Ann Catherina (Dippelsman) Collins (1853 - 1943)

Born 25 Nov 1853 in Acacia Creek, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of William Collins — married 12 May 1874 in Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 Apr 1943 at age 89 in Warwick, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

At the time of her Golden Wedding Anniversary

Warwick Daily News Thursday 15 May 1924

GOLDEN WEDDING CELEBRATION Mr and Mrs William Collins On Monday last, 12th May, Mr and Mrs William Collins, of Canning Street, Warwick, celebrated the golden anniversary of their wedding, by a dinner party at the Cafe Majestic, King Street, when over forty guests were entertained. The tables were beautifully decorated in white and gold, a wedding bell of gold tissue being suspended above the happy pair, and the repast: was a sumptuous one. The tiered wedding cake, whose decorations were gold leaves, was the work and gift of Mr Herb Collins, and proved to be of special quality. Alderman H. Sterne, a life-long friend of the family, acted as toast master and Rev. W. P. Glover, representing the officiating clergyman, held a seat of honour. Mr. and Mrs. Collins received their guests at the head of the stairs, the bride's handsome gown of charmeuse being enriched with jet and sequined net. Mrs. Collins carried a lovely bouquet of white and pink roses and fern veiled with gold tissue, the gift of Miss Hanrahan. After satisfying attention had been paid to the good things provided by Mr. Adam Johnson, who indeed surpassed his best efforts in an endeavour to do honour to the occasion, the loyal toast of "The King" was proposed and drank. Rev. Mr. Glover, who was accompanied by Mrs. Glover, proposed the toast of the "Happy Couple.” He said that a golden wedding appealed to the imagination of everyone. One could imagine the handsome young man of fifty years ago, 'who today was one of the fines in the district, and one could easily imagine, from appearances of today, what a handsome girl the bride was. There were plenty of indications of the good taste of the suitor when he wooed and won his bride. They had lived in harmony and love for fifty years, and I the joy of that distant day was as the joy of today, when the promises made at the first wedding had been, as time went on, so well kept, so well fulfilled. Their marriage had been particularly happy and particularly blessed. There were two fine daughters and six stalwart sons, that were a credit to their parents and to themselves. When the happy couple started out, things were not as good as now, and there were many difficulties to overcome, but a great measure of success had attended their work, and Mr. Collins had won a name as a man of grit, industry and perseverance. Now it was the hope of all that. Mr. and Mrs. Collins might be spared for many years to enjoy the evening of their married life and when the time came for their parting, which it was hoped would be many years hence, they would still live in the recollection of the love they had for one another for the past fifty years, and which everyone hoped they would still enjoy for a long time to come. Ald. Sterne, in supporting the toast, said he would take up a different line from that adopted by the previous speaker. He said his acquaintance with both sides of the Collins family was life-long, and as a boy he had made frequent visits to the home of the bride's parents at Sandy Creek. No doubt, at the time the bridegroom visited there also, but he could not conjecture then the why and the wherefore. (laughter) Both sides had come from that good old pioneering stock that was proverbial in this district, .and now there were many branches spread over a wide area. He remembered Mr. Collins and Mrs. Collins as good citizens of Warwick. The bridegroom evidently was born in 1848 was married at 26, was now 76 years of age, and, besides being a member of the Town Council, occupied the Mayoral chair in 1894. Besides being the oldest resident of Warwick; he was the first white child to secure registration in this town. As Mr. Collins was now advanced in years, and was not so sprightly as in his younger days, perhaps, as was natural, his memory would more vividly cover events of forty and fifty years ago than of, say, six months ago. Mr. Collins, no doubt, would, remember the publication of the first newspaper in Warwick in 1866, as well as the first agricultural show, which was held in a shed at the rear of the present Royal Hotel, in 1868. He would know of the second show that year on the waterworks hill. Then his mind would cover all the Governors of this State from the first, Sir George Ferguson Bowen. He had the close acquaintance of every Mayor of Warwick from 1861 to the present. Mr. Collins would be reminded of the serious political fights of the early days, when feeling more that once ended in rioting. He would remember the election of Hon. John Douglas as Member for the Eastern Downs in 1867, and his ascent to the Premiership in 1877. In 1868 the main line from Gowrie to Warwick was under construction. He would know