Emily Dutton


Emily Dutton was a businesswoman, musician and socialite of South Australia, wife of Henry Hampden Dutton. She was for many years manager of Anlaby Station and managing director of Anlaby Pastoral Company.

History

Emily was born in Gawler, South Australia, the daughter of John Felix Martin and his wife Christina, née McNeil, who married in Gawler on 10 October 1879.
She was an accomplished musician, studying violin and piano under Mrs. Alfred Law of Denbigh Cottage and the Anglican Sisters' school at North Adelaide. The Martins regularly entertained at their home "Martindale" in Duffield Street, Gawler East, where Emily learned the art of the gracious hostess. Cultivated, tall and strikingly beautiful, if somewhat austere, her name was frequently in the "Social Pages"; she was a fine catch for Harry Dutton, son of Henry Dutton, the "Squire of Anlaby". They were engaged in July 1905 and married four months later, on 29 November 1905. They took their honeymoon in Britain and Europe. They travelled a lot, and stayed at the best hotels. When the couple visited London in 1910, G. W. Lambert painted her portrait.
They were in England again when they received news of Henry's father's death on 25 August 1914. They arrived back in Adelaide on Saturday 17 October and returned to Anlaby. A memorial service was held on Sunday 24 October at nearby Hamilton, in St. Matthews Anglican Church, which, with its fine pipe organ, had been financed by the "Squire of Anlaby". Emily played the voluntary and recessional and C. de N. Lucas presided at the organ during the service.
Her involvement with the arts never waned – she was a founding member of the South Australian Symphony Orchestra in 1920, and displayed considerable talent with the brush, exhibiting regularly with the Royal South Australian Society of Arts.
Like her adventurous husband, Emily was a keen motorist. Following his historic drive from Adelaide to Darwin in August 1908, in 1921 the two of them motored from Oodnadatta to Katherine, around, the rest of the journey from Adelaide to Darwin being taken by rail; she was the first woman to make that trip. The party consisted of two Dodge cars, the second being driven by the Duttons' chauffeur, a Mr. Brearley, and though arduous the trip was practically trouble-free; one broken spring and one puncture in the Dunlop "Railroad" tyres being the only damages incurred.
She made many friends, including George II of Greece, among the élite of Britain and Europe, and was holidaying there in 1932 with daughter Helen when her husband died at Anlaby, the same week of her court appearance in Buckingham Palace; where she again appeared the following year.
Her civic and charitable interests included the Australian Red Cross Society, of which she was a longtime divisional councillor, from 1937 assistant controller of the Voluntary Aid Detachment and from 1938 country supervisor for the Voluntary Service Detachment and district officer for the St John Ambulance Brigade.
She died at Anlaby on 11 May 1962 and was buried in the family plot, St Matthew's Church, Hamilton.

Family