Sylvia Hannah Cartwright

Sylvia was born at Birchip on the 7th. June  1923, the fifth child of William Harold and Rebecca Margaret Bolden (nee Glen).

She was cared for in babyhood by Harold’s Uncle Frank and Aunt Hannah who didn’t have children. One would assume Rebecca (Maggie) was appreciative of some help with her growing family. Sylvia had very dark hair right from birth, which led her father to comment Sylvia was a “ring in”. Her siblings were fair headed. 

Sylv went to Birchip West School for most of her school years and attained her Merit Certificate before leaving to help with work on the family farm. She had musical talent – a good singing voice and the ability to play tunes from memory on the piano.

When she was about 18 years old Sylv was seeking a partner for the Debutante Ball. She asked George Cartwright, a rather shy but willing young man, who not only partnered her but was keen to continue a courtship. Romance blossomed and when Sylvia was 21 she and George became engaged and they were married in the Birchip Presbyterian Church on the 2nd. September 1944. They had two children – Yvonne (1946) and Max (1948).

Sylv was able to express her love of musical entertainment in local concerts and other group performances. She was always fun loving, enjoying stories and jokes, and I think this trait came from Harold. She shared this trait with her siblings who were fun to be around. Sylvia’s maternal instincts were from her much loved and more serious minded mother, Maggie. Sylvia adored her children, grand children and great grand children.

George spent a lot of time helping out in community organisations and this certainly required Sylv’s support. Sylv was also right beside George when he became a Birchip Shire Councilor in the 1960’s and they served the local community in that capacity for over 20 years. 

They enjoyed a 60 year marriage – celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in 2004.  It was a couple of months later that Sylv suffered the collapse of a brain aneurysm from which she didn’t fully recover and spent her last three years residing in the Nursing Home in Birchip.  Her death occurred on July 17th. 2007 aged 84.