Nina Daisy Jones was born on 11 December 1888, the second last child born to Eli And Sarah who had immigrated to Australia from England almost ten years earlier.
Nina married John Thomas Hopwood on 21 May 1912. In 1914, following the birth of their second child, John expressed a desire for both the child’s and Nina’s demise. He subsequently left the family, returned briefly, and then departed permanently.
Consequently, Mrs. Hopwood appeared before Judge Blair to petition for divorce on the grounds of desertion. The case holds significance as it was the first in Central Queensland to be adjudicated under the new Act, which recognises desertion as a valid ground for divorce. Upon hearing her testimony, the court granted a decree nisi, with costs awarded against the defendant.
Nina Jones and John Hopwood are in the centre of the
photograph. Nina’s brother is on the far right.
Nina married John Whillans on 10 November 1926. She passed away on 2 October 1950 and is buried in the North Rockhampton Cemetery.
Sources: www.nla.gov.au – Western Champion (Barcaldine, Qld. 1922 – 1937), Saturday 9 June 1923, p 10 familyhistory.bdm.gov.au John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland
Keywords: Nina Daisy Jones Eli Cadman Jones Sarah Cadman John Thomas Hopwood Judge Blair John Whillans Divorce
