Harriet Elizabeth Elphinstone Dick

HARRIET ROWELL

Harriet Rowell, born 1852, became a swimming instructress at Brills Baths, Brighton and undertook feats of swimming endurance normally associated with men. In order to compete on equal terms, she often swum under the name of Elphinstone Dick and is recorded as having swum from Shoreham to Brighton in a rough sea in a little under 3 hours. She also chose to use that same name in her later life in Australia She died at her home in South Brighton, Australia in 1902 and was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery there.

1875 Harriet and Alice left England on 6th December 1875 on board the 'Newcastle' 1876 They arrived in Melbourne, Australia on 26 March 1876 Listed as Miss Emily Howell (Harriet Rowell) and Miss Moon age as 25 (Alice was 19) 1877 Melbourne directory lists (the misses) Moon & Rowell, artists, at 158 Elgin St Carlton. 1878 May 6 return to England on board the 'DURHAM'. (Miss Rowell 30, Miss Moon 26). 1879 March: Return to Australia via Porte de Galles, Ceylon on the 'ASSAM' 1879 Joined Australian Health Society 1879 June 30 Their Ladies Gymnasium opened. 1880 Melbourne Directory. Moon & Rowell (Dick,H.E,. Rowell,H.E., Moon,A.C.) 1880- Moon Miss Alice. residing at 11 Rupert St, Collingwood. (just above entry for AC) 1880 DICK Miss ELPHINSTONE, Ladies Gymnasium Mutual Provident Buildings, Collins -St West Moon: Miss A.C. (Moon and Rowell) 2 St.Helliers-St (Collingwood) Abbotsford Rowell: Miss H.E (Moon and Rowell) "The Steyne" St.Helier-St, Abbotsford. 1880-92 Couple teaching at various ladies colleges. 1881 Moon: Miss Alice, (2?) St.Hellier-St, Collingwood. DICK Miss ELPHINSTONE, ladies' gymnasium, 6 Mutual Provident Buildings, Collins-St West.

Trade listing: GYMNASIUMS Dick, Miss Elphinstone, Mutual Provident Buildings, Collins St West

1882 DICK Miss ELPHINSTONE, Ladies' Gymnasium, 6 Mutual Provident Buildings, Collins St West. 1882 May: Note: They took the train to Ballarat each Wednesday.

Street Directory 1882 South side Collins St West, number 6, Mutual Provident Buildings Ladies Gymnasium - Dick, Miss Elphinstone, & Moon, Miss A.C. 1883 Moon as above, DICK, Miss ELPHINSTONE and MOON Miss AC ladies gymnasium etc 1884-85 Dick & Moon, Ladies' Gymnasium, Little Collins St East, Melbourne.

Trades Directory:Teachers-Gymnastics 1884-85 Dick & Moon, Little Collins Street East, Melbourne (Hansen's Buildings opposite Melb Chambers, north side) 1884- Moved to Upper Beaconsfield 20 acres. Alice Moon was the buyer. H Dick buys land opposite the above and calls it, 'The Steyne' 1884 April 2 During their once a week journey by the train from Ballarat to Melbourne, it collides with a goods train at Little River near Werribee, 3 dead and carriage next to theirs destroyed. 1884-7 Annual display at Melbourne Town Hall. 1888 & 89 No displays listed 1890 Final display 1888 April 18. Sold Beaconsfield, returned to Melbourne. 1888 Nov 1 Opened restaurant called “Central Luncheon and Tearooms.” 1888-89 Moon Alice . C. Archibald St Caulfield 1890 August The Central Luncheon and Tearoom’s menu stops appearing in Argus. 1891- (Melbourne directory) Moon 13 Benjamin St Parkville. 1891-1892 A Mrs Tait takes over Central Luncheon and Tearooms, and Alice moves to Sydney. Harriett followed her to Sydney, but Josephine Mc Cormick kept advertising Harriet’s presence at gym. Was there now a rift between Alice and Harriet? 1891 Sept. Alice Moon's Will was made, not naming Harriet as a beneficery, but leaving all her money to Mary Rose Merewether & Florence Agnes Parker (both nee Leary) and Josephine McCormick. It is known Alice was then living at 'Lurlie' (7 Williams St, Double Bay) with the Merewethers and J McCormic ran the ladies Gym, so perhaps that is how those women came into Alice’s life. But if her gender preference was genuine, why leave her considerable wealth to MARRIED women and shut out Harriet Rowell? 1894 May Alice is buried at Old South Head Cemetery and beside her lie three other women. Who were they and did they have any part in her life? The cemetery records have her as Alice C Moon (1857 -21/5/1894) The date of death is obviously correct, but her name and year of birth are not. We know from our research that she was born in Brighton, England in 1855 and originally called Caroline Mercy Alice Moon.