of that, and the fact in the early eighties the line went on to Stanthorpe and out to Killarney. His mind might be taken back to ‘67 when Governor Bowen paid his first official visit to Warwick, when a great arch spanned Helene Street bridge to do honor to his Excellency who rode over the range with his escort. There was another interesting event Mr Collins would remember. It was the visit to this district of Thunderbolt, the bushranger, in 1868, in which year he stuck up a party of Warwick musicians at Maryland and relieved them £16. Another man on the same road, returning from Tenterfield was relieved of £100, his winnings at the races there. The gold rushes at Elbow Valley, Talgai and Thane’s Creek and the outbreak of Gympie, which took away our district miners, would still be fresh in his mind. The opening of the East School and the building of the Central School would be clear to Mr Collins, and in these later years he must often have marvelled at the wonderful progress made in Warwick from a scholarly standpoint and the splendid opportunities now afforded the rising generations compared with those of his early day. As a lover of a good racehorses Mr. Collins could throw his mind back to the time when the township was built on the eastern lowlands near the river, and the exciting races that took place through the township from east of the East School up Victoria Street and finished at the Horse and Jockey Hotel (now the Commercial), which, in the early days was conducted by his father, the late Sir. John Collins. The bridegroom whom they were honouring had been closely associated with the rise and progress of Warwick since its inception. He was born a year Top of Form after the date when the Government of New South Wales instructed Mr. Patrick Leslie In select a site for a township on the Condamine, below Canning Downs. That township, first called Cunningtown, was changed to Warwick. The Leslies took up South Toolburra, and it was there that Wilson, another bushranger, robbed Walter Leslie of his gold watch and valuable horse. He returned the watch next day because he heard the Leslies were good to their employees but he kept the horse to get away. Mr. Collins would remember those incidents. Warwick was proclaimed a municipality in '61. Besides being Mayor in 1804 he was a member of the Council which sent filial greetings and presents from our .own Warwick to Warwick in England in 1897, the delivery of which was made by Hon. T. T. Byrnes, Attorney-General and member for Warwick, in person in June that year, when her Majesty Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee was celebrated throughout the Empire. Mr. Sterne, in concluding, said he joined heartily with Mr. Glover in congratulating the bride and bridegroom on having completed fifty years of happy married life. Both were esteemed this town and district for their uprightness, for their sterling honesty, and the honour conferred upon them by such an unique family gathering was not more than they deserved. He wished that both, would be blessed with continued happiness for the remainder of their lives. The toast was drunk to musical honours. Mr. Collins, in responding, said he was a very happy man, the happiest in Warwick in celebrating his golden wedding, which wedding took place in Warwick fifty years ago, between two natives of the place. He was proud and happy in the love and harmony that, had existed between them in all those years, and very .happy in the. family of two daughters and six sons that they had reared in honor and respect in their own hometown. No man in Warwick could say more of the pride he had in his family than he could. His memory could, so far as Warwick went, go farther back than Mr. Steine had mentioned. When he was born in Warwick at the Horse and Jockey (now the Commercial) Hotel, which was then kept by his father, there were also in Warwick a police barracks and a store, the latter on the site of the Glengallan Shire Office. That comprised the town of Warwick. When Governor Bowen arrived in Warwick, and paid a visit to Lyndhurst, an escort was provided to meet him and take him along. Of that escort he was the only living member. Mr. Mitchell, his uncle, was marshal. The first election held in Warwick was for a member for the New South Wales Parliament, when John MacLenn, of Acacia Creek, stood, and was defeated. He could keep on reminiscing, but he would rather just how tell them how proud and happy he was at having his family, their spouses and his grandchildren, and all the other dear relatives and friends present, helping him to celebrate this, perhaps the happiest time of his life, the golden anniversary of the wedding with his dear wife, who was just as proud and happy as he was. Mrs. Sterne was called upon to propose the toast to the health of the family. She said it was an honour to be asked to do so. Mrs. Jack Ward and Mrs. Syd Thompson were universally well like and well thought of and took after their mother as well as two children could, whose upbringing had had all the loving care and thought that such a