By Jane Southwell

With the memory of a Royal visit still fresh in their minds, Canberra and district’s country people gathered at the Albert Hall in 1954 for the annual Canberra Picnic Race Ball. It was a warm, pre-autumn evening, and guests, including my mother and father (Mack and Ursula Southwell), wandered at a leisurely pace across the lawns to the Hotel Canberra for supper. Then it was back to the dancing and socialising after an exciting day’s horse racing at the nearby Acton Racecourse.

Only ten years later, Ursula Southwell hosted an afternoon tea for a group of “young ladies”, including her daughter, Jane Anne and fellow classmates, at the conclusion of their formal schooling years. Again, she chose the Hotel Canberra for the event – it was 1964, exams had been completed and the gathering of excited young women were celebrating the occasion.

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But the Southwell family links with the Hotel Canberra began much earlier in 1924. This is the story of Isabella Southwell and her connection with this renowned Canberra landmark, from the very beginning.

The Southwell family were pioneers of the Canberra district, with John and Lucy arriving from England in 1858 and settling in the Ginninderra area just to the north of what was to become the Nation’s capital.  John and Lucy’s son George, who was only two when they arrived in Australia, married a local lass, Ann McIntosh, in 1880. He was working as a stockman for landowners who used their high country leases to depasture stock during the summer months. The newly-weds lived at ‘Orroral Station’ (owned by the McKeahnie family) before moving to ‘Peppercorn’, and later to a home on ‘Brindabella Station’ – owned by the Franklins. Their first child, Eleanor was born in December 1880.

John Southwell, second child of George and Ann was born in 1884 at ‘Peppercorn’ some 60 kms from the outskirts of present-day Canberra. When the family moved to ‘Brindabella Station’, John and his sister spent some early childhood years in the company of well-known author, Miles Franklin – she was only a year older than Eleanor and also lived at Brindabella. The property was owned by Thomas Franklin Snr and run in partnership with his sons Thomas and John. Miles Franklin and her immediate family moved to the Goulburn area in 1889.

George Southwell went on to work for Frederick Campbell of ‘Yarralumla’ as overseer and his responsibilities expanded to include the annual mountain trek into the mountains with sheep from Campbell’s holdings on the Molonglo River of the Limestone Plains. The extensive flocks were pastured during the warmer months on the high northern plains of the snowy mountains and this enabled the Southwells to maintain those close friendships that had developed with the families from the Brindabella Valley, and Long Plain. Frederick Campbell needed a permanent residence on his distant Coolamon Run and the Southwells moved permanently to live and manage the high country lease, building the ‘Coolamine’ homestead and a home for themselves.

Ann came down from their mountain home for the birth of her next two children, Isabella 1886 and Malcolm 1888, returning to ‘Coolamine’ with each infant in turn. A son, George was born at nearby Brindabella in 1891, but the last two children (Frederick and Una) were born at the remote ‘Coolamine’ outpost in 1893 and 1895 respectively. The family left Coolamine in 1909 to run the family property “Rosevale” at Sutton and take up leasehold land within the newly declared Australian Federal Territory, in 1911. The ACT property was known as ‘Fernhill’ and was where the modern suburb of Lyneham is now established.

Isabella Eliza Southwell, third child of George and Ann, was born at the home of her grandparents, “Rosevale” near Sutton, in May 1886, but spent her childhood at the remote family home, ‘Coolamine’, in the Snowy Mountains between Brindabella and Kiandra. Living in an isolated environment where the household had to be self-sufficient, Belle (as she was known) learnt to be a very good house manager, and as her father employed a tutor and then a governess, she received a good education. Her father, George had been the manager of Frederick Campbell’s high country holdings from the late 1880s, and Bella lived at ‘Coolamine’ until 1909. The Campbell family made trips to their mountain property each year, and Bella, her mother Ann and sister Lena were often complimented on their skills and hospitality. Campbell arranged for Bella to spend time at his Riverina property ‘Cooinbill’ when she was in her late teens and in 1909 when the rest of the family left the mountains and returned to the Canberra region, Bella accepted a position at ‘Cooinbil’. She returned to her beloved high country in 1912 as housekeeper for the Hoad family at Caves House at Yarrangobilly. She was there until 1913.

