Mable Kate Witts diary 1909

After his wife had to return to Australia for health reasons Mr. Witts tried to sell his property. The name Herring shows up again which was the maiden name of Mrs. Witts.

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald of 1911 telling a story in which Mr. Witts was involved.

Hog Harbour postcard 3 March 1909

3 March 1909: picture side

The 3 March 1909 "Dampny" postcard is an extraordinary item.

    - It shows how long N.S.W. stamps were tolerated in the New Hebrides.

    - It proves that the first english postmark was used on ship board MALAITA in 1909.

    - Its history can be traced via internet sources.

N.S.W. stamps were only allowed up to 30 November 1908. The MALAITA purser didn't
care and obviously the card was not processed again in Vila Post Office.

I retouched the parts which detract from the impression.

This is a "Hume's Copyright" card # 201 "Giant Yam, New Hebrides" # 201. But this is not important here.

The card was written by Mrs. M.K. Witts, born Herring. On the internet exists a "Mabel Kate Witts Diary" here for the year 1909. In this diary Mable Witts writes on 27th February 1909:

"Up at 15 to 6. so tired when I got up. So Dearie did all the cleaning of the stove for me, wile I finished writing my letters...." and on 3rd March 1909: "Steamer in at last! She whistled at 4.40.am. too early, so I did not go on aboard."

So she wrote the card above on 27th February and it was carried to the steamer - it was the Burns Philp MALAITA, 929 tons, Captain Voy - on 3rd March and cancelled on board with the 1892 English New Hebrides postmark.

Mable Kate Witts' diary Jan/Feb 1909

Burns Philp steamer MALAITA

Evening News Sydney - MALAITA

About the addressee:

The card has a typo in the name of the addressee: Mrs. Gerald Dampney would have been be correct. Guests at the Dampney wedding in 1906 were Mr & Mrs Leslie Herring, the parents of Mabel. So the addressee was well known in the family.
Source: Trove, Australia.

As I found out later, Hilder Dampney, married to Gerald Dampney was Mabel's cousin (nee Henning - Mabel’s mother was a Tucker, whose sister had married Baldolf Henning) and was a close friend.

Mable Kate Witts
née Herring

Maurice Myles Witts

Elephant Island (at right) seen from Lonnoc Beach. Just left of the ship Thion Island off Port Olry with part of Santo and in the background behind the ship Sakau Island. I took this picture when I visited Lonnoc Beach & Hog Harbour in 2006. A cruise ship is bringing passengers to Champagne Beach (at right not to be seen).

Elephant Island

Maurice Miles Witts headed off to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides in about 1904 to join his cousin Theo Thomas on a coconut plantation and not long after started up in his own right, naming the plantation "Lelek". One source says that it was on Lathu Island off Hog Harbour.

According to my research this island is better known as "Elephant Island" in the bay between Hog Harbour and the well known "Champagne Beach", just off "Lonnoc Beach" (where I had been on a visit in autumn 2006).

Mabel Kate Herring lived at Rondebosch, Hunters Hill and then at Sheen, Beecroft a little bush town. For her education, she had governesses. As she grew into her twenties, she lived apart from the family in the converted Groom's quarters above the stables, with her maid Ivy. She and Ivy were firm friends and spent a lot of time together, going for walks etc.

On 1 June 1904 she went on a sea voyage on the Burns Philp & Co., steamer TAMBO with Mr. & Mrs. Harrison and their daughter (a lot of New Hebrides missionaries on the ship too), friends of the family possibly, stopping off at the New Hebrides, where she met Maurice Miles Witts and a friendship was formed.

Mabel's first visit to the New Hebrides.

TAMBO passengers on 1 June 1904 to the New Hebrides

She stayed with Rev. Dr McKenzie and family, a medical missionary, for some time until returning to Australia in November 1904 on the Burns Philp & Co. steamer TAMBO to organise her marriage.

Mabel's return to Australia.

TAMBO passengers on 17 November 1904 to Sydney

In September 1907 Miss Herring travelled back to the New Hebrides for her wedding with Maurice Myles Witts. Again the TAMBO is the ship she uses.

Mabel's return to Australia.

TAMBO passengers on 2 September 1907 to Vila

In August 1910 Mabel returned to Sydney with her daughter Helen Kate on the Burns Philp & Co. steamer MAKAMBO. She found the recurring Malaria so severe, that she had to leave the New Hebrides and return to Australia. Helen Kate Witts was born in Santo on 23/10/1909 (Mabel had two more daughters later).
She was living with her parents until her husband returned too.

Mabel's final return to Australia.

MAKAMBO passengers on 30 August 1910 to Sydney

Maurice Myles Witt returned to Australia on the MAKAMBO too in August 1911.

MAKAMBO passengers on 24 August 1911 to Sydney

In the meanwhile her husband Maurice Myles Witt led some police action in Santo and tried to sell his land. See left column. A shame as the coconat trees he had planted were just ready to carry nuts I think. He returned to Sydney on the MAKAMBO in August 1911.

Internet sources used for this webpage:

Mable Kate Witts Diary 1909 part 1

Maurice Myles Witts

Tivey family tree research

Trove, Australia for the newspaper clippings.