MURPHY, Agnes

Agnes Gillian Murphy was born in Ireland but that is as much as we know about her early life.  She appears to have arrived in Melbourne about 1884 on a visit to her sister, Elizabeth (Lily), who was already living here.  She was first employed transcribing legal documents but in 1885 managed to persuade Maurice Brodsky to take her on as a contributor to his new magazine, Table Talk, and her journalistic career was born. She then briefly held the position of social editor on The Herald before moving to the Melbourne Punch.[1] Using the name ‘Rhoda’ she wrote a column headed ‘Lady’s Letter’ in which she wrote chatty social news to her imaginary friend, Esme. The first of these letters appeared on 13 January 1887. This was just after the owners of the Melbourne Bulletin had acquired its older rival and turned it from an essentially political paper into one that also covered social and theatrical news.

Within about four years of her arrival in Melbourne Agnes met Aimee Moore who became her lifelong friend and constant companion.  It was about this time that Aimee’s family moved to East Melbourne from Ballarat.  Her immediate family lived at 61 Gipps Street, while her widowed grandmother, Martha Dunster, rented 205 George Street which she ran as a boarding house.[2]  It is possible that Agnes rented a room from her and through her met Aimee. Another possibility is that Aimee had started out with journalistic aspirations and it may have been this that brought the two together. 

In 1890 the two friends were amongst the founding members of the Austral Salon, Melbourne’s first women’s club.[3]  The Salon provided a stage for emerging performers to display their talent, and often was able to assist with funding. The Salon’s membership soon included many of Melbourne’s leading female writers, musicians and artists, amongst them singers Nellie Melba, Ada Crossley and Amy Castles.

Agnes wrote her weekly column for the next seven years until leaving, with Aimee, for England in March 1895.[4] On arrival in England she started a new column in the Melbourne Punch called ‘Rhoda’s Letter’ in which she described the social activities and theatrical successes of Australians living in London. During this period she visited Ireland and in particular Kingscourt in County Cavan. It was reported in the Melbourne press that she, “was recently the guest of the Rev. J. Flood, P.P., Kingscourt, who was the guardian of her childhood”.[5] This is perhaps the only real clue as to Agnes’ Irish background.

Before setting off for England Agnes had written a novel.  It was called One Woman’s Wisdom and she is said to have written it in forty hours. Routledge agreed to publish it and it was available in Melbourne in early November 1895. Table Talk reported of it that, ‘if it does not disclose any literary ability, serves to prove the truth of Sir Walter Scott's dictum: "The common people are the severest critics of the conduct of their betters."[6] Two months later Routledge wrote to its Melbourne agent requesting that the book be withdrawn from sale on account of five pending libel suits.[7]

While in England Agnes held positions with several newspapers including the British Australasian, as well as being English correspondent for the local Australasian.  She lived, at least at the time of the 1901 English Census, in Montague Mansions, Marylebone.  Also living with her and Aimee was the singer, Ada Crossley.  Table Talk’s reporter thought they were:
 
an odd trio to be chums. Miss Crossley is distinguished for her elegance and beautiful frocking, Miss Murphy scorns such feminine fripperies and adheres to semi-masculine garb, with a sailor hat pressed down hard on her short-cropped, curly hair, whilst Miss Moore is of the etherials, aesthetic style, who patronises lank, clinging garments, and big, floppy "Potteresque" hats.[8]

Agnes became a friend and helper to the many Australian female musicians seeking to make their mark internationally including Amy Castles and Ada Crossley. She came to be regarded as ‘the best informed journalist in London on musical matters generally'.[9]

In 1901 she visited America where she was shown the sights by a young cousin, an electrical engineer who was the general superintendent of the United Traction Co. in Pittsburgh.[10]

She returned to Australia in September 1903 after eight very successful years abroad. Among her successes she was the first Australian journalist to be elected to the Society of Authors and to the salon of London, and in June 1903 she was elected to the council of the Society of Women Journalists.[11] She spent a few months in Australia and New Zealand before setting off again for America and Canada in early 1904. While in Washington, at the International Geographical Congress, she was nominated to the honorary membership of the Geographical Society of California. No other woman had received this distinction.[12]

By November 1905 she was back in England but the following year she returned to America as the guest of Madame Melba, who was impressed with her work with other singers.  This paved the way for Melba to appoint her as her private secretary in May 1907.[13] Agnes accompanied Melba on her Australian tour in 1909.  During this period, alongside her secretarial duties, Agnes wrote the first book-length biography of the famous singer. It was called simply Life of Melba and was published by Chatto & Windus. A specially bound copy was presented to Queen Alexandra.[14] The book was well reviewed and remains an important reference work. It was perhaps the pinnacle of Agnes’ long, busy and successful career.
 
