Collection SummaryLily Dawson was married to Arthur Midgley. They were a well known Menai pioneer family.BiographyBorn in Sheffield, Yorkshire England, Lily was the youngest of four daughters of John and Emily Dawson. The family sailed to Australia on the "Abergaldie". On arrival in Australia they moved to Botany and later St Peters. In 1885 the family moved to Hurstville.
When land was made available as a homestead selection at Bangor the family took up one of these portions in 1898. The land needed to be cleared and a cottage erected. At first Lily helped her mother out in the home. She later took on a job as a receptionist and domestic for Dr Rooke a doctor in the nearby suburb of Sutherland.
In October 1909 she married Arthur Midgley and resided in Sutherland. With two children they moved to Menai in 1914. Later twin boys Alf and Fred were born there.
Lily was very active in the congregational church and the school of arts. Her husband Arthur died in 1949.
She died in March 1977 and was fondly remembered by the community leaving three sons and their families.
