Sylvia (Bland) Anderson (1911 - 2001)

Born 6 Dec 1911 in 19 Richmond Road, Kingsland, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Ancestors

Wife of Gerald Balmain Edwards — married Jun 1934 in Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand

Died 25 Feb 2001 at age 89 in 31 Bayfield Road, Mt Albert, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

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Biography

Sylvia was born in 1911. She was the daughter of Emily Barnett and Charles Bland.

She attended the Newton West School. Her father died at their 19 Williams Street home (later renamed & renumbered as 31 Benfield Avenue) in 1931 when she was 20.

At the age of 23 she married 47 year old divorcee Gerald Balmain Edwards in June 1934 at the Auckland Town Hall, in a civil ceremony. They lived at Arch Hill after they were married.

Her husband Gerald owned a factory called Crystal Aerated Waters, which was located in Sandringham, Auckland. According to the recollections of Sylvia's second cousin, he would drive a truck around town and make deliveries of soft drinks to dairies. Gerald was also very musical, and taught piano, violin, and cornet.

They had one son; Charles. He was a sickly child, suffering from a heart condition and seizures, and he later developed diabetes.

Apparently her husband Gerald was a closet drinker and had a tendency to become violent when drinking. After eight years of marriage Sylvia left Gerald and took their son Charlie with her. They were later divorced.

Sylvia later changed her name to Anderson by Deed Poll.

She started a new life for herself and her son in Tauranga. Sylvia had an interest in collecting first day issues of stamps and amassed a fair collection, and was also very musical.

After living in Tauranga for a time, she moved to Whanganui, then Napier and finally back to Auckland.

From about 1972 until some time after 1978 she lived at 6 Ladywood Road, Bay View, Napier. Also living there at the time was a Mr Hugh James Young, a twice married bar-man, who occupied a small unit at the rear of Sylvia's property. It appears he lived at her property until he died in 1980.

By the 1980's Sylvia had moved back to the home her father built at 31 Bayfield Road, Mt Albert, Auckland.

Her son Charles died in 1989.

She passed away at her home in 2001 at the age of 90. She was cremated on 1 March 2001 with her funeral being held in the flower garden in her front yard.

Sylvia left the family homestead to the charity "Save Animals From Experimentation".

Sources

• New Zealand BDM Historical Birth Records: 1911/391 Bland Sylvia https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz

• New Zealand BDM Historical Marriage Records Online: 1934/2324 Sylvia Bland and Gerald Balmain Edwards https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz

• https://thebarnettfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/p/emily-barnett.html

• Family Resources

• https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/cemeteries/Pages/RecordDetails.aspx?recordId=0F3EC17895F283CB80CC4B8DFBACDC2E