Prior to her leaving Australia in 1895 Agnes had been living in East Melbourne, although the exact address is not known.[15] But on her return in 1909 the electoral roll has her living at 209 George Street, with Aimee.  But it was a short-lived residency and in 1910 she and Aimee were off to Canada, and it seems that from this time they were moving out of journalism into a new role as advance agents, preparing the ground for touring musical productions.[16] 

From being Melba’s private secretary and press agent Agnes now joined the staff of the Quinlan International Musical Agency, as Thomas Quinlan's personal representative on the tour of the Quinlan Opera Co. in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. Aimee for the first time was described as ‘Miss Murphy’s secretary’.[17] The pair arrived in Australia in April 1912 in preparation for the Australian leg of the tour.  They were still here when war was declared.

The war interrupted Agnes’ career as international tours were not possible. From 1913 Agnes became a more regular resident of East Melbourne while still spending plenty of time travelling and holidaying around Australia.  In 1913 she was living at 43 Hotham Street, then from 1914-15 she was at 205 George Street, Martha Dunster’s boarding house, but by now in the hands of her daughter and Aimee’s aunt, Annie Dunster. In 1916 to 1917 Agnes and Aimee were living at Gallipoli Mansion, 160 George Street, which advertised 'billiards (no children)’. In 1918 and 1919 they are reported to be living at Carlsbrook, George Street.  This is the same house with a new name.[18]

Agnes’ interest in journalism had not entirely left her and over this period she wrote many lengthy letters to a variety of newspapers about the political issues of the day, particularly the suffragettes, the Irish and the war, conscription and the need for Catholic hostels. These often resulted in responses from those with an opposite view, and vehement debate ensued.

Much of 1922 Agnes and Aimee spent on tour around Australia with the Sistine Choir but by 1923 were back in East Melbourne and staying, it seems briefly, at Lauriston Hall, 86 Wellington Parade before setting off for a tour with the Gertrude Elliott Company around Australia and New Zealand.[19] In March 1924, in service of the same company, she and Aimee set sail for London, this time accompanied by Agnes’ sister, Lily.[20]  While overseas they stayed in Paris with Lalla Miranda, yet another successful Australian born singer.  Then it was on to New York in connection with the appearance of the Italian Galli-Curci at the Metropolitan Opera House. 

Agnes returned to Melbourne after five years’ absence in June 1929 and again made East Melbourne her home, staying once again at Lauriston Hall. She left for Europe in January 1930, again with Aimee and Lily.  She was reported as stating ‘that there will be no opera here for at least two years, until the result of the "talkie" boom has been definitely established’.[21]

Just over a year later, on 15 March 1931 Agnes died in England.  During her life she had suffered several bouts of ill health which had resulted in lengthy periods in hospital. The Advocate described her as: 

one of the first, and perhaps the most brilliant and versatile of press women that Australia has known. She was, in the truest sense, a cultured lady and her sane and extensive knowledge of art, music, literature gave to her writings and conversation a poise and a body that were remarkable. With strong views on many matters, this quietly spoken, distinguished woman, was a curious force on those who came within the field of her influence.[22]

She was buried in the Hampstead Cemetery. Aimee and Lily returned to Melbourne and took a flat together in Malvern.

Agnes had spent such a peripatetic life that she could almost be described as ‘of no fixed address’ but when in Melbourne she always returned to East Melbourne and made her base there even while visiting other parts Australia. 

Footnotes
[1] The Register (Adelaide), 15 Oct 1903, p.5
[2] Sands & McDougall Post Office Directories
[3] The Herald, 22 Mar 1895, p.2
[4] The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 23 Mar 1895, p.6
[5] Freeman’s Journal (Sydney), 2 Nov 1895, p.6
[6] Table talk, 15 Nov 1895
[7] The Naracoorte Herald, 21 Jan 1896, p.3
[8] Table Talk, 31 Jan 1901, p.31
[9] Critic, 6 Dec 1902, p.26
[10] The Register (Adelaide), 15 Oct 1903, p.5
[11] The Register (Adelaide), 15 Oct 1903, p.5
[12] Punch, 3 Nov 1904, p.23
[13] Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 1907, p.5
[14] Freeman’s Journal (Sydney), 11 Nov 1909, p.9
[15] Melbourne Punch, 6 Apr 1893, p.16; Melbourne Punch, 17 Jan 1895, p.44
[16] The Star (Sydney), 22 Jan 1910, p.13; The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 24 Aug 1910, p.46
[17] Critic, 5 Jul 1911, p.22
[18] The Mail (Adelaide), 4 Jul 1914, p.4; electoral rolls, Argus, 16 Feb 1916, p.4; The Herald, 25 Mar 1919, p.4
[19] Freeman’s Journal, 4 Oct 1923, p.22
[20] The Herald, 27 Mar 1924, p.10
[21] Advocate, 9 Jan 1930, p.32
[22] Advocate, 26 Mar 1931, p.18