Annie Davis

  • Artist (Draughtsman)
Arrived in Australia in 1863 found work as a governess sponsored by the Female Middle Class Emigration Society. Later became Governess to the Allen family in Glebe.
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governess, came to Melbourne first-class in 1863 as companion to Miss Bryant. Later that year she was at Sydney where, sponsored by the Female Middle Class Emigration Society, she had found a position as governess to Donald Macintyre’s family at Kayuga House, Pyrmont Road, Glebe. The Macintyres also had a property, Kayuga, in the Hunter Valley where Annie had stayed. In September she wrote to the society stating that she was receiving 80 guineas a year for teaching music, singing, French, German and drawing to three pupils, aged nine to sixteen.

The following August she had left the Macintyres and found part-time work teaching (mainly music), then was engaged in January 1865 by William Durham, a grazier at Wambo near Warkworth. She considered this family unacceptably 'nouveau riche’ and left after five months. For a while she was superintendent of the Anglican school at Maitland, but lost the position when the incumbent, Rev. J.R. Thackeray, appointed his daughter’s former teacher and she was reduced to taking an ordinary teaching job at a nearby school. Finally, on 21 February 1867, she was engaged by George Wigram Allen of Lynwood, Ferry Road, Glebe to teach his children (six sons and four daughters) for £80 a year and weekends off. Davis announced that she was very happy and her letters to Miss Lewin at the Female Middle Class Emigration Society ceased.

Writers:
Kerr, Joan
Date written:
1992
Last updated:
2011

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