867 at Daylesford, Victoria to parents William and Mary Ann Arstall (nee Twirrell). They had four daughters: |
EDITH MARY DARCY (nee FOX) #1 |
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When Edith was a year old her
mother underwent surgery for some form of malignancy and had to have her right
arm amputated at the shoulder. At the time her father was a Stationmaster with
the W.A.G.R. and was stationed at Pickering Brook Junction, after having spent many
years at different stations throughout the then thriving goldfields area. From
1907 till 1909 William Fox was Officer-in-Charge and became Stationmaster in
1910. This was a position he held for eleven years until 1921. They lived in a house on Repatriation Road just past the old cold stores. |
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PICKERING BROOK JUNCTION WITH TIMBER TRAIN SHUNTING #2 |
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While at Pickering Brook he bought an orchard property at Carmel and after a few years decided to become a full time orchardist, resigning from the W.A.G.R. Had he not done this, their lives would have been very different. An entry in the Kalamunda Road Board Rates Book for 1900 - 1912 lists W. Fox paying three pounds two shillings and sixpence ($6.25) rate fees on Lot 376 in October 1911. The images shown here are from an undated map and clearly shows W. Fox on Lot 630 but shows G. Turner on Lot 376. Maybe Lot 376 was a later purchase which he eventually moved to and developed an orchard. In 1915 Willian Fox donated a 25 acre block of land at Carmel to the Red Cross to be raffled as a fund raiser. Details of the result of this donation have not been found although it appears he later may have occupied it himself.
OUTLINED IN GREEN LOT 630 OWNED BY WILLIAM FOX #3 |
OUTLINED IN GREEN LOT 630 OWNED BY WILLIAM FOX #4 |
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The girls learnt to pick and pack fruit, milk cows
and drive and ride horses. Having to give help to their handicapped mother,
they all learnt to cook and help with chores that other children did not have
to do. They became good cooks at an early age. Their Mother was marvellous in
coping with her disability. The four girls attended the small local school at
Carmel between the years 1914 to 1922. |
CARMEL SCHOOL 1918c Date Unknown #5 |
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CARMEL SCHOOL 1916 #6 Back Row (L -R): RAY OWEN, BEVERLEY MASON, JACK LITTLELY, LEN HALL, GEORGE FAWKES, ANDY McWHIRTER, STAN ROADS, LES GILCHRIST, ROWENA LITTLELY, Baby ? , OLIVE OWEN, RITA TURNER, FLORRIE FOX.
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CARMEL SCHOOL 1919 #7 Back Row (L - R): Headmaster Mr. EDWARD JACKSON, HERB ANNETTS, BILLY BARRITT, DICK ROADS, HAROLD LITTLELY, HARRY TURNER, WALLY ANNETTS, CHARLIE FULGRABE, LEN GILCHRIST, JACK WALLIS. |
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William sold the property at Carmel and bought a
large house with seven acres of land at Bassendean, so in 1923 Edith attended
Midland High School and in 1924 she went to Fletchers Business College, Perth
for an office education and was dux of the college that year. Edith worked in various offices in Perth gaining
experience and joined the Shell Company as a stenographer. In 1926 her father
sold the Bassendean property and bought another orchard at Stoneville, which
necessitated her travelling daily to Perth by train. She had to be driven to
the Station as it was too far to walk. One Saturday afternoon, Grace, who
stayed at home helping their parents, met her and during the drive home the
horse took fright and bolted, the sulky wheel hit a tree stump and they were
both thrown out. The sulky was smashed up and the horse went down enmeshed in
the harness. Edith had a crushed foot and Grace some bruises. Grace tried to
calm the threshing animal and Edith ran home, never noticing my mangled foot. Their
father was able to rescue the horse and their mother, Ada, who was a trained
nurse, bathed and bandaged Edith’s foot. She spent three weeks in bed as she
could not walk. She eventually went back to work with the aid of a walking
stick. She must have hurt her back at that time as it ached a lot and in later
years she had physiotherapy, manipulation under anaesthetic and finally sought
chiropractic treatment which gave her some relief. She had to continue
physiotherapy at different times in the ensuing years. |
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JAMES HARTE DARCY #8 |
In 1928 Edith and Gladys were boarding in Perth, and Florence was training at the Perth Hospital. In 1930 Edith met James Harte Darcy, an accountant from Kalgoorlie who was holidaying in Perth and staying with his Mother’s sister, Nell Brady, at whose home Edith and Gladys were boarding. Jim and Edith fell in love smartly and they continued their courtship by correspondence. James was the son of Frederick William Darcy who was born in 1882 at Walhalla, Victoria, and died aged 30 years on 29th February 1912. His mother was Norah Agnes Harte who was born in South Australia in 1878, and died aged 90 years in 1968 at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. They were married on 3rd March 1908 in Woolgar, Western Australia. In 1932 during the Depression, along with many others, Edith
was made redundant from her work. Jim’s mother, Norah Darcy, invited Edith to
stay at Kalgoorlie and she found employment with a mining agency Company,
Graham Price & Co, who controlled Share Registers etc. of various mining
companies and she was in charge of the Lake View and Star Gold Mining Company
(of English origin), Share Register and typist to the Manager.
