painter and art teacher, was born on 14 July 1863 in Birmingham, England, youngest of the six surviving daughters of George Haynes, a master gun-barrel manufacturer, and his wife, Emma. She studied at the newly formed Birmingham School of Art and at the Midland Institute, then taught at the former; her sister Martha was a musician at the latter. Louisa painted a view of Snowdon from the side of Llyn Llydan, which she took with her to Australia (family collection), but she strained her heart climbing Snowdon with one of Mr Twigg’s Midland Institute societies and was never again perfectly healthy. There was much ill health in the family, the Haynes manufacturing works and home being in a slum area. In about 1890 the family came in contact with an early naturopath, Don Le Friemann, as a result of which four of the sisters became vegetarians. George Haynes, who never recovered from being declared bankrupt (the culmination of the firm’s losses which began after the French defeat in 1870), died in 1887. His wife died in 1890 and the family broke up; Louisa and Martha migrated to South Australia in 1892.
Dissatisfied with the orthodoxy of her Baptist childhood Louisa had become an agnostic, but either en route or soon after arriving in Australia came under the influence of 'a prominent Theosophical personality’ who brought her the outlook on life she had been seeking. For the rest of her long life she was an enthusiastic theosophist. The sisters lived at Glenelg until Martha died as a result of a second stroke. Driven out of England by the medical profession, Le Friemann, his wife and daughter joined Louisa. They lived together in South Australia until further trouble with the medical profession led to a move to Sydney, where they settled at 38 Croydon Road, Croydon. Years later, again in trouble, Le Friemann disappeared into the bush leaving Gladys, his daughter by Louisa, as well as his wife and their daughter in Louisa’s care.
According to her nephew, Louisa was a very charming and generous person and many friends received her artistic gifts. She also sold her paintings. She died on 29 June 1956 in the Franklin Haynes-Le Friemann home in Sydney, aged 92, survived by her daughter.
- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1995
- Last updated:
- 2011
