Margaret MADDEN

Margaret (May) Madden

1888 - 1967

Margaret Madden, seventh child of William Patrick Madden and (Ann) Nora Ford, was born at Winbar Station, a sheep property near Louth on the Darling River in New South Wales. Winbar was settled in 1860 and, like Dunlop, another river station, Winbar is the oldest on the Darling. It now covers some 150 000 acres and is about 19 miles square with the wriggling line of the river forming the western boundary. The original homestead was burned down and has been replaced with a new one on the site of the old. No doubt this was where Margaret's father was working at the time she was born. Together with her parents, sisters and brothers, Margaret arrived in Cunnamulla as a youngster approaching teenage years and, later in the early 1900s, she moved to Toowoomba. Margaret's father was a contract carrier and worked bullock teams in the western areas of NSW and south-western Queensland.

With very little formal education behind her, Margaret spent much of her time caring for her younger sisters. Margaret eventually moved into the workforce and, like some of her sisters, found hotel employment as a domestic in Toowoomba. It was while working there that Margaret was courted by George Berthelsen. Although she was popular with the boys, it was the young George, son of a Danish immigrant, whom she finally chose to wed.

George Christian Berthelsen, named after his father (George is the English form of Jørgen) and his uncle Christian, was one of two surviving sons born to Scandinavian immigrants, Jørgen Bert(h)elsen and Ellen Jonasen (anglicised from Jonasdatter) who arrived in Queensland in the 1870s. George was the fifth child and following his mother's premature death in 1893 when he was barely 7 years old, was raised by his sisters. George attended school in Bundaberg just ahead of the town's famous aviator, Bert Hinkler. After finishing primary school, young George moved away in search of work. He was attracted to the Darling Downs where he obtained work in Toowoomba hotels, firstly as a yardman and later as a kitchen hand.

Married In Toowoomba

On 18 December 1907, George, aged 22, married Margaret, a week after her nineteenth birthday at St Patrick's Cathedral, Toowoomba according to the rites of the Roman Catholic church. The chief witnesses were older brother, Bill (William Patrick "Masher" Madden) and her mother. Their marriage certificate gave the groom's address as Margaret Street and that of the bride as Little John Street, Toowoomba.

In the following year, George and Margaret were blessed with the arrival of a daughter, Edna May. Other offspring born while living in Toowoomba included Olga Margaret in 1909, George Charles (1911) and Trafalgar (Val) Edith (1913). Known addresses at which the family lived during these years were Thorn Street from 1910 to 1911 and Wylie Street from 1913 to 1915. After the loss of his hotel job, George Christian sought other employment and at the time of Val's birth in 1913, he was a cab proprietor. Later, the family moved to Maryborough Street, Bundaberg.

A Move To Bundaberg and Later To Brisbane

During the family's time in Bundaberg, Clarance, the second son was born in 1916. His father was at the time working for the Millaquin Sugar Mills but he was later retrenched due to the effects of World War I. Some time afterwards, the Berthelsen family left for Brisbane. In 1917, Post Office directories indicate that the family was living at 226 Harcourt Street, New Farm where they remained until around 1919. Cecil William, the first child to be born in Brisbane, arrived on 22 February 1918. Baby Cecil was unwell infant and after constant care and nursing attention, he died in the Brisbane Children's hospital on 9 January 1919. His death certificate cites gastroenteritis, haemophylia and exhaustion as the causes of death.

Life for the Berthelsen family was extremely difficult and with very little money left after buying essential food and clothing, the family moved frequently from house to house, with barely enough to pay the rent. According to official records, they resided at more addresses than I can find space to record, including Water Street, Fortitude Valley where my mother, Ruby, was born in 1920. Violet arrived on 9 September 1921 followed by Bernice (1924) and Roy (1926). Other addresses which have appeared in official records are 15 Bailey Street, New Farm (1922), Rosemount Street, Windsor, Isedale Street, Wooloowin and Butterfield Street, Herston between 1923 and 1927. Oxford Street, Bulimba, Arthur Street, Teneriffe and Stratton Street, Fortitude Valley up to 1928, followed by Helen Street in 1929 and Symes Street, Fortitude Valley from 1932 are other known addresses.

"Pop" died on 27 June 1944 after suffering a coronary occlusion and cardiac failure while asleep. His departure was a sudden one and without any chance of farewells by the family. I was too young to ever have the pleasure of knowing "Pop", but I know from all accounts, he was a wonderful person.

Since then, life for the Berthelsens has continued. In the late 1950s, the Royal National Association (RNA) bought the family home and land in Symes Street Fortitude Valley (and several other surrounding properties)  for extensions to the showgrounds. Most of the family was by this time married—only Margaret and adult children George, Bernice and Roy remained living at home. George bought a home at 43 Manson Road, Hendra where they lived for a year but this arrangement proved unworkable and so Margaret, Bernice and Roy later moved to 57 Lamington Avenue, Lutwyche.

Margaret was a very determined and strong willed lady, a trait common to the Maddens. To my young senses she was inflexible and unyielding and always exhibited dominance. There were occasions that I recall when she would pout, strain her neck, throw her head high and walk away from a scene, whistling. This was a definite sign of a loss! I guess these characteristics were inherited from her Irish-Australian born father, William Patrick, the bullocky. It is reported that he tied Margaret up to a tree once when she was a child as punishment for being disobedient. This type of behaviour demonstrates just one side of her father whom we know so little about.

After a short illness and hospitalisation at Royal Brisbane, Margaret passed away on 6 February 1967. She was buried two days later and now rests in the Toowong cemetery with her husband and baby, Cecil William. Causes of death cited on her death certificate were given as brain stem thrombosis, diabetic coma, deep vein thrombosis and pyelonephritis. At the time of her demise, Margaret Berthelsen was living at 57 Lamington Avenue, Lutwyche with Bernice who was still single.

Two children of the marriage who never married were George Charles and baby Cecil William. As background information, George, being the first son was named after his father. George was known as Master George or "Choca" and played football for Valleys in his youth. On completing his compulsory schooling, he began work as a compositor with a newspaper company and attended college to learn the trade.   Later, he became a truck driver, working for Jacksons, then well-known truck carriers in Brisbane.

George became engaged to a Maureen Casey of Bulimba. Later, she was committed to hospital after an incident that left George devastated. He never again bothered with any romantic attachments. All other children married and lived in and around Brisbane. All have now gone to meet their Maker.

The Family in Summary

• Margaret May 1888 - 1967

• George Christian Berthelsen (husband) 1885 - 1944

• Edna May 1908 - 2000

• Olga Margaret 1909 - 2003

• George Charles 1911 - 1988

• Tragalgar Edith 1913 - 1978

• Clarance 1916 - 1999

• Cecil William 1918 - 1919

• Ruby 1920 - 1998

• Violet 1921 - 1946

• Bernice Mary 1924 - 1999

• Roy 1926 - 1991

Can you assist with any further information?