“Hiawatha” - 70 George Street - Parramatta - New South Wales
History of Hiawatha from 1883 to 1960 Hiawatha was built in 1883 forJoseph William Withers (c1841-1914), J.P., former 1894-95 Mayor of Parramatta[3].
Withers of Surry Hills, N.S.W. became part of Parramatta’s well known families when he married
Sarah Anne/Annie Eury (c1847-1933) on 11 June 1868 at the home of
Captain Michael Eury (1817-1888) on George Street, Parramatta.
She was the eldest daughter of Captain Eury and sister to James Eury (1854-1925).
In 1883, he had Hiawatha built for his growing family which included his children
Ernest A. F. (1873-1915),
twin daughters Blanche Naomi Maud (1876-1950,
future Mrs Alban Gee) and
Gertrude Laura May (b.1876, the future Mrs Charles Ernest Byrnes),
Milton Hedley V. (1878-1960),
Edgar Bruce (1879-1919),
Beatrice Maude A. (1882-1916,
the future Mrs Eric G. Stokes),
Montague “Harold” Reginald (1884-1933)
and Ruby Myrtle Gwendoline Withers (1885-1955,
the future Mrs Francis J Beale).[4]
In 1891, Withers began his political career representing the Anderson Ward in local council and was elected Mayor of Parramatta in 1894.[5]
By 1903, he instructed Stack and Co. to auction ‘Hiawatha’ and his household items on 7 December, 2pm as he was leaving town.[6]
On 2 December 1914, he passed away at his last known residence ‘Elstow’, Myagah Road, Mosman, aged 73.[7]
Alexander John Charles Christie Alexander John Charles Christie (c1870-1933) was the next owner of Hiawatha.
He was the Superintendent of the Mint and had worked there from junior clerk in 1890 until The Sydney Mint was closed in January 1927.
Christies was the son of Alexander J. and Mary Ann Christie.
He was born in Parramatta in 1870 and married Alice Eva McKelvey/MacKelvey in 1898 at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
During the Christie family's residency at Hiawatha, the Christie’s celebrated the birth of their children
Maria (Marie) Agnes, Alice Veronica (Ronny), Stella, Joseph and John.
As well as the reception of the marriages of his children from Marie marrying Dr. Terence Aubrey Daly of Macquarie-street, Parramatta, the youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward Daly, of Concord on Wednesday 31 August 1921;
Ronny marrying John I. Gorman, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Edmond Gorman, of the Riverina, and "San Marino," Beaumaris, Victoria on Wednesday 16 June 1926.
It was also where his beloved wife Alice collapsed while preparing for an outing and died from a sudden heart afflection on 2 September 1932.
Alexander passed away on Saturday 28 February 1933, aged 63. Devoted Roman Catholics, the Christies were buried at North Rocks Cemetery.[8] Hiawatha Hiawatha Catering Co. Function Centre
Hiawatha remained in the Christie family while also being used as a place of entertainment for the community until its title was transferred from Joseph Christie to Ruby Florence Tolhurst (nee Rogers) in 1946.[9]
Ruby Florence Tolhurst was a divorcee and the mother of Ronald Cyril Tolhurst (1916-1996) of Concord West.
Ronald and Royce Victor Beavis were the registered proprietors of Hiawatha Private Hotel and Restaurant (on 23 October 1946) and Hiawatha Catering Co. Pty Limited (on 13 November 1946).[10]
They remodeled Hiawatha on 'continental lines' to become a Restaurant, Cabaret, Function Centre and offer guest accommodation.[11]
On 28 June 1949, Beavis became a joint tenant to the deed.[12]
He was later joined by George Cecil O’Connell as co-director. O’Connell had previously served in the First World War as a Private of the 10th Australian Light Horse (service number 3440) and postwar had accumulated twenty years' experience in wedding receptions, being the owner of "Parisienne" top-line wedding receptionists in the western suburbs, before joining the Board of Directors of "Hiawathaii" taking over that phase of "Hiawatha's" activities.
