Barbara Alice Hitchens

Barbara Alice Hitchens was strong, independent, inquisitive and outspoken, sometimes to her own detriment.  She had a strength of will that shook the foundations of the acceptable society of her day.  She was fearless, and embraced her passions.

How a young lady of just 20 or so years found a love for flying aeroplanes is something that we will now never know.  The people that new her then have all now passed, leaving behind a number of significant questions about her life, this being only but one.

Barbara was flying solo in her gypsy moth plane by late 1937, which would mean that she must have begun her flying career earlier in that year, or possibly late in 1936. 

Barbara’s story starts with Barbara and a friend taking to the air, flying at regional fairs and shows in New South Wales.  They were doing aerial acrobatics commonly known as barnstorming, and taking the locals for joy flights. 

The extended tour of the country must have drawn to a close around Christmas of 1937, as by January 21, 1938 The Goulburn Evening Penny Post was reporting that Barbara had left Sydney that day at 7.45 am in her Gypsy Moth plane on an historic flight to Papua New Guinea.  Barbara stated in the article that “curiosity was taking her there”, and it details her exit from Sydney graphically.  As far as anyone was aware, no woman had flown within New Guinea before, and it was believed that Barbara would be the first woman to do so.

Barbara flew from Sydney to Brisbane on the first leg of her journey; she then stopped in Townsville and from there flew on to Somerset, Cape York landing at 5 pm on January 24.  She was around 2 hours late as she had been forced to land on a beach 112 miles away owing to a heavy tropical storm. 

The first reports of difficulty in New Guinea come via Tasmanian newspaper reports on February 4^th, when the Examiner and the Advocate provide information on a forced landing in the Vailala River country.  In this incident the undercarriage of the plane is badly damaged although Barbara is not hurt.  The repairs to the plane were expected to take about 2 weeks.

Barbara took to the air again leaving Kerema at 1.20 pm on February 16^th for Wau, however she did not arrive at the expected time and there was no news of her plane.  She was flying over treacherous country side and although she had extra tankage, she only had a flying time of 8 hours.  The Recorder (Port Pirie, South Australia) and the Kalgoorlie Miner (Western Australia), reported on February 17^th that grave fears were held for Barbara’s safety. 

Barbara had crash landed her plane, which was then surrounded by natives.  Dispite the obvious language barrier, the natives fed and housed Barbara for the two days she was reported missing.

Barbara was reported as being found on Friday February 18^th.  She was unhurt and her plane was not badly damaged, however she was found 100 miles off course north-west of Wau, in the Markham Valley. 

Barbara became the first Australian female pilot to fly solo to every major airport Papua New Guinea. 

 A full account of Barbara's exploits can be found at http://trove.nla.gov.au

Caroline Ada Whiteman

Caroline Ada Whteman was just 13 years old when she was employed as a servant in the household of Albert Edward and Emily Anne Leggo in 1878.  As a servant she would have cooked, cleaned and done laundry for the family, and may have also assisted with the care of Albert and Emily’s two young children – Charles, and Ernest.  Ada, as she was known to all her family and friends, would have worked long hours with little time to herself, and for a small wage.

At 17 years of age Ada fell in love, and with the wisdom that only a teenager has, knew that her love would see her through a lifetime.  The man she had fallen so deeply in love with would provide for her, love her and father her children, and together they would be happier than any other couple she knew.  Ada also knew, with an absolute certainty that only teenagers share, that the love of her life Albert Edward Leggo, did not love his wife.  And so began the lies.

  

In the months, or even years that followed, there would have been stolen glances between Albert and Ada, filled with longing.  There were possibly times when their arms brushed together as they passed one another in the hall, and quick, quiet conversations held in an empty room behind closed doors. 

The first kiss that Ada and Albert shared was quite likely brief, leaving the taste for more lingering on their lips and igniting a passion in the very core of them. The forbidden always generates a need for more.

In December of 1883 Ada resigned her position with Albert Edward and Emily Ann, say that she wished to join her Aunt Harriet in Noumea.  Ada had been with the Leggo family for approximately 5 years and Emily Anne was again pregnant and due to deliver in the following February.  Did Ada try to leave Albert Edward at this point?  She certainly never made it to Noumea, and it would appear her resignation was part of Ada's plan to live with Albert Edward as his wife.

