Soprano, Rosina Pinhey

Rosina Pinhey. Courtesy Warrimoo History

Soprano, Rosina Pinhey was born in Glebe in 1879 to William Hamnett Pinhey and Laura (nee Fitzstubbs). Both families were prominent in Sydney society and government life, while the Fitzstubbs family was also highly musical. Rosina’s grandfather, William Townley Pinhey served as Deputy City Coroner and her father as an inspector with the Commercial Bank of Sydney. The family moved around, living in Tamworth and Manly but later settling in Strathfield. Rosina had two brothers, Eustace born 1877 and Roydon, born in Manly in 1884.

During April 1894, aged 15, Rosina performed in a concert at the Parramatta Town Hall along with several members of her mother’s family. A fine pianist in her youth she intended to follow a musical career in that direction, until persuaded by admirers to pursue voice coaching.[1]

In January 1903 Rosina made her way to Paris where she was accepted as a student of the famous Madame Marchesi. It was this formidable lady who gave her the stage name Rosina (or Rosine) Sydna in tribute to her home town, as she had once given Dame Nellie Melba her own stage name.

Mathilde Marchesi

In Paris Rosina was set the task of learning 12 operas. On 6 May 1904 she sang with great success at Madame’s matinee concert. The Sydney Morning Herald followed her career with great interest:

‘The young soprano had been much encouraged by the opinion of her exacting teacher during recent lessons. Miss Rosa Pinhey has a large soprano voice, and quite a majestic stage presence being 5ft 10in in height, so that she has much in her favour. Miss Pinhey is not known out of the circle of her own friends here, as unfortunately she did not appear in public before her departure for Paris more than a year ago.’[2]

In early 1906 Rosina moved to Florence, Italy to study with Signor Lombardi, the great Caruso’s teacher. Her debut performance was in November of that year when she appeared as La Traviata in Verdi’s opera in Ventimiglia, Italy.[3] In January 1907 she appeared in Milan in the title role of Lucia di Lamermoor and her mother set sail from Sydney to join her in Italy.[4]

In May 1909 The Daily Telegraph reported on her continued success in Italy. As Micaela in Carmen in Siena, she was ‘beyond all praise. From the first evening she passed all expectation for her art, ringing top notes and good acting. The young artist will undoubtedly have a splendid career.’[5]

Rosine Sydna in costume for the opera Carmen. Courtesy Warrimoo History

Sadly, it was not to be. Rosina fell ill later that year with recurring bouts of influenza which took a heavy toll on her health. By the end of 1909 she had reluctantly relinquished singing in public.[6][7] She returned home to Strathfield and her family. But by early 1912 she had ‘entirely recovered the use of her beautiful voice’ and set sail for New York to resume her career.[8] She had soon signed a contract to sing Lucia and Filina (Mignon) in Chicago, Washington and Baltimore, among other cities, with Aborn’s Opera Company.[9]

The Pinhey family was living at Rosetta in Redmyre Road, Strathfield during the Great War when Rosina’s younger brother, Corporal Roydon Pinhey of the 25th Battalion was killed at Pozières in July 1916.[10] Apartments now stand on this site at 32 Redmyre Road on the corner of Margaret Street. A stock and station agent, Roydon had enlisted in Rockhampton, Queensland. Initially listed as missing in action he is remembered on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

Private (later Corporal) Roydon Hoadley Pinhey of the 25th Battalion. Courtesy Australian War Memorial

The remainder of Rosina’s time overseas was unreported in the Australian press. It seems likely that her career did not reach the heights once predicted by her admirers. She did not marry but in her later years she returned to Sydney. By 1933 she was living in Beresford Road, Rose Bay with her parents, although her mother, Laura died later that year.[11] Rosina and her father, William moved to Gordon in 1934. William Hamnett Pinhey died in 1948.[12]

It may have been the loss of her parents that prompted her to donate a number of personal items and jewellery to the Powerhouse Museum (Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences)[13] and family papers and photos to the State Library of NSW.[14] Her surviving brother, Dr Eustace Townley Pinhey OBE, Medical Superintendent of the St. Pancras Hospital in London, had died in April 1945.[15] He too had served during World War I with the Royal Army Medical Corps and was mentioned in despatches for gallantry. One of his letters home to a friend from the Western Front was published in World’s News during May 1916.[16]

Rosina remained in the Gordon and Cremorne districts and died there on 5 June 1958, aged about 79.

 

By J.J. MacRitchie

Local Studies Advisor

 

References

[1] The World’s News 1 December 1906 p.9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128276969

 

[2] Sydney Morning Herald 21 May 1904 p.9 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14621040

 

[3] Evening News 14 November 1906 p.4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115681681

 

[4] The Sunday Sun 17 March 1907 p.13 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227138773

 

[5] Daily Telegraph 8 May 1909 p.19 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238278809

 

[6] Daily Telegraph 1 January 1910 p.11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238357662

 

[7] The Examiner (Launceston, TAS) 13 January 1910 p.8 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50401679

 

[8] Sydney Morning Herald 13 January 1912 p.14 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15302115

 

[9] Sydney Morning Herald 25 May 1912 p.4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15339308

 

[10] Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1655079

 

[11] Sydney Morning Herald 26 October 1933 p.10 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17018686

 

[12] Sydney Morning Herald 10 June 1948 p.28 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18075076

 

[13] Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences https://collection.maas.museum/search?q=pinhey&p=2

 

[14] State Library of NSW ‘Pinhey family papers and photographs ca 1819-1956’ https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/YRlZpz3n

 

[15] Sydney Morning Herald 16 May 1945 p.16 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17944972

 

[16] World’s News 16 May 1916 p.19 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130581801/14730861#