Catherine Anne Kitty

GEDCOM Note

Catherine was the first born child to John and Helena. She was baptised on 12 Dec 1880 by Fr. J. Hackett and her sponsors were John Berkery and Catherine Walsh. On 30 Dec 1881, she was immunised at Warrenheip by Dr. Richard Bruce of Ballarat. She was recorded as being 9 months old and residing at Leigh Creek.

Over the years, as their family grew, she would have helped her mother with household tasks and caring for her younger brothers and sisters. This help extended at registering the births of her sister Winefred in 1895 and brother Patrick in 1897.

In 1904 she married Ernest Matthews from Ballarat. In an attempt to improve their lives, Ernest continued to work as a driver while Kate became a publican. They lived at 122 Creswick Road and maintained these jobs for the next 15 years or so. During this time Kate managed to work and raise seven children.

Catherine and Ernest moved to the City Oval Hotel, Pleasant Street North where Catherine was the licensee. This fine double story hotel in the historic Lake Wendoree section of Ballarat was the family home for a couple of years until Catherine found climbing the stairs a problem with her bad varicose veins. While licensee at the City Oval, Catherine appeared at court in January 1922 for having the door to the temperance bar locked for which she was fined one pound (Argus 13 Jan 1922), and in August 1922 she was fined two pound for having every door leading to the temperance bar unlocked and two pound for not having the lodgers register entered up (Argus 30 Aug 1922).

Early in 1923, the family moved from the City Oval Hotel to the Grapes Hotel at 121 Grant Street, Ballarat. Catherine was pregnant with their seventh child and the single story hotel was more accomodating to the family 's needs.

The hazards of being a hotel licensee continued for Catherine and she was again caught by Police with offences against the licensing laws. She appeared before the court in Sep 1932 charged with having permitted men to be on the premises after hours. She was fined two pounds. (Argus Wed 7 Sep 1932, Pg10). In Mar 1933, Catherine appeared at court charged with trading in unlawful hours and having men on the premises on Feb 11 1933. She said the her son had served drinks to a number of men in the temperance bar in the honour of his honeymoon. For the disposal of liquor she was fined two pound and the second charge was withdrawn. (Argus Tues 14 M ar 1933, Pg 10)

By 1924, Kate and Ernest owned a home to 19 Grant Street, Ballarat East. They remained at this address until their respective deaths. They may have lived between the two addresses as Betty Matthews recalls that she lived her childhood at the Grapes Hotel until a short time prior to her marriage.

Ernest, having given up his employed work, assisted Catherine in their hotel business. On the 21 Jun 1941, Catherine applied to the Licensing Court, Melbourne to transfer her Victuller's licence to Alfred Stanley Boote of the Clarendon Hotel, Latrobe Terrace, Chilwell. The application was granted.

Apparently, while operating their hotel business, Catherine and Ern also became involved in horse racing. mainly trotting, although no details of successes have been found.

GEDCOM Source

Victorian Birth Certificate @NS23321@ Reg. 25840 /1880 QUAY 0

GEDCOM Source

Victorian Death Index 1921 - 1985 @NS23401@ Reg. 21488 / 1943 QUAY 0

GEDCOM Source

Ballarat Cemetery Records @NS17661@ PrivF.10.30R1 QUAY 0

GEDCOM Source

Church Baptism Record @NS18241@ QUAY 0 St Alipius Ballarat baptismal register.