Australia, 1870 - 1888

Childhood in Victoria

For the first 18 years of her life HHR lived in various parts of the state of Victoria in southeastern Australia, except for a family trip to England and Ireland in 1873-4.

  • HHR birthplace in Melbourne, 1870
    1870

    Melbourne

    HHR Birthplace

  • Lake View in Chiltern
    1876

    Chiltern

    A move to the country

  • Queenscliff in 1877
    1877

    Queenscliff

    A move to the seaside

  • HHR’s mother took up her first position as postmistress at Koroit
    1878

    Koroit

    A country Post Office

  • HHR’s mother took up the position of Post Mistress in Maldon in 1881
    1881

    Maldon

    The happiest days of my childhood

  • HHR went to the Ladies College (Presbyterian Ladies College) in Albert Street, East Melbourne
    1883

    Presbyterian Ladies College

    To boarding school at PLC

Germany, 1888-1903

Early Adulthood

HHR was admitted to the Leipzig Conservatorium as a young student in January 1889, but by the time she left Germany fourteen years later, having lived in Leipzig, Munich and Strassburg, she was deep in the writing of her first novel, Maurice Guest and would continue on the writing path for the rest of her life.

  • HHR was admitted to the Leipzig Conservatorium as a young student in January 1889
    1892

    Leipzig

  • 4/3 Gottschedstrasse
    1889

    4/3 Gottschedstrasse

  • In May 1895 the family moved to Akademistrasse in Munich
    1895

    Munich

  • In October 1896 the Robertsons moved to Sternwartstrasse 6, Strassburg,
    1896

    Strassburg

England, 1903-1946

The Writer

HHR lived in England from 1903 until her death in 1946, though she made many trips to Europe - to Germany, Italy and Switzerland. In 1912 she made her only return trip to Australia to do research for The Fortunes of Richard Mahony.

  • London
    1904 - 1915

    London

  • Westfield, Lyme Regis
    1915

    Westfield, Lyme Regis

  • Green Ridges Fairlight, Hastings
    1934

    Green Ridges Fairlight, Hastings

People – mini portraits of a few people of significance in HHR’s life

  • Walter Lindesay Richardson
    1825 - 1879

    Walter Lindesay Richardson

  • Ada Lillian Richardson
    1871 - 1944

    Ada Lillian Richardson

  • Olga Roncoron
    1893 - 1982

    Olga Roncoroni

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