Henry Cohen’s great-grand-daughter, Elma Hart, (1883–1946) married (later Sir) Samuel Sydney Cohen (1869–1948), the son of George Judah Cohen and Rebecca née Levy. Elma’s parents were Alfred David Hart (1850-1928) and Elizabeth nee Cohen (1852-1926).
The following notes were supplied by Dinah Harvey, a granddaughter of Samuel and Elma Cohen:
Although I have not been able to find the registration of the birth of my grandmother, there is no doubt about either the date or place of her birth. Elma was born in Melbourne on 1 July 1882 the third child of Alfred David Hart and Elizabeth née Cohen. Exactly where the family was living at the time is not yet known.
Alfred Hart was the fifth child of Samuel Hart and Harriet née Benjamin and was born in Adelaide. Following the death of her husband in 1867, Harriet went to live in Melbourne where she died in 1878. Alfred Hart was in the tobacco business. As yet I have no details of how he started in the business but he became the Managing Director of Cameron Brothers. Some information about the tobacco business can be found in ‘The Tobacco Worker’ by Alleyn Best, the history of the Victorian Branch of the Tobacco Workers Union. Cameron Bros eventually became part of the British Australian Tobacco Company, now Amatil.
Alfred and Elizabeth Hart were finally to live in a very large house named ‘Charnwood’ in St Kilda. This house has now been demolished and it is probable that the St Kilda Synagogue is on land that was once part of their property.
The first school attended by Elma was a convent but following her intimation that she thought of becoming a nun her parents sent her to the Prebyterian Ladies College, described by Henry Handel Richardson in ‘The Getting of Wisdom’ and ‘Myself When Young’. During her time there Elma wrote a short poem named ‘Ten Little Australian Girls’, illustrated by Una Le Soeuf a fellow pupil. In the possession of a grand-daughter is a book of poems she wrote in 1899 when the family was living in a house ‘Verona’ in Clarendon Street, East Melbourne.[1] The introductory poem shows that she hoped to have her poems printed:
If I could only get in print!
The bashful maiden sighed,
For though I’d like a satin best,
I would be satisfied.
One of the poems, The War Drum, was published, perhaps in the school magazine. In a different era Elma would probably have put her literary talent to good use.
On 18 April 1901, at the age of eighteen, Elma married Samuel Sydney Cohen and went to live in Newcastle where Sam worked in the family company of David Cohen and Co. They lived at ‘Halcyon’, 51 Newcomen Street and it was here that their three children were born. This house is now the office of Rankin and Nathan, Solicitors.
In about 1916 the family moved to Sydney and for some years lived at ‘Rosemont’, Ocean Street, Woollahra. This house was built by Alexander Campbell in 1857 at which time the property was bounded by Trelawney and Ocean Streets and Edgecliff Road. It was later well known as the home of Sir Charles and Lady Lloyd Jones. Although the land had been subdivided by the time the Cohen family bought it the gracious old house was still surrounded by a lovely garden and the children were able to keep their horses in nearby stables.[2] The family later moved to 89 Ocean Street, a property adjoining the boundary of ‘Rosemont’. This house, named ‘Harle’ by previous owners, was still quite a grand house and is now broken up into six apartments. It is spoken of in ‘I Can Hear the Horses’ by Phillipa (née Allen) a member of the well-known legal family, Allen.
The family travelled to Europe every few years and just before the First World War George was enrolled at Repton, an English Public School for his secondary education. Soon after the war broke out and it was not until 1919 that the family was reunited. I have a photograph of the family on board the ship bringing them all home to Australia.
Although the family always had plenty of domestic help, Elma was a good cook and competent housekeeper. Menus were written up each week and given to the cook. I well remember going with Granny to the store-room where the supplies of groceries were kept. On her wrist Granny wore a gold bracelet with a gold key attached. This opened her desk drawer and possibly the store-room as well. It was very decorative and as she wore it most of the time she did not have to worry about losing it. The house ran on ‘oiled wheels’.