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Norah Agnes Darcy was a widow having lost her
husband in 1912 in a mining accident when Jim was only three years old and she
was pregnant. Some weeks later Mary Eileen (Mollie) was born on 29th March 1912. Norah’s sister
Mrs Eileen Brady was living in Kalgoorlie with her husband Ted, daughter Mollie
& son Tom and she looked after the baby for some years as Norah went back
to Menzies to work and support her little family. Jim received his education at
the Catholic Boys College at New Norcia run by a group of Spanish monks and
later at Christian Bros College, Kalgoorlie. He continued studies at Kalgoorlie
Technical School in Commercial Subjects. Gained high proficiency in shorthand
typing and bookkeeping. He joined the office of the Kalgoorlie Tramways and
continued night studies. He left to take over as accountant for a chain of
butchers, meanwhile he gained his accountancy and secretary certificates through
correspondence courses with Hemingway & Robertson. Being an expert
stenographer he reported the racing inquiries for some years. |
JAMES HARTE DARCY, HIS MOTHER NORAH AGNES DARCY #8 |
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JAMES & EDITH DARCY ON THEIR WEDDING DAY #10 |
Edith Fox and James (Jim) Harte Darcy were married on 17th April
1934 at the Wesley Church, Perth, and Edith’s sister Gladys was bridesmaid. Gladys
was a gifted dressmaker and was Principal of McCabe Academy of dressmaking, a
world-wide organisation. She made all the wedding gowns and also Edith’s
trousseau. After two weeks honeymoon at Cottesloe and Perth the happy couple
returned to Kalgoorlie to take up residence at 13 Ardagh Avenue in a small new
house. On the 14th August that same year, 1934, the youngest sister, Grace died. She was living with her parents at 3 Banksia Terrace, South Perth, and was in her
final year of nursing training at Perth Public Hospital. A virus pneumonia was
raging and despite being ill herself carried on her duties (matron’s orders),
collapsed on duty and she was not able to be revived. She was engaged to be
married. It was such a waste of a young life as she was aged only 23 years. On December 14th 1935, Edith
and James’s first child, a daughter, Joanne Gay was born. When she was 18
months old they built a larger house on an adjoining block, at 14 Ardagh
Avenue. Then on 5th November 1939 their only son, Graham James, was born.
Followed by a second daughter, Helen Mary on 26th October 1944. A few months
prior to Helen’s birth, Edith slipped and tore the tendons holding the kneecap
of her left knee, the result of a dislocation received playing hockey, aged
eleven. The local doctor would not operate because of her pregnancy, so she was
confined mostly to bed as she was unable to walk. Jim’s mother came and looked
after things generally with the help of a weekly cleaning lady and laundress. |
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After Helen’s birth, Edith went to Perth and spent
three months having treatments and rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles of
the leg which had become withered with inactivity. She stayed with her parents
in South Perth and the next door neighbour looked after Helen, while she attended
daily treatment sessions. Later when feeling fitter she returned home to find her
children, Joanne and Graham down with mumps. Then both Jim & Edith became
infected, as well as the small baby, Helen. In 1946 they moved from Ardagh Avenue to a large house in Brookman Street – No. 35, where on 29th November 1947 their youngest daughter, Christine Cecilia, was born, with Edith's sister Florence attending. She was staying with them and delayed an appointment at Perth Hospital as Night Matron to be with Edith at the time.. She was a fully trained general and obstetric nurse and had been matron of various country hospitals. |
SITE OF 35 BROOKMAN STREET, KALGOORLIE 1904 #11 |
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JAMES DARCY #12 |
When they married in 1934, Jim was an accountant
with a firm of butchers, but joined the Kalgoorlie Municipal Council as Cost
Accountant when the Olympic pool and sewerage system were installed. He then
became Town Treasurer on the resignation of Mr. Shaw, long time Treasurer and
in 1944 he also took on the duties of Acting Town Clerk owing to Mr.
Kingsbury’s ill health. On his death in 1946, Jim was appointed Town Clerk and
held that office until his untimely death on 5 August 1952 at age 44. Jim, as
Town Clerk, was very involved in council affairs and worked long hours,
attending meetings at night, presiding over the various committees and
attending many civic receptions. During those years top entertainers would have to
travel interstate by train and would give a performance in Kalgoorlie en route.
The Kalgoorlie Town Hall had a good stage and lighting. Upstairs was very grand
seating – all upholstered in red velvet and two large chandeliers were very
impressive. Jim and Edith always had good seats reserved for them, gratis and
were fortunate to see and hear prominent singers, dancers & pianists of
that era. Joan Sutherland gave a performance on her way to sail overseas to
take up the Aria Scholarship she had won. She was very fresh and young, freckly
faced with red hair and very friendly and excited about studying in Europe. |
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CHRISTMAS 1949 #13 |
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DARCY GRAVE, KALGOORLIE CEMETARY #14 |
Edith's mother, of 3 Banksia Terrace South Perth, passed away on 20th January 1947. Edith's father, William Fox of 3 Banksia Terrace, South Perth, passed away on the 23rd June 1947.
In 1952 James Harte Darcy entered St. John of God's Hospital for treatment of an old complaint but collapsed and died on the 5th August 1952, while undergoing a minor operation. He was only 43 years old. His wife Edith Mary Darcy passed away 52 years later in 2004 aged 94 years. Both are buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetary.
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Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.
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References: Article: Gordon Freegard Images: Graham Darcy 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2008 - 2023
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