Cutting the cake.
In 1992 Suzanne Martin’s father and Maitland Citizen of the Year, Bill (William Patrick) Martin helped to cut the cake celebrating Maitland Hospital’s 150th anniversary and its three year Accreditation Certificate. Suzanne shares her Dad’s story and her family’s connections to Maitland Hospital.
Maitland Herald, 4 March 1992
(Suzanne Martin Collection)
Bill Martin’s background
In 1944 Bill came from Sydney to work at the F J Palmers Menswear Factory. Two years later he married Phyllis Hinchey who worked with her mother, Fanny Hinchey, the licensee – since 1924 – of the Royal Hotel located opposite the Maitland Town Hall.
Royal Hotel during 1955 flood.
Photograph reproduced in Newcastle Herald, 13 March 2021.
Royal Hotel, High St, Maitland, 1959
(Hunter Photobank 460 000126)
On her Mum’s death in 1962, Phyllis became the licensee of the Royal Hotel. The family lived there.
Bill always had his own occupation including several years working as secretary/manager of three different sporting clubs in the area and as a purchasing officer at Newcastle’s BHP.
He was an active Catholic in his parish including being a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society and president of the Matthew Talbot Hostel for Homeless Men at East Maitland when it closed in 1996. He was also involved on the committees of many local sports clubs and charitable organisations.
Bill, his wife and family left the Royal Hotel in December 1979 and moved to Tenambit.
Bill and Phyllis Martin celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren, 24 August 1986.
(Suzanne Martin Collection)
Back row, left to right: Damian Dorahy, Roy Dorahy, Jennifer Dorahy (nee Martin), Martin Dorahy, Suzanne Martin, Laurie Hall.
Front row, left to right: Catherine Dorahy, Phyllis Martin with Therese Dorahy, Bill Martin, Elizabeth Hall (Martin) with Nicole Hall, Louise Hall.
Seated in front: Gerard Dorahy.
The family and Maitland Hospital
At the 150th anniversary celebrations Bill observed that his daughters and five grandchildren were all born at the hospital, and that he had ‘nothing but praise for the hospital’.
Suzanne Martin adds details. His third daughter was born with a digestive problem. She was in the hospital for several months and was fed and nourished with the whey of junket and sherry!!!
His mother, Catherine Martin, born in Wales – no wonder he had such a beautiful singing voice – died in November 1968 in Maitland Hospital. His wife, Phyllis, died in June 1991 in the hospital.
Phyllis’s father and Bill’s father-in-law, Frank Hinchey, died from the Spanish flu in 1919. At the time he was in the Maitland Benevolent Asylum in Regent Street which had been requisitioned and converted into an isolation ward for Spanish flu patients. The intention was to keep the infectious patients away from the main hospital.
Left: Fanny (nee Bickerton) and Frank Hinchey with Clarice (b 1912) and William (b. 1910), about 1912.
(Suzanne Martin Collection)
Three more children were born before Frank Hinchey’s death in 1919.
Right: Frank Hinchey’s obituary in Maitland Daily Mercury, 30 June 1919.
Fanny Hinchey celebrating her 80th birthday at the Royal Hotel, Maitland, 28 August 1958.
Left: with her children, Noel, Patricia, Claire, Phyllis and William.
Right: with 9 of her 12 grandchildren.
Posted: 25 Jan 2022
Updated: 5 Feb 2022