Elma’s social life was probably set around the busy life of her husband, but she loved playing both bridge and poker. One of her great interests was her collection of blue Sèvres china that was displayed in the large drawing room at 89.
Samuel Sydney Cohen was born in Sydney on 11 March 1869, the son of George Judah Cohen and his wife Rebecca (née Levy). As a young man he commenced work in the family company David Cohen & Co, wholesale grocers and owners of several country stores. He became the Chairman of Directors of this company and an associated company J A Bull & Co. His other commercial interests included the Australian Gaslight Company, Paul & Gray Ltd., Bennie S Cohen & Son, Lloyds insurance brokers (later called Edward Lumley), Tooth & Co, Newcastle and Hunter River S S Co, Paget Manufacturing Co, Central Trading Co, Sydney Exchange Co. As the President of the N.S.W. Kindergarten Union he was very aware of the need to assist the less well off of the community. He was also involved with the affairs of the Jewish community and was one of the founders of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society. He was first Treasurer and then President of the Board of Management of the Great Synagogue and gave liberally to the fund for the erection of the New South Wales Jewish War Memorial. He was an office bearer in the Citizens Reform Association.[3] Recognition of his services to the community came when he was created a Knight Bachelor in 1937.
With outbreak of war in 1939 and the departure of many of the family for overseas, three of her grandchildren went to live with Elma and Sam. I loved this time, probably because I was indulged by Granny, but also as it gave me the opportunity to get to know them really well. Grandad often read me children’s versions of stories from the Bible, and although he was no doubt regretful, he was not at all critical of the fact that some of his grandchildren would not follow the Jewish faith. My nurse, always called Nanny, also lived there with us and in the school holidays my brother Christopher and cousin Sam returned from boarding school to be with us. We often spent these holidays at Bowral where in the 1920’s Elma and Sam had built a house they named ‘Callooa’.
This property was situated on the hillside of Mt Gibraltar, and encompassed about 25 acres. Included in the property were two smaller houses fronting Cliff Street, sometimes rented and sometimes occupied by other members of the family. There was also a cottage for the property manager who milked the cow, looked after the chickens and worked in the vegetable garden. This meant that our meals at ‘Callooa’ were delicious and fresh.
It was quite a novelty to see the milk being separated and the butter made. My favourite breakfast was kidneys cooked by Granny, followed by hot buttered toast liberally spread with homemade blackberry jam and cream! The surrounding garden was lovely and full of places for grandchildren to ride their bikes, play hide and seek and ride the horses. I also remember a goat that we were a little nervous of.
In 1941 and part of 1942, the other grandchildren, Penny and Primrose Moss joined Sam, Crick and me at ‘Callooa’. Granny, fearful of the possible bombing by the Japanese, even built an air raid shelter in the side of a hill. She took her responsibilities as grandparent seriously and worried about us constantly.
During World War II Granny was very involved with the Australian Comforts Fund where she spent much time parcelling up extra clothes and food parcels for the troops overseas. Both of her sons were in the Middle East and this caused her much concern and I have always felt this contributed to her early death, although no doubt the fact that she was a heavy smoker did not help. Her other communal activities included being a member of the Committee of the Lady Gowrie Child Centre and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Great Synagogue.
When Granny died suddenly in 1946 we were all quite shocked as although all adults seem old to young children, most of our aunts and uncles lived to a great age. Her tombstone is in pink and black marble, her favourite colour combination and used by her in the decoration of her bedroom and bathroom at 89 Ocean Street. She is buried in the Jewish Section of Rookwood Cemetery and her husband Sam who died on 27 August 1948 is buried beside her.
[Other references: “Obituary: Lady Cohen” AJHS, Vol. 2, Pt 5, 1946, p.287.
“Obituary: Sir Samuel Sydney Cohen” AJHS, Vol. 2, Pt 10, 1948, p.565.]
