Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Adela Whitting Hooper was born in 1854 in London – the daughter of James Hooper, a retired officer in the East India Company, and Arabella Stockenstrom from the Cape of Good Hope.
She grew up in London and after her sister’s marriage in South Australia in 1881 Adela emigrated as well.
In 1891 she passed an examination in 'first grade model drawing' in Adelaide.
When she signed the suffrage petition Adela was living in Ann Street in Roslyn, Dunedin.
In 1898 she advertised in the newspaper that she 'has arrived from Melbourne for a short season.' She was offering 'dancing, deportment & calisthenic exercises.'
In 1900 she had returned to Dunedin. 'Miss Adela Hooper, of Adelaide, Professor of Dancing, Deportment, Calisthenics; for some years Resident Assistant of Madame Garbois, Kildare street, Dublin.'
In 1924 a birthday party was held at the Strand Salon for Adela, 'who for many years has been a successful dancing mistress in the dominion.'
At suppertime Adela was presented with 'a handbag containing a sum of money, which was meant to represent the good wishes of her friends from all over the world.'
In 1948 she celebrated her 94th birthday at 'Quamby', a home for aged gentlewomen, in Fendalton, Christchurch.
She 'is still very quick-witted and smart at repartee; she takes a certain amount of exercise in the grounds at “Quamby” every day and enjoys feeding the birds.'
Adela died on 24 January 1951 – she is buried in the Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch.
Sources
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions