Mavis Constance Smith

     NOTE: The information on this page is my research to date and is subject to change as I become better informed. I very much welcome any corrections or additional info you might have - my email address is at the bottom of this page. Whilst historical facts are not copyright, my writing about these facts are. If you wish to use any text from this site on Ancestry or on any other website, please ask me first - Tim Hill.


Mavis was born on Saturday, 11 March 1916 at Adelaide. She was the daughter of James Smith and Elsie Florence Darby. Her grandmother Martha Alice Miller (also called Patty) thought the 'Mavis Constance' was an awful name and said "I am christening her Patricia" and she has been Patty ever since.^1,2 She moved with her parents to Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, circa 1923. However, they only stayed there a year before moving to Sydney.³

She almost certainly attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of John Hill and Margery Jean Smith at Sydney Church of England Grammar Chapel on Saturday, 2 November 1929 at North Sydney. John and Margery went on to have only one child together.⁴ 25 September 1931 there was a determination in a Worker's Compensation hearing between 'Patricia Smith and her next best friend James Agincourt Smith', and Anne Matheson. This probably related to Pattie being emplyed by Anne Matheson but was represented in some capacity by her father.¹

Throughout their lives, the three sisters were very close despite being very different. They were intelligent, interested in world affairs and great conversationalists.⁵

She married Hec Willson, a doctor, son of Frank Bourne Willson and Marie Louise Loutit, in a Church of England ceremony at St. John's on Monday, 16 February 1942 at the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst. She was 25 and her husband Hec was 27. News of the fall of Singapore to the Japanese reached Australia the same day...⁶ Pattie lived in 1943 at at 8 Birriga Road in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill.⁷ Hec was 2IC of the Cowra Japanese POW camp's hospital when at least 545 Japanese attempted to break out. The prisioners inflicted ghastly wounds on themselves and Hec operated for 72 hours. His wife read in the paper about the breakout but was not informed of Hec's condition for a month. He sufferred from emotional and physical injuries; his back and neck was injured, and he said he witnessed far more disturbing wounds in Cowra than he saw in New Guinea.⁸

Patty, aged 28 and Hec Willson, aged 30 became the parents of Peter John Willson on Friday, 23 February 1945 at at St. Luke's hospital in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst.⁶

Pattie, aged 31 and John Hector Willson, aged 33 became the parents of Richard Frank Willson on Thursday, 4 December 1947 at Brisbane.⁶ Mavis and John lived in 1948 at at 185 Adelaide Street in the Brisbane suburb of Clayfield.⁹ Mavis and John lived in 1949 at at 'Bidston' 42 View Street in the Brisbane suburb of Eagle Junction.¹⁰

Her father died 16 June 1950 at the age of 68. Pattie was aged 34 when this happened.

Her mother died 27 February 1966 at the age of 81. Mavis was aged 49 when this happened. Mavis and John lived in 1968 at at 14 Bale Street in the Brisbane suburb of Ascot.¹¹ Mavis and John lived in 1972 at at 179 Spit Road in the Sydney suburb of Mosman.¹²

Her husband John died 9 May 1975 at the age of 61, leaving her a widow at age 59. Pattie and Richie lived in 1987 at Wamberal, New South Wales.

Mavis died on 17 June 2018 at Sydney Cove at age 102.