And what does a man do when the young love of his life walks out the front door and he is left in a supposedly loveless marriage, why – he goes fishing of course!  Albert Edward left the house to go fishing on New Year’s Day of 1884, and vanished.  He was feared drowned by Emily Anne and her three young sons.  Did Emily Anne mourn his loss?

Albert Edward’s fourth child, Florence, was born in February 1884, just weeks after her father’s disappearance.

I found numerous articles relating to Albert Edward's disappearance athttp://trove.nla.gov.au/

Albert Edward Leggo, who left his home at Woollahra, on New Years' Day, for a fishing excursion to Bondi, has not since been heard of.

Clarence & Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser Friday January 4th, 1884     

A gentleman, named Albert Edward Leggo, has been missing from his home, in Point Piper road, for some days past. He left home on a fishing excursion to Bondi Beach, on the afternoon of-New Year's Day, and nothing has since been heard of him. Mr. Leggo was 5' 9" high, and had a fair moustache and slight whiskers. He was dressed in a dark coat and waist coat, trousers of light check pattern, and a hard black felt hat.

Australian Town & Country Journal Saturday 12 January, 1884    Page 12

If only Albert Edward had gone fishing, or Ada had gone to Noumea, their dirty laundry would not have been aired in newspapers around the country.

Emily Ann Leggo petitioned for a decree nisi for dissolution of marriage with Albert Edward Leggo, on the ground of his alleged adultery with one Caroline Ada Whiteman. The petitioner said that she was married to the respondent in February, 1878. He was a carpenter by trade, and shortly after their marriage they went to live in Tamworth. There was a servant in their employment named Caroline Ada Whiteman, who was then 13 years of age. They left Tamworth in September 1879, and came to Sydney to live. The servant accompanied them and remained with them for some time. In December 1883, Whiteman left the witness's house, alleging she was going to Noumea, and on January 1, 1884, the respondent left his home, saying he was going fishing. He never returned, and she thought he had been drowned.

Some months afterward she received an anonymous letter from Melbourne, notifying that her husband was living there. She took out a warrant, and he was arrested and brought up in the Water Police Court, and charged with wife desertion. Miss Flegg said the respondent and the girl Whiteman came to live in her house, and continued to occupy the one room under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Rathwell, Senior-constable Lewis deposed that he arrested the respondent on a charge of wife desertion. He was in bed at the time with the girl Whiteman. The rule was granted, to be returnable in six months, with costs against the respondent, the petitioner to have the custody of the issue.

Evening News  Friday May 21 1886 Page 6

Emily Anne filed for divorce in 1885 with the divorce becoming final in 1886.  At around the same time that her divorce became final, her daughter Florence, aged 2 years, died.  It was the most difficult of times for Emily Anne.

Ada delivered her first child, Gertrude Grace Whiteman, to Albert Edward Leggo on 10 June 1886, whilst not married.  As soon as Albert Edwards’ divorce was legal in early 1887, Ada and Albert Edward were married in Sydney, although Ada was heavily pregnant with her second child at the time.  Albert Edward Leggo jnr was born in Sydney on 7 September, 1887.  Albert was soon followed by Elsie Maude Leggo b. 1888, Stella Constance Leggo b. 1890 and Hilda Beatrice Leggo b. 1893.  By all appearances the family was a happy one.  They immigrated to South Africa sometime between the years of 1894 and 1903 and Ada corresponded often with her mother, Mary Whiteman, and siblings via postcards and letters.

Caroline Ada Whiteman aged approximately
6 months (1866)  with her mohter
Mary Whiteman
her mother Mary

Why Blog My Family History

Hi,

I am The Keeper of Stories in my family.  In my research over these last few months I have found some wonderfull stories about members of my family that have long since passed.  In a lot of cases the stories of these amazing people were very nearly lost to time.  I feel an overwhelming need to document as much as I can about their fascinating tales, so that future generations will have a glimpse of my history, through my eyes.

I must warn you - these are my views on the events that took place.  My stories are based on first hand accounts by living members, old newspaper articles, documents, certificates and letters.  I make no appology for including "the good with the bad".  To my way of thinking, the good and the bad are what make my family history an endlessly fascinating passion.

Please feel free to comment on my posts, I would truly love to know if you can add information which is currently unknown.

I hope you enjoy the stories, and to any long lost family members out there - please, make contact!