Lavinia Florence de Loitte (15 March 1881 – 22 August 1962) was an Australian Gilbert and Sullivan singer, writer and philanthropist known throughout her career as Vinia de Loitte. She was also known by her title, Comtesse de Vilme-Hautmont.
Early life
De Loitte was born at Snails Bay, Balmain, New South Wales, on 15 March 1881.[1] Her mother, Florence Lavinia (née Herbert, but known as Adams) inherited the matrilineal title, Comtesse de Vilme-Hautmont, that had been conferred on a female ancestor who saved Louis XIV from a wolf's attack.[2] Her father, William Henry De Loitte, was an accountant.[1] She was a student of Randall Woodhouse, who was later a professor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music,[3] and at age 14 she passed the intermediate level of the Trinity College Musical Examinations with honours.[4] In 1901 she won first prize for a soprano solo at the Industrial Exhibition in Sydney.[5]
Career
De Loitte began singing with the Sydney Liedertafel, and she gained valuable experience performing at Goulburn in an amateur capacity. Despite family resistance, she auditioned for J. C. Williamson and was offered a job with his company. Her first professional role was either as Nan in A Country Girl[6] or as Fifi in The Belle of New York, the latter for Williamson's.[7] She spent a year on tour as understudy to Florence Young.[8]
On 8 March 1906 de Loitte married Howard Vernon in Sorell, Tasmania.[1] The couple owned a farm that grew vegetables but did not intend giving up the stage.[9] In 1907 she and Vernon toured New Zealand, where they sang opera to accompany Charles MacMahon's film, Robbery Under Arms.[10]
De Loitte was later a foundation member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, which was established in Sydney, and performed at its first meeting in 1928.[12]
In the late 1930s she hosted overseas motoring tours of Europe in association with the Australian Travel Service.[13]
Writing
Following her husband's death in 1921, de Loitte edited his reminiscences, which were published in the Brisbane Courier in 1923 as "Howard Vernon's Life".[14] In December 1929 she was reported as having finished a 38,000-word book about her husband's life.[15]
In 1926 she wrote a series, "Gilbert and Sullivan: Some Recollections", for the Sydney Daily Telegraph.[16] It was republished as "Gilbert and Sullivan, Recollections of Savoy Operas", in the Brisbane Courier.[17] This led to her book, Gilbert and Sullivan Opera in Australia: being a short account of the stories of the operas and of their production and revivals in Australia. She regularly updated the book, which ran to at least 20 editions.[18]The Brisbane Telegraph reported that 20,000 copies had been sold by mid-1936.[19]
Towards the end of the 1920s she wrote a cookery column for the Evening News.[6] Her book, One Dog to Another, was adapted for radio and serialised on 2GB in 1943.[20]
Philanthropy
In 1928 she organised a benefit concert for her former teacher, Randall Woodhouse, at which many well-known singers of the time performed.[21] During the Depression, she hired a hall in Sydney where she staged performances by unemployed actors and singers, with the cast changing each week.[22]
In 1951 she organised concerts to raise money for charity.[23]
Death
De Loitte died at Balmain on 22 August 1962.[1] Her body was donated to the University of Sydney.[24]
References
^ abcdMaslen, Joan, "Lavinia Florence de Loitte (1881–1962)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 23 January 2025
^"Conservatorium Benefit". Sunday Times. No. 2199. New South Wales, Australia. 25 March 1928. p. 35. Retrieved 23 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Industrial Exhibition". Evening News. No. 10, 604. New South Wales, Australia. 5 June 1901. p. 6. Retrieved 23 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^Clio (27 December 1905). "Illustrated Interview". Critic. Vol. IX, no. 49. South Australia. p. 19. Retrieved 23 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Said Vinia de Loitte". The Gadfly. Vol. I, no. 41. South Australia. 21 November 1906. p. 11. Retrieved 23 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Gilbert and Sullivan Society". The Daily Telegraph. No. 15, 125. New South Wales, Australia. 1 June 1928. p. 20. Retrieved 23 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Notable Visitor". The Land. No. 1434. New South Wales, Australia. 18 November 1938. p. 21. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Editress of "Howard Vernon's Life"". The Brisbane Courier. No. 20, 363. Queensland, Australia. 28 April 1923. p. 7. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Susan Says". The Sun. No. 1392. New South Wales, Australia. 1 December 1929. p. 5 (Supplement to The Sun Sunday). Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^De Loitte, Vinia (27 March 1926). "Gilbert and Sullivan: Some Recollections". The Daily Telegraph. No. 14, 445. New South Wales, Australia. p. 9. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^De Loitte Vernon, Vinia (20 May 1926). "Gilbert and Sullivan". The Brisbane Courier. No. 21, 315. Queensland, Australia. p. 8. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"The Social Round". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 3 June 1936. p. 18 (Late City Cable News). Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"In the Social World". The Sun. No. 1307. New South Wales, Australia. 15 April 1928. p. 26. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"A Woman's Letter". The Bulletin. 51 (2647). 5 November 1930. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
^"People". The Sun. No. 2506. New South Wales, Australia. 29 April 1951. p. 31. Retrieved 23 January 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^Hamey, Kath (August 1992). "Lavinia Vernon"(PDF). The Peninsula Observer. 7 (216): 3 – via The Balmain Association.
