Rosina Martha Hosannah (Carandini) Palmer (1844 - 1932)

Born 27 Aug 1844 in Hobart Town, VDL (Tasmania), Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Edward Hodson Palmer — married 8 Nov 1860 in St David's Cathedral, Hobart Town, VDL (Tasmania), Australia

Descendants

Died 16 Jun 1932 at age 87 in 789 Punt road, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

ROSINA MARTHA HOSANNAH CARANDINI (Carandini-5)

PARENTS. Jerome Carandini & Maria (Burgess) Carandini

BIRTH. 27 Aug 1844, Hobart Town, VDL (Tasmania), Australia

BIRTH. 27 Aug 1844

Name: Carandini, Given Name Not Recorded

Record Type: Births

Gender: Female

Father: Carandini, Girohaino

Mother: Burgess, Maria

Date of birth: 27 Aug 1844

Registered: Hobart

Registration year: 1844

Record ID: NAME_INDEXES:1068709

Resource RGD33/1/2/ no 439

MARRIAGE. 8 Nov 1860, St David's Cathedral, Hobart Town, VDL (Tasmania), Australia

MARRIAGE. 8 Nov 1860, Edward Hodson Palmer, son of ?? Frederick William Palmer & Mary Eliza (Wood) Palmer

MARRIAGE. On the 8th instant at St. David's Cathedral, by the Ven. Archdeacon Davies, EDWARD HODSON, youngest son of the late Frederick Palmer Esq., H. E. I. C. S., to ROSINA, eldest daughter of Signor Carandini.

MARRIAGE. 8 Nov 1860

Name: Carandini, Rosina Martha Hosenh

Record Type: Marriages

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Spouse: Palmer, Edward Hodson

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Date of marriage: 08 Nov 1860

Registered: Hobart

Registration year: 1860

Record ID: NAME_INDEXES:861464

Resource RGD37/1/19 no 105

Location: St David's Cathedral, Hobart Town

Witness: J.H. Crouch

Witness: Robt Fitzgerald

Children:

(1) Rosina Maria Hope Palmer, b. 19 Aug 1861, d. 28 Dec 1861

(2) Emmeline Ida Louise Palmer, b. 5 Sep 1862, d. 12 Jul 1948, Vic, m. 1882, Gilbert Wilson, son of son of John Wilson, & Catherine Jane (McMicking) Wilson

(3) Fanny Ella Marie Palmer, b. 13 May 1864, d. 2 Apr 1865

(4) Irene Violet Frances Palmer, b. abt. 1875, d. Jan 1959

(5) Forrest Edward Palmer, b. abt. 1876, d. 31 May 1937

(6) Osborne Fitzpatrick Palmer, b. 1878, Melbourne, d. 14 Jan 1879

(7) Lionel Percival Palmer, b. 1878, Melbourne, d. 13 Jan 1879

(8) Estelle Octavia Lee Palmer, 7 Mar 1880, d. 12 Dec 1880

(1898). ROSINA PALMER. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. The name heading this article will awaken in the minds of many Tasmanian readers pleasant memories of the Carandini family. The notice is taken from the Melbourne Herald of recent date,

"Could I see Mrs. Palmer?" was the inquiry I addressed to a gentleman behind the long counter at Messrs. Allan & Co.'s. "You will have to go up aloft," was the somewhat unexpected reply, for though I was aware the firm did a large trade with "The Better Land" and "The Holy City," I did not know they were in direct communication with these regions, and I was beginning to have misgivings as to the correctness of my costume for such a visit, when the practical and familiar words, "Take the lift," relieved my doubts.

At the third floor I found myself left, with a room on one side, where guttural gramophones, popular polyphones, and mechanical music generally, were evidently making merry, and on the other side, at the bottom of a few steps, a long passage, at the end of which I learned Mrs. Palmer was to be seen. With two similar passages below—"What a hive of honeyed sounds, and how many busy bees employed throughout the day in producing them," are the thoughts that occur to the visitor.

Mrs. Palmer's door is reached, and, in answer to "a good, hard knock," as the Private Secretary would say, is opened by the lady herself. No trace is seen of the recent illness which rumour had erroneously stated had left the popular teacher and singer unable to continue either vocation, and she can be gladly reported looking as well and strong as ever.

"Could you spare me a few minutes ?" Mrs. Palmer looks doubtfully at her pupil, who, she feels, has a prior claim, and in somewhat Scottish style answers one question by asking another. "What for ?"

"Well, your name is so prominently before the public at present, in connection with your concert, that the Herald felt if you could favour with some of the events and incidents of your long musical career, it would form very interesting reading."

"Oh, certainly ; the Press has invariably been so kind, and has assisted me at all times so materially, that I am only too pleased, and would specially thank the Herald for the compliment paid me ; so, with a graceful apology to the pupil, who obligingly withdrew, Mrs. Palmer motioned me to a seat, and submitted to be interviewed.

"Of course, we must commence at the beginning. When did you first appear as a singer ?"

"Oh, very early, indeed. I could scarcely have been 12 years of age. It was in Tasmania, at Hobart, on the occasion of the opening of the organ at St. Joseph's Church. It is firmly fixed in my memory, and I can recall the pleasure with which I received the handsome gold bracelet the Vicar-General presented to me in recognition of my effort. Then, when only 14 years old, I played Adelgesa to my mother's (Madame Carandini) Norma. This was also at Hobart.

