Annie Hamann

Signed family name

Hamann

Signed given name

Annie

Given address

Fern Hill

Sheet number

165

Town/Suburb

Central Dunedin

City/Region

Dunedin

Notes

Also signed as 68 Annie Hamann

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.

Ann Moule was born about 1838 in Leeds, Yorkshire – the daughter of (either Joshua or John Moule), a soldier in the 7th Hussars, and Ann.

Ann emigrated to Otago in 1862 on the “Star of Tasmania” and she married John Theodore Hamann, a customs and shipping agent from Germany, on 25 April 1863 in Dunedin.

They had 10 children, one who died in infancy, and in spite of her growing number of children and her many pregnancies Annie ran a day school in 1864 from their home in Moray Place.

In 1865 John also taught – the “German Language, according to Ollendorff”s celebrated system”.

Annie gave up the day school in 1866 when she opened a dancing academy.

“Miss Moule, late pupil of the best English masters of London, will be happy to receive a select class of ladies and juveniles. All the newest circular dances and quadrilles taught”.

An annual ball was held for the pupils of the Dunedin Dancing Academy and, in 1874, Annie advertised a class “to suit the custom and tastes of the Scandinavian inhabitants of the City”. When Annie signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Fernhill Street.

John died in 1897 and Annie continued her dancing classes with the help of her daughter Norah.

Annie died at her home on 12 August 1925 – she is buried with John in the Southern Cemetery.