Hilda May (1868 - 1949) married Leslie Byron Morres (sometimes listed as Morris) in June 1904.
Hilda and Leslie (known as Byron) had three children.
1. Allan (1905 -1952)
2. Russell Byron (1907 -1973) married Lillian Walker in 1934
3. Margaret Heather (known as Peggy) (1908 - 19??) married Carel Adam Trupp in 1942
It should be of no surprise to find that Hilda Burn was a hardworking charitable woman who was always volunteering for various causes. As early as 1899, we can see that she raised money for the Bendigo hospital where she was the Matron.
Hilda is also mentioned in a 1915 article about her work at the Australian Newspaper Depot in Melbourne. Here she managed the collection and distribution of literary items such as books and newspapers for WW1 troops. She also organised the transportation of items such as puddings and fly nets to the troops.
Hilda had a long life of community service. Through her work, she developed a wide range of friends and her parties and gatherings were often written about in the newspaper. A newspaper article about their children's party, shows they were always welcoming, having some 100 children in attendance.
Like her great grandfather William Hone, her grandmother Sarah Burn and her father Allan Burn, Hilda was an avid letter writer. Many examples of her Letters to the Editor can be found on the National Library's Trove website.
Some newspaper articles show an insight into her and Byron's daily lives, including a number of robberies at their house and there was a court case over carpet.
Byron appears to have worked as an accountant and auditor. He was on various Company Boards including the Yea and Mansfield Dairy Company as well as Lux Lighting. He also worked briefly for the Papuan Rubber Company.
Hilda and Byron were active members and fundraisers for the Sutherland Homes, which appear to have been an orphanage of some kind. Somehow Leslie made a moral error and was convicted for fraudulent behaviour. A change in her financial circumstances meant that Hilda had to draw on her personal zeal and as such she opened her own ''house, land and estate business" in 1918.
At some stage Leslie moved to Sydney and was living in Petersham at the time of his death in 1945.
Her death notice showed that along with her three children, she also had two grandchildren. You can view her obituary and Hilda's children thankyou notice.