I was terribly nervous, and made more so by the prolonged applause that my mother gained in her scene previous to my entrance. After trembling and shivering and hopelessly shaking my head, in response to my mother's frantic gestures, from the other side of the stage, for me to go on, I finally nerved myself to enter, tripped awkwardly, and ignominiously tumbled myself down at the foot of the shrine, where I should have gracefully knelt."

"You were with the Carandini Sherwin Concert Co. that did so much travelling, now over 20 years ago, were you not ?"

"Oh, yes ; I joined them, and made my first appearance at Kilmore, singing 'Il Baccio, which was encored."

"You must have had some strange experiences ?"

"Yes, going to Stringer's Creek, now Walhalla, we had to strap our piano on a packhorse, and the last portion of the journey adopt the same mode of locomotion ourselves. We were overtaken by darkness before we reached the town, and stopped at the top of what seemed almost a perpendicular hill over-looking the town, the lights of which we could see twinkling far down below.

Mr. Sherwin got off his horse to reconnoitre, and a general halt was called. My sister Fannie's steed, worn out by the weight of the deep notes he carried, availed himself of the halt to sit down, and in doing so rolled our contralto into a bush, from which she was rescued and re-mounted after considerable confusion. She was none the worse, and sang as well as ever afterwards, though we had but half-an-hour to prepare for the concert."

"Did you ever experience the generous donations of nuggets and £10 notes with which the early diggers are reported to have lavished around?"

"Well, not quite like that ; but I had an experience of a somewhat similar nature at Thames, N.Z. At one of our concerts a written request, signed by 'A Man in the Pit,' was made that I should sing 'I cannot mind my wheel.' Being favoured with an encore, I sang the song desired, and at the end a small parcel was thrown on the stage, containing a rich quartz specimen, with a note from 'The Man in the Pit,' thanking me for the song, and saying it had a strangely humanising influence upon him, and brought back to recollection the days of a happy childhood.

"Then, again, at the School of Arts, Sydney, during a joint benefit to my sister Fannie and myself, at which Walter Montgomery recited 'The Bells,' a bouquet was thrown to me, with a note attached, which, when opened, was found to enclose a £10 note."

"No, I have not appeared much in opera. If I remember rightly, the only time was as Arline in The Bohemian Girl, produced at the Bijou Theatre. Mr. Henry Bracy, Mrs. Fox, and Mr John Forde were in the caste, and I received very complimentary notices of my rendering of the music and character of Arline."

Whilst I was jotting this down, Mrs. Palmer pulled out her watch, and cried in consternation, "Good gracious ! I've been talking for ever so long, and quite forgotten the present in those old times."

As she paused and let her thoughts run back again the strains of a song, in strong, rich, young, hopeful and happy tones, were borne in through the open windows— Thank God for life / Thank God for love.

"The song of thanksgiving," said Mrs. Palmer, in answer to my inquiring look, and then added, with impulse and emotion, "Thank God, for all the kindly hearts, the helping hands, and firm friends it has been my happy lot to find in dear old Melbourne. Good- bye."

Death of Spouse: 26 Jun 1928, Bunalbo, Cromwell road, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

DEATH. 16 Jun 1932, 789 Punt road, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

PALMER (nee Carandini). —On the 16th June, 1932, at 789 Punt road, South Yarra, Rosina widow of the late Edward H. Palmer, aged 88 years. (Private interment.)

BURIAL. St Kilda Cemetery, Palmer Rosina Martha, Buried, Service date: 18/06/1932, Location: Church of England, Compartment D, Grave 253

OBITUARY. DEATH OF MRS. PALMER. NOTED SINGER'S CAREER. Among the older followers of music in Melbourne there win be general regret at the news of the death of Mrs. Palmer.

Mrs. Palmer (formerly Miss Rosina Carandini) was long a favourite concert and oratorio singer, and for many years she was acknowledged to be the leading soprano in Australia. She was a member of a noted musical family, and her mother, Madame Carandini, was also a gifted singer, appearing in opera and on the concert platform.

Early in her concert career Mrs. Palmer became the soprano in a quartet of which Mrs. Cutter, an American singer of great talent, was the contralto; Mr. Armes Beaumont, the tenor; and Mr. S. Lamble, the bass. This quartet was one of the most popular of all known in Australia, and it was heard throughout Australia and New Zealand.

At a later date Mrs. Palmer settled in Melbourne, where for many years she took the leading soprano parts in nearly all the performances of the Royal Victorian Liedertafel and the Melbourne Philharmonic- Society. She was also the soprano soloist in the choir of Scots Church.

After her retirement from the concert platform she was for many years one of the most popular teachers of singing in Melbourne.

Her husband, Mr. Edward Palmer, a Melbourne bank officer, died some years ago. Mrs. Palmer leaves a son and two daughters, Mr. Forrest Palmer (W.A.); Mrs. Gilbert Wilson, well known as a teacher of music in Brisbane; and Miss Irene Palmer, of South Yarra.

Sources

• Birth: https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD33-1-2-p506j2k

• Marriage Notice: The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) Friday 9 November 1860, p2 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/8794253

• Marriage: https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD37-1-19p61j2k

• (1898). Rosina Palmer. An Interesting Interview: The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) Monday 31 October 1898, p4 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/9433829

• Death Notice: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Friday 17 June 1932, p1 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4457925

• Burial: http://stk.smct.org.au/deceased-search/

• Obituary: The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946) Saturday 25 June 1932, p12 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/142427967