mother could so well give. The sons were known to everyone in Warwick, and were honoured and liked by all. They were keen business men, who in building up their own success had contributed to the success of Warwick, also, and it was hoped that they would have the pleasure of having, their parents, with them for many years to come. Mr. J. H. Collins, in responding for the family, said he was enjoying the proudest moment of his life, and his greatest hope was that they might be able to celebrate their parents' diamond wedding. If as a family they stood in favour with their fellow townspeople, it was all due to the parents they had, and no family could think more of their father and mother than did the Collins family. Their mother had always been admired and it was quite a common thing for people to ask, when seeing the three of them together, which was the mother. He hoped that all might be with them ten years hence, to celebrate the diamond anniversary and to judge by present indications; there were no reasons why they should not. Mr. W. G. Collins said he was feeling just as pleased and happy as his brother and he knew they all felt the same. They had a good rearing albeit a strenuous one. When they were boys four o’clock in the morning saw them up helping the dad until 8 o’clock, then breakfast and school. Their father never spared them anything not even the strap, and they got that when they needed it. A gymnasium was built for them in the yard until they had every boy in the school there after hours, and it was only pulled down when the throng of boys found the going too "hot." When they wanted a pony it was got for them, till they nearly rode it to death, but all sport was fostered and no expense spared to give them a good time, after their work was done. Just here in passing, he would like to say a word of appreciation of Mr. Johnson's provision of good things. It was one of the best that he had ever known put before a gathering, in Warwick. He saw no reason why his parents wedding anniversary should not be celebrated every year, until they had reached their diamond wedding. Mr. Glover proposed the toast of one of the very important, persons at the wedding fifty years ago, namely that of the bridesmaid, whose name in the register as "Annie Dipplesman” but who was so well known to them all as Mrs. James McKone; The best man on that far off occasion was Mr. Alfred Collins but he had been taken to his Maker some time ago, and he would therefore call on his namesake, Mr. Alf Collins, to respond on behalf of the bridesmaid. After the toast had been musically, honored, Mr. Alf Collins said, he was very glad to respond on behalf of, his aunt, whose special boy he always had been. All his holidays had been spent at her home, and she had been his favorite aunt, even though all the others had been dear to him. Mr. Tom Collins, the baby of the Collins family, proposed the health of the Chairman and Mr. Glover. Mr. Glover in responding said he hoped all members of the family would not only be spared to celebrate the jubilee of their parents wedding, but also the golden anniversary of their own weddings. Mr. W. 0. Collins proposed the toast, of the sister of the .bridegroom, and the sisters and brothers of the bride, and on their behalf Mr; Henry Dipplesman and Mr. George Dipplesman responded.. Mr. Syd Thompson, for the children-in-law, expressed the great pleasure he had in being present, and offering his congratulations to what he knew to be about the happiest married couple he had ever known. When they saw grandfather driving about every day in his sulky, they did not have much doubt about his being able to bring them all together again for his diamond jubilee. Mr. Will Thompson made quite a fine speech on behalf of the eleven grandchildren and hoped with everyone else; "that they would all be present at the diamond wedding" Dancing and cards helped to lengthen out the evening, and the guests dispersed at a late hour, after furthcr happy conversation and reminiscences. Amongst the gifts made to the bridal pair were a cozy armchair for grandfather from his grandchildren, and a cozy one for grandmother (from her family, and a purse of sovereigns from the members of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Sterne's gift of silver and gold to the bride, was accompanied by a loving cup embellished with the Warwick coat-of-arms for the oldest Warwick native. The bridegroom's gift to his bride was a valuable five-diamond ring.

Sources

• Source: S500001 Barry Smyth Smyth OBrien Griffin Web Site

  MyHeritage family tree

  Family site: Smyth OBrien Griffin Web Site

  Family tree: 130964291-1 Discovery Media: 130964291-1Ann Catherina Collins (born Dipplesman) Certainty: 3 10 JAN 2022 Added via a Person Discovery Event: Discovery
• Source: S500017 Silke Dippoldsmann Dippoldsmann Web Site

  MyHeritage family tree

  Family site: Dippoldsmann Web Site

  Family tree: 151231682-1 Discovery Media: 151231682-1Cathrine Collins (geb. Dippoldsmann) Certainty: 3 18 APR 2022 Added via a Person Discovery Event: Discovery