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www.history-aust.com
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39.
She was buried on 18 Jun 1990 in Point Clare, New South Wales, Australia. ------------------------------------------------------ [Sydney Morning Herald ... 30th Setember 1948] Crippled Girl To Sing At Theatre Royal. A girl of 19, who has been a total cripple since she was four years old, will sing from the stage of the Theatre Royal at the special City of Sydney Eisteddfod matinee there this afternoon. She is Winsome Benson, of Woy Woy, who has received much of her voice training by correspondence. Madame Florence Austral, who adjudicated the Radio Vocal Contest for Women's Voices, was impressed by the sweetness of her voice. Miss Benson receives her postal tuition from a former neigh-bour in Sydney, who makes special trips to Woy Woy to explain any point of technique or style that cannot be made clear by mail. Most of the singer's body is paralysed, and she cannot use her hands. ------------------------------------------------------ [The Daily News ... 2nd October 1948] SINGING CRIPPLED GIRL . CARRIED' ON TO STAGE SYDNEY, Sat: A crippled girl was carried on to the stage at the Theatre Royal to sing at the City of Sydney eisteddfod matinee. . She is 19-year-old Winsome Benson, of Woy Woy, who has been a total cripple since she was four. Wearing a beautiful white embossed orerandie frock and seated on a chair on stage, Miss Benson sang to a large audience. It was her first visit to a city theatre. 'This is the happiest day of my life,' she said. 'To think I should see a theatre for the first time— and from the stage.' She was presented with two large bouquets. ---------------------------------------------------- [Sydney Sun ... 27th July 1950] WHEELCHAIR SINGER. Winsome Benson, 20, a competitor in this year's Sun Ania contest, will sing from a wheelchair because she has been crippled since she was four. Her father, who is the officer-in-charge of Woy Woy police station, i said that singing was his daughter's whole life. She has already won many i awards, and has been learning singing for eight years. ----------------------------------------------------- [Scone Advocate ... 22nd August 1950] When this year's 'Sun' aria contest is under way, let your good wishes go out to 20-year-old Winsome Benson , daughter of Mrs. and Sergeant E. . Benson, officer in charge of Woy Woy Police Station. Since she was four, this girl has been a cripple, and she will sing in the contest from the wheel chair. For the last eight years she has been studying singing, and has won no end oil awards, sung at charitable functions all over the district, and is always a popular soloist at weddings and other important functions. --------------------------------------------------- [Macleay Argus ... 25th August 1950] When this year's "Sun" aria contest is under way, let your good wishes go out to 20-years-old Winsome Benson, daughter of Mrs. and Sergeant E. E. Benson, offices:" in charge- of Woy Woy Police Station. Since she was four, this girl has been a cripple, and she will sing in the contest from her wheel chair. For the last eight years she has been studying singing, and has won no end of awards, sung at charitable functions all over the. district,, and is always. a popular soloist at weddings and other important functions. -------------------------------------------------- [Sydney Sun ... 26th September 1950] GIRL'S COURAGE. Winsome Benson, 21, who has not walked since she was four, was a competitor yesterday, in The Sydney Sun Aria Contest at the Conservatorium. Winsome was carried on to the stage by her father, Sgt. E. D. Benson, of Woy Woy police,, who placed her on a special chair near the piano. Completely composed, she sang an aria from The Marriage of Figaro. Listed in eight sections of the City of Sydney Eisteddfod, Winsome has already competed and received special mention in four of them. Each day she takes part in the Eisteddfod. Winsome travels the 58 miles from Woy Woy in a special car. --------------------------------------------------- [Lithgow Mercury ... 12th May 1953] "Bedridden Girls' Music Cheers Hospital Wards." The story continued: Ward A3 must surely be the most cheerful in P.A. Hospital, for almost every night from 8.30 to 9.30- three crippled 'and bedridden girls, all in their early twenties, who don't believe in letting adversity get them down form themselves into a concert party. Daphne Rose, of Longreach (Queensland), plays a steel guitar, while Winsome Benson (of Woy Woy) and Fat Noonan (of Penrith and of Lithgow) sing. They play and sing anything from the latest hits to opera,- and the 14 other patients in the ward often join in the singing too. The 15 men in the adjoining male ward also form an appreciative audience. Miss Rose, a rheumatoid-arthritis victim, recently walked for the first time in eight years following an operation which gave her an artificial hip joint. Miss Noonan, a horse breeder and show rider, is paralyzed from the waist down because of a spine fracture caused when her horse stumbled and fell some 14 months ago. Pat, who has won many prizes at Sydney and other shows, said: "My greatest ambition is to get back to the horses and ride again." Miss Benson, who has had rheumatoid-arthritis since childhood, has had seven operations in the last 15 months. One gave her an artificial hip joint and it is expected that another of the same type, in a few weeks' time will enable her to walk for the first time for several years. She is a lyric soprano and was highly commended in the "Sun" aria in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod of 1950. She has also gained many second prizes as well as 15 certificates in other sections of the eisteddfod in other years. --------------------------------------------------- [Sydney Morning Herald - 21st July 1954 ] Young Woy Woy soprano Winsome Benson hopes soon to fulfil a lifelong ambition. She plans to walk on stage at the Sydney Eisteddfod in September and sing a Mozart aria.. That will be something new to her. She has been crippled since early childhood. Winsome, a petite 23 year old brunette, is in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital recovering from the last of 12 operations on her limbs. Brave girl Surgeons have replaced most of her joints with plastic ones. Four years ago she could not stand up. Now she can walk. If her doctors think she is fit enough to take part, she will sing Dove Sona, from Marriage of Figaro. Winsome's singing teacher, Miss Freda Treweek, of Woy Woy, said today, "She is a wonderful pupil, very brave Winsome Benson and determined. Her voice has Improved tremendously. "With all the years of suffering behind her, we hope she can now become a star." And what does Winsome have to say? "I think I'll do better than last time. My voice has improved and I will be able to sing better standing up." "The competition will be stiff, but, anyway, it's a thrill to go to the eisteddfod, and hear them all singing. "I love music. It has helped me a lot." --------------------------------------------------- [Sydney Sun ... 21st September 1954] A- 25-YEAR-OLD a. girl who for years J has had to be carried on to the stage to compete in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod, last night walked out unaided to contest The Sun Aria. The girl, Winsome Benson, of Woy Woy, who until this year had not walked since she was four, was allowed out of Royal Prince Alfred. Hospital to compete. Winsome lost the use of her arms 'and legs when she contracted rheumatoid arthritis, followed by whooping cough, at the age of four. For 21 years she could not walk, and since she was 18 her father regularly carried her on to the stage and placed her in a chair. Then, three years ago, eisteddfod people began to miss Win-some's pretty face. She had entered hospital for the continuous treatment, which, at last resulted in her taking her first confident steps alone six months ago. Last night Winsome sang the Dove Sono from the Marriage of Figaro. The adjudicator, Mr. John Fullard, said afterward, that she only just missed becoming one of the 24 semi-finalists. Winsome Dawn BENSON and Kevin
HOLLIS were married in 1957 in Woy Woy, New
South Wales, Australia. Presbyterian.
Kevin HOLLIS, son of Bertha HOLLIS, Kevin HOLLIS and Winsome Dawn
BENSON had the following children:
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