Obituaries Australia

Lady Mary Windeyer, n.d.

The death of Lady Windeyer, as announced yesterday, removes from our midst a figure well known in the philanthropic life of the State. Her loss will be keenly felt by many whom she befriended.

Lady Mary Elizabeth Windeyer was the daughter of the late R. T. Bolton, M.A., Vicar of Padbury, Bucks (England), but for many years of Hexham, New South Wales. She was married in 1857 to Sir William Charles Windeyer, Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, who died in 1897. There are five daughters and three sons, who survive their mother. One daughter is Mrs. Arthur Trail, and another is the wife of Mr. A. G. Ralston. K.C. During the lifetime of the Judge, Lady Windeyer was very closely identified with charitable and other philanthropic movements in Sydney. She was one of the founders of the Women’s Hospital in Crown-street. She was also prominent amongst those who suggested to the late Sir Henry Parkes the advisability of introducing the boarding-out system for State children; and after the system was introduced, Lady Windeyer did much of the pioneering work to bring about its success. The Prison Gale Brigade had a warm friend in Lady Windeyer, who was also on the committee of the Children’s Relief Board for the temperance movement. Lady Windeyer did much and she was also a strong supporter of the Kindergarten movement, and even up to her death she helped very much the works of the Newcastle branch of the Kindergarten Union.

After her husband’s death, which took place in Italy, while on a pleasure trip, Lady Windeyer returned to Sydney, and settled at Tomago, which was the Judge’s estate. During the last two or three years she did not enjoy robust health, suffering from weakness of the heart; but her end came suddenly at 10.15 p.m. on Tuesday. She was 76 years of age.