Diamantina Bowen
Contessa Lady Bowen | |
---|---|
Spouse of the Governor of Hong Kong | |
In office 30 March 1883 – 6 October 1887 | |
Governor | Sir George Bowen |
Preceded by | Catherine Hennessy |
Succeeded by | Marion Des Vœux |
Personal details | |
Born | Diamantina di Roma 1832/1833 Ionian Islands |
Died | 1893 (aged 60) London, England |
Resting place | Kensal Green Cemetery |
Spouse | |
Children | 6 |
Diamantina, Lady Bowen (
Personal life
The ]
Her parents were
With such a family, Diamantina had a privileged well-educated upbringing and was familiar with the workings of government, politics and diplomacy.
On 28 April 1856 at the
Their first two children were born in the Ionian Islands. Their first child, a son, died twelve days old. Their second child, a daughter, was born on 17 August 1858 and was called Adelaide Diamantina Bowen, but was known as Nina.
After their move to Brisbane, they had three more children there:[5]
- Zoe Caroline Bowen, born 28 August 1860 at Adelaide House (the temporary Government House)[6]
- Agnes Herbert Bowen, born 26 July 1862 at Government House[7]
- George William Howard Bowen, born 9 April 1864 at Government House[8]
A final daughter, Alfreda Ernestina Albertina Bowen, was born on 10 April 1869 at Government House, Auckland, New Zealand.[9][10]
Diamantina was described as "pretty" but tempered perhaps by the remark "her beauty being in her expression rather than her features". She was described as "slender but graceful".
She could play the piano and sing well, even with previously unseen pieces of music.
Living most of her life in English-speaking countries, Diamantina spoke English well but with a slight accent. Although she spoke in English in public, it was claimed she spoke with her husband at home in Italian, her mother tongue. Diamantina was frequently described as "softly spoken".
Her husband's career took the family all over the world, as governor postings were typically for five years. We do not know how Diamantina felt about this frequent upheaval, but she cried copiously as the family departed from Brisbane, suggesting that she had had many close personal connections while there.
Her daughter Nina married Allan Campbell, a Queensland grazier.[11][12]
Eventually the couple retired to London, England in 1883 accompanied by their two unmarried daughters.
Diamantina worshipped in the
Diamantina died at
Her son George William Howard Bowen married Gertrude Chamberlain (daughter of
Her daughter Alfreda married Robert Lydston Newman in October 1899 at
Her brother George gave Alfreda away (her father having died earlier that year).A sculpture of Diamantina was created by sculptor
Public life in Queensland
George, Diamantina and their sixteen-month-old daughter Nina arrived in Brisbane on Saturday 10 December 1859 on board The Cordelia. As they stepped off their vessel at a landing stage at the
Being the first Governor, there was not yet an official residence for the Governor and so they lived in Adelaide House (now The Deanery of
Diamantina participated in the public life in Queensland in a number of ways:
- as wife of the Governor
- to the social tone of Brisbane through her sense of style, education and accomplishments
- to charity through her active patronage
Being still very much a prosperous but pioneer community on her arrival, Diamantina's dinner parties soon became the highlight of the social scene and she is credited with raising the tone of Brisbane society.
Meanwhile, the official residence (now
In 1864 at Ipswich, Queensland, Diamantina turned the first sod for Queensland's first railway-line between Ipswich and Bigge's Camp (later Grandchester) using with a silver spade and a cedar wheelbarrow.
Diamantina was involved in establishing the first Sunday School for children.
Diamantina was concerned about social welfare in
Named in her honour
Diamantina was very popular in Queensland and many places were named after her:
- The town of Roma, Queensland
- Roma Street, Brisbane and consequently
- Roma Street railway station
- Roma Street busway station
- Roma Street Parklands
- Diamantina River, Queensland
- Shire of Diamantina, a Local Government Area in Queensland
- Mount Diamantina
- Diamantina Island near Gladstone, Queensland[17]
- the iron paddle-wheeler Diamantina built for the A.S.N. company[18]
- Diamantina Orphanage, established in 1883 in Brisbane
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- Princess Alexandra Hospital campus[19]
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane
- Diamantina Hospital[20]
- Lady Bowen Hospital, Brisbane's first maternity hospital, the forerunner of the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
- Lady Bowen Falls, at Milford Sound in Fiordland, New Zealand
- Ithaca Creek intended to be named after her birthplace, one of the Ionian islands.
In 1898 a statue of Lady Bowen was commissioned by Angelo Efstathis and sculptured by Brisbane artist Peter Piperides for the Greek Community Centre in South Brisbane. When
See also
Much of Diamantina's life was dictated by the career of her husband Sir George Bowen as a colonial administrator and a more complete understanding of her life can be obtained by reading about his life.
References
- Contessa Diamantina di Roma, Lady Bowen, by Owen Harris, Chairman, Diamantina Health Care Museum Association Inc
- Diamantina Bowen, Australian Dictionary of Biography
- Lady Diamantina Bowen, Brisbane Memories
- Picture: Diamantina Roma - First Governor of Queenslands' wife - A biographical note by the current appointed Governor of Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce, AC.
- The Arrival & Reception of His Excellency Sir G.F. Bowen, First Governor of Queensland, Moreton Bay Courier, Tuesday 13 December 1859, page 2
- Departure of Governor Sir G.F. Bowen[permanent dead link], The Brisbane Courier, Monday 6 January 1868, page 2
- Reception of Sir G.F. Bowen in New Zealand[permanent dead link], The Brisbane Courier, Tuesday 3 March 1868, page 3
- Death of Lady Bowen, The Brisbane Courier, Monday 20 November 1893, page 5
- The Late Lady Bowen, The Brisbane Courier, Monday 27 November 1893, page 6
References
- ^ A history of Queensland, Raymond Evans, Cambridge University Press, 2008
- ^ Some sources attribute her birth to 1832 but others to 1833.
- ^ Gilchrist, Hugh, "Bowen, Diamantina (1833–1893)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 10 April 2021, retrieved 29 January 2022
- ^ "Four influential Greek-born Queenslanders | State Library Of Queensland". State Library of Queensland. 20 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ Queensland Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages
- ^ Birth notice Archived 14 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Moreton Bay Courier, Saturday 25 August 1860, page 2
- ^ Birth notice Archived 14 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine, The Courier, Tuesday 29 July 1862, page 2
- ^ Birth notice Archived 29 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, The Brisbane Courier, Monday 11 April 1864, page 2
- ^ Birth Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3660, 12 April 1869, Page 3
- ^ "Index to "The History of Coryton"". Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
- ^ Australian Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Wanganui Herald, Volume XII, Issue 9361, 5 March 1879, Page 2
- ^ Contessa Diamantina Roma, Lady Bowen Archived 7 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine, by Owen Harris, Chairman, Diamantina Health Care Museum Association Inc
- ^ a b c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN NOTES". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 22 February 1896. p. 11. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2020 – via Trove.
- The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 27 February 1896. p. 7. Archivedfrom the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ Anglo-Colonial Notes Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand), 24 November 1899, page 5
- ^ "Gladstone, The Courier, Monday 6 January 1862, page 3". Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Shipping Intelligence Archived 29 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, The Moreton Bay Courier, Tuesday 26 February 1861, page 2
- ^ "Our history". Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Diamantina Health Care Museum". Metro South Health. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- Old Government House. Archivedfrom the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "First lady of the house returns to OGH". Old Government House. 5 August 2009. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
External links
Media related to Diamantina Bowen at Wikimedia Commons