Minnie (Dodds) Lee (1860 - 1938)

Born 7 Apr 1860 in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Alfred Lee — married 10 Mar 1879 in St Clement's Church Yass New South Wales Australia

Descendants

Died 23 Sep 1938 at age 78 in Waverley, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Minnie's resided at Yass then "GLEN ROONA" at Bondi, her probate was granted 18 Jan 1939. She was very prominent in Sydney society.

Sydney Morning Herald 18 Mar 1879: MARRIAGE LEE-DODDS March 10 at St Clement's Church Yass by the Rev W H H YARRINGTON BA. Alfred eldest son of F LEE Esq Christchurch to Minnie eldest daughter of Henry DODDS Esq of Yass.

Sydney Morning Herald 30 Sep 1938: OBITUARY. LATE MRS. ALFRED LEE. AN APPRECIATION. BY BEULAH A BOLTON There must be few among the women working on social and philanthropic committees in Sydney to whom the recent death of Mrs. Alfred Lee has not meant a personal loss, for she was, and had been for many years, an outstanding personality and a very lovable one. Mrs. Lee spent her early life in Randwick, and from the time of her marriage she was the ideal hostess at her hospitable home, Glen Roona, at Bondi, where she and her late husband entertained constantly, and where guests were received with a particularly warm and individual welcome. In recent years Mrs. Lee was the hon. secretary of the hospitality committee of the Victoria League, and the same gracious welcome which she had accorded to her own guests was characteristic of her reception of the oversea and interstate visitors of the league. "She was so kind," said one of them, "I never imagined such kindness to a stranger." An interest which Mrs. Lee shared with her late husband was an extensive knowledge of Australian history, and she contributed articles on this subject to various periodicals in Australia and elsewhere. At the outbreak of war Mrs. Lee identified herself with the Red Cross, and was a member of the executive committee, and was one of the organisers of the Lady Mayoress' Sewing Circle, one of the depots which worked from the beginning of the war to the end. She was also closely connected with the activities of the Citizens' Association, the National Council of Women, and the Victoria League and was for many years actively interested in politics. Of her personal philanthropy she would be the last to wish mention to be made. A charming and gracious personality, a shrewd and clever brain, a genius for friendship, hers were no mean gifts, but her epitaph is, one feels, best expressed in the simple words which have already been quoted, "She was so kind."

• first female member of Australian Historical Society
• Society of Women Writers of New South Wales
• Australian Red Cross Society
• the Lady Mayoress's Red Cross Sewing Guild
• Citizens' Association
• National Council of Women
• Victoria League's hospitality committee

Sources

• http://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search

1. BIRTH: DODDS MINNIE 4102/1860 HENRY HARRIET A ST LEONARDS
2. DEATH: LEE MINNIE 17384/1938 HENRY HARRIET ANN WAVERLEY
3. MARRIAGE: 5273/1879 LEE ALFRED/DODDS MINNIE YASS

• "Jack Thompson." Who Do You Think You Are? (Season 1, Episode 1). SBS One. 13 January 2008.

• K. A. Johnson, 'Lee, Alfred (1858–1923)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lee-alfred-7143/text12329, published first in hardcopy 1986, accessed online 12 April 2018.

• http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/articles/search

1. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954), Saturday 24 September 1938,

LEE.-September 23, 1938, at her home, Glen-Roona, Bondi, Minnie, widow of the late Alfred Lee. Private burial.

1. Yass Tribune-Courier (NSW: 1929 - 1954), Monday 3 October 1938,

The recent death of Mrs. Alfred Lee, a prominent member of the Red Cross, in Sydney, revives memories amongst old Yass residents. The late Mrs. Lee was a Yass girl, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs, Harry Dodds. Mr. Dodds kept the Commercial Hotel many years ago and died at Yass. His daughter, Miss Minnie Dodds, .married Mr. Lee, a commercial traveller. Mrs. Will Thomson, herself an old resident and a Red Cross worker during the war, recalls meeting Mrs. Lee, before she, Mrs. Thomson, came to live at Yass. Later she met her during the war, a prominent Red Cross worker in Sydney. She was in charge of the Comforts Fund, 20th Battalion. Mrs. Thomson remarked this morning that no doubt the threat of another war, which has so concerned everyone, hastened the old lady's end.

1. Sun (Sydney, NSW: 1910 - 1954), Friday 23 September 1938

DEATH OF MRS. ALFRED LEE PHILANTHROPIST AND SOCIAL WORKER MRS. ALFRED LEE, of Penkivil-street, Bondl, died this morning at her home. For many years she has been closely associated with various social movements in Sydney, and her death will remove one of the most delightful and kindly personalities among the older generation. In her day, Mrs. Lee was an able speaker and, as the possessor of a remarkable organising brain, she has been in great demand on committees. She was one of the foundation members of the Red Cross Society in 1913 and was a member of the executive until 1923, when she resigned on the death of her husband. In 1925 Mrs Lee rejoined the society, but four years later was forced to resign once more, owing to ill-health, and her position was filled by her daughter, Mrs. W. Butter, who returned a few day's ago from a trip to England. Mrs. Butter has been an Australian delegate to the International Red Cross conference in London. All through the war Mrs. Lee was a member of the Lady Mayoress's Clothing Fund. For many years she had been an executive member of the Victoria League, and only within the last lew months had become a vice-president. Miss Beulah Bolton pays a tribute to her tremendous energy in working for anything connected with the Empire. Her hospitality and kindness to overseas visitors was outstanding, and Empire educational work was one of her main interests. Mrs. Lee had an extensive knowledge of Australian history, and any questions on matters of this kind in connection with the Victoria League were always referred to her. Only recently a request came from Canada for information about Australia, and Mrs. Lee did a wonderful piece of work in compiling a long list of books and publications containing information for the Canadian inquirer. Mrs. Lee was also one of the foundation Lion members of the Queen's Club. All Major Newspapers of the day as well as some country ones.