[Editor: This obituary, regarding Mrs. Roydhouse (the wife of Thomas Richard Roydhouse), was published in The Woodend Star (Woodend, Vic.), 24 September 1938.]
Obituary
A voice out of the past.
An obituary notice appearing in “The Press,” published at Burwood, N.S. Wales, on the 1st inst., recalls the foundation of this paper just half a century ago, and, also, the fact that for 42 years of that period it has been controlled by the present proprietor.
In 1888 Mr. Thomas R. Roydhouse, now of Homebush, N.S. Wales, founded the “Woodend Star,” after doing for the Melbourne “Herald” the principal descriptive work of the Melbourne Exhibition, and now we regret to notice that “The Press,” in its issue of the date mentioned, records the death of his wife, on Thursday, 25th ult. Mr. and Mrs. Roydhouse had a lengthy and happy married life, and celebrated their golden wedding in 1932.
The deceased lady passed away in her 73rd year, and a similar loss, occurring in the same month, deepens the sympathy which the proprietor of “The Star” extends to the bereaved husband and fellow scribe.
Mrs. Roydhouse was the wife of a journalist who has followed his profession in New Zealand, Victoria, and in New South Wales all his life. When conductor of the “Sunday Times” group of newspapers for 20 years (1893-1913), Mrs. Roydhouse had charge of the first comprehensive women’s pages produced in Australia. Her pen-name of “Vivienne” was known in many places, and not a few women of to-day bear it — bestowed upon them by mothers who appreciated the home specialist.
In New Zealand and Victoria, where her husband owned newspapers, Mrs. Roydhouse was designated “a good daughter, a good wife, a good mother, and a good friend.” This is echoed in New South Wales. For 16 years (1911-1927) Mr. Roydhouse did the editorial special for the Melbourne “Argus”—“Sydney Day By Day.”
Source:
The Woodend Star (Woodend, Vic.), 24 September 1938, p. 2
Editor’s notes:
The years mentioned in this article, “1911-1927”, regarding the “Sydney Day by Day” column in The Argus would appear to be a mistake, as that column was published from 8 April 1919 to 6 October 1937.
This article appears to have been written by Richard Cornish, who was the proprietor of The Woodend Star and the husband of Mrs. Ada Cornish; his wife died on 7 August 1938, hence the text referring to “a similar loss, occurring in the same month”.
See: “Obituary: Mrs. Ada Cornish”, The Woodend Star (Woodend, Vic.), 13 August 1938, p. 2
golden wedding = a golden wedding anniversary, i.e. a 50th wedding anniversary (marking 50 years of marriage)
inst. = instant; in this month; a shortened form of the Latin phrase “instante mense”, meaning “this month”; pertaining to, or occurring in, the current month
Melbourne Centennial Exhibition = an exhibition held in 1888 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the British settlement of Australia; the exhibition was held in the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne (Victoria)
See: 1) “Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1888-9: Centennial International Exhibition”, JDP Econ Publications and Studies
2) “Item NU 48209: Medal – Melbourne Centennial Exhibition, Australia, 1888-1889”, Museums Victoria
3) “Melbourne Centennial Exhibition”, Wikipedia
Melbourne Exhibition = the Melbourne International Exhibition (1880), or, the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition (1888) [see: Melbourne Centennial Exhibition]
See: 1) “Melbourne International Exhibition (1880)”, Wikipedia
2) “Melbourne Centennial Exhibition”, Wikipedia
N.S. Wales = an abbreviation of New South Wales (a colony in Australia from 1788, then a state in 1901)
scribe = a clerk; a copyist; an author, journalist, writer
ult. = abbreviation of “ultimo”; pertaining to, or occurring in, the month preceding the present month (from the Latin “ultimo mense”, meaning “in the last month”)
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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