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staging of concerts. She was one of the original members of the Country Women’s Association in Darwin and a
member of the Victoria League.
She married James Edward Fawcett, the youngest son of W Hart Fawcett of Pymble, New South Wales, in the
Darwin Methodist Church in August 1925. Eileen Styles (now Fitzer) was bridesmaid and Cecil Freer was best
man. Jim Fawcett was manager of A E Jolly & Co for about 40 years before the Second World War. Myrtle helped
to entertain many prominent visitors to the Northern Territory and during Lord Gowrie’s farewell tour in 1941 she
travelled to the Kimberley area with the party. During the Second World War the Victoria league took over the
Comforts Fund in the Territory and Myrtle participated in the voluntary work, driving ambulances and making
hospital visits until Darwin citizens were evacuated in 1942.
With her fine singing voice, Myrtle Fawcett gave many concerts for charitable purposes in pre-war Darwin
and she also entertained service personnel before the February 1942 raids, among which was a concert with other
service entertainers aboard HMAS Moresby. She was evacuated to Perth and worked in a munitions factory and
later had charge of an American navy rest home for submarine crew before she returned to the Territory after the
raids. Her son, Jim, was serving in the Royal Australian Navy and her daughter, Pam, was at Wilderness College
in Adelaide.
In the latter years of the War she and her husband battled to start a hotel business at Adelaide River. After five
years in railway premises in 1951 she crossed the River and commenced business on a new site, which was to be
her home for the next 20 years. Starting the licence at Adelaide River Refreshment Rooms and the new premises
in 1951 Myrtle became the genial and friendly hostess for 28 years there. One early waitress was Josie Flynn, the
daughter of Nellie Flynn. In 1950 daughter Pam married Robert Rixon, later of Oolloo Station.
In 1954 at the start of mining at Rum Jungle 100 ‘wild Irishmen’ all armed with English Pound notes invaded
the local pub at Adelaide River—they were employed by the Wimpey organisation. Myrtle’s own bright personality
and her musical ability with her tiny ukulele meant she often entertained visitors with her theme song ‘Down on
the Daly River O’.
Myrtle’s husband, James Edward Fawcett, died and was buried in Adelaide in 1960. She continued to run
the hotel with her son, Jim, in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1970 she was made a Member of the Order of the British
Empire (MBE) for services to the community. She was able to help many Territorians in many walks of life and is
particularly noted in the Adelaide River area for assistance to Aboriginal folk with pensions, and so on. She always
remembered Attawomba Joe, who helped in saving the life of her sister Eileen, in his later years there.
In November 1973 the hotel was sold. During that year Myrtle and her son were granted life membership of
the Adelaide River Show Society. Some of the family including Tom, her youngest son and his wife Patsy are still
serving that Society. Retiring to Darwin, she survived the battering of Cyclone Tracy in December 1974 and died
at the age of 70 in September 1975.
B James, Occupation Citizen, 1995; V T O’Brien, cuttings 1946–1995; P Rixon, Oolloo Station, correspondence.
V T O’BRIEN, Vol 3.
FEELEY, NORA MARY (MOLLY) nee YOUNG (1907– ), accounting machinist and public servant, was
born on 20 September 1907 at Newlyn, Victoria, the fourth child of William Daniel Young and Hanorah Agnes,
nee Prendergast. Her father was a soldier and the family moved to Adelaide where Molly received her schooling
at the Convent of Mercy.
After she left school she attended the Burroughs Business School and learned to use the calculating machine.
Ira L and A C Berk then owned the school and for some years she worked for them. When the Myer Emporium
opened in Adelaide she began working there and for other employers in an increasingly senior capacity until she
married.
During the Second World War she met Michael John Feeley, son of Thomas Feeley and his wife Anne,
nee Murray, and they married at Saint Francis’s Church, Adelaide, on 29 December 1944. In 1946 Michael joined
the Commonwealth Department of Works in Darwin but due to a shortage of accommodation Molly was unable
to join him there until 1947, when she came as an accounting machinist also for the Department of Works.
Still accommodation was a problem. Molly lived at Mareenah House, a hostel for women run by the Department.
After Molly had been in Darwin for about six months she was invited to manage Mareenah House,
which accommodated over 40 females, as well as the Town Mess, which had mixed accommodation. In Mareenah
House at the time the rules decreed lights out by 11 p.m., no noise, and no entertaining gentlemen in bedrooms.
The police regularly ejected the drunken and the amorous. As Matron, Molly was on call 24 hours a day, seven days
a week but where possible at the weekend she joined Michael in a Sidney Williams hut erected on a block of land
in Barossa Street, Larrakeyah. Not until 1950 was any land made available for purchase in Darwin. The couple
then purchased the block in Barossa Street.
For five years Molly acted as Matron but in 1952, with a home of her own, she returned to the office of the
Department of Works after receiving additional training on Remington machines. In 1966 she was appointed
Accounting Machinist in Charge and she retained this position until she retired at the age of 65 on 20 September 1972.
In June 1971 Molly received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for public service. In a departmental newsletter the
Director General referred to Molly’s 25 years of service in Darwin and noted that she had ‘taken particular interest
in the welfare and training of female staff.’
Michael died on 11 August 1971, just 12 months before Molly retired. She had no superannuation as constraints
against married female public servants still existed and she had not been widowed long enough. She did, however,
travel extensively during her long service leave and had returned to Darwin by the time Cyclone Tracy struck in