When Frederick Campbell sold his large Canberra property, ‘Yarralumla’, to the Commonwealth Government in 1913, Isabella Southwell moved to the family farm at ‘Fernhill’ and commenced work at ‘Yarralumla Homestead’ during the changeover that would lead to it becoming the Governor General’s residence a few years later. With her experience working for the Campbell’s and holding good recommendations, she accepted the new position as hostess/manageress, residing at ‘Yarralumla’ until 1924.

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Her many photographs and diary entries area fascinating record of how this impressive country homestead was converted to house politicians and federal officials in those early days of the Federation. The first Cabinet Meeting to be held in Canberra was conducted on 30 January 1924 and her notes record: “Cabinet meeting held here. Very busy day”. Of her old home at ‘Coolamine’, she still held many precious memories and the property was retained by Frederick Campbell until his death in 1927. Isabella visited several times and maintained regular correspondence with members of the Kiley and Hoad families, linking her own family story with that of the Kileys (immortalised by Banjo Paterson in his poem, ‘Kiley’s Run’) and the Hoads, who developed the facilities at ‘Yarrangobilly’ to what we have come to value today.

New hostels and residences were being built in Canberra from the early twenties in preparation for the completion of the new federal parliament house - the burgeoning city needed to accommodate politicians and departmental officials transferring or visiting from Melbourne. Bella Southwell (as she preferred to be known by this stage) was appointed manageress of the new Canberra Hostel and moved from ‘Yarralumla’ into the new facility in 1924.

When the hostel opened, it was not licenced and only became known as the Hotel Canberra in later years, but again Bella’s letters and photos give us a glimpse of the sometimes frantic activity that accompanied the growth of the new city. It is indeed fascinating today to look at these items and realise that a century has passed.

Bella Southwell was at the Hotel Canberra until the opening of the Hotel Kurrajong in 1927. She also contributed to the management of both the Hotel Acton and Hotel Ainslie but held her position as manageress at the Kurrajong until her untimely death just after the war ended.  She was a confidante of Billy Hughes, John Curtin and Ben Chifley, to name only a few leading figures who featured in our nation’s history, during a time of considerable upheaval.

Her beloved brother died in the muddy fields of France in 1916 – he was a talented sportsman and worked with Charles Weston establishing the forests and gardens of the new capital. Other members of her immediate family have woven the Southwell name into the material of Canberra’s story and Bella’s association with the early beginnings of the city is cherished by later generations. Isabella Eliza Southwell never married and her sudden death in 1946 was marked by numerous tributes from all levels of society and government, both local and National.

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Footnote: Key to simple family tree:

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This only covers the personalities mentioned in the article about Isabella Southwell, not the whole family.

The author – Jane Southwell (8) is the great granddaughter of George and Ann Southwell (1) – they are the parents of Isabella Southwell (3) and spent many years living in the mountains on Frederick Campbell’s property, ‘Coolamine’, where Isabella grew up.

John Southwell (2), Isabella’s older brother and grandfather of Jane (8), lived at ‘Rosevale’ Nth Lyneham. He was a good friend of PM J Curtin, as was his, and Isabella’s, younger brother Frederick Southwell (4), who lived on nearby ‘Fernhill’. As their mother Ann (1) could not read or write, Fred and Bella wrote many letters on her behalf.

Una Southwell (5) was Isabella’s youngest sibling. She married Percy Douglas, Canberra’s first Fire Chief. Her daughter Lauraine features in photos.

Malcolm Southwell (6) was Isabella’s nephew. He and his wife Ursula (6) attended many events at the Hotel Canberra in the 40’s and 50’s, including the Canberra Picnic Races of1954. Other extended family members had associations with Hotel Canberra events, including Jane Southwell (8) for a graduation high tea in 1964.

Thelma Southwell(7) was Isabella’s niece and worked at the Hotel Kurrajong with her Aunt in the early 40’s. She married Ewen MacKinnon and PM J Curtin attended the wedding.

The Thelma MacKinnon Papers covering activities and times of Isabella Southwell (3) can be accessed through the NAA, the John Curtin Parliamentary Library in Perth and other sources.

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