Ethel Bannister

Best Decorated Ladies Bicycle

Miss Bannister. Winner of 1st prize for Best Decorated Ladies Bicycle at Wellington Industrial Exhibition Cycling Sports, November, 1896. Courtesy Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18970109-0037-07.

Ethel won the prize for best decorated bicycle at the 1896 Industrial Exhibition held in Wellington. The winning bicycle was a Dayton, covered in white flowers and ribbons. As there were only two entries, Miss V. Field was given the silver meal. Her bicycle, which was also a Dayton, was decorated with roses. There were no entries for the best decorated gentleman’s bicycle.

The exhibition was first proposed in November 1895, on the back of the success of the Christchurch Industrial Exhibition. A site was selected on vacant land near the Manners Street intersection of Cuba Street. The site was considered the best position to attract a large number of people and the site was close to the Te Aro Railway station as well as facing the wharf.

The Exhibition opened on 18th November 1896. His Excellency the Governor entered at 2pm under the escort of the Heretaunga Mounted Infantry. Three hundred school children performed for the Governor’s party in the concert hall under the direction of Mr Robert Parker.

Any profit made from the Exhibition was to be used for promoting manufacturers, industrial pursuits and technical education.

Ethel Isabel Bannister was the daughter of Robert Bannister and his wife Mary (nee Eager). She was born in 1880 in Wellington. Her father was a journalist and was later managing director of ‘The New Zealand Times’ company. In 1897 Ethel attended the Children’s Fancy Dress Ball at Government house with her sister, Mabel. Ethel went dressed as a water lily, Mabel went as a Spanish Dancing Girl. Together with her parents, Ethel attended the Coronation Ball in 1902. In 1906 her engagement was announced to Mr N.S.C Cole but it never took place.

'Daughter of Mr R.E. Bannister, whi made her debut at the Coronation Ball.' Free Lance, August 23, 1902. (from PapersPast)

Ethel married Richard Linton at St Peter’s Church in 1909. Her dress was described as being an Empire under-dress of duchesse satin, veiled with silk Brussels net, heavily embroidered by hand with flowers and foliage. A very long court train of satin was attached to the shoulders’. The bridesmaids wore ‘Merry Widow’ hats with swan’s down crowns, and large white plumes clasped with silver buckles. The little maids wore dainty white frocks of muslin and carried white crooks. The reception took place in the concert chamber of the Town Hall and 400 were invited. A week after the wedding they departed for Melbourne where Richard lived.

'The Bannister-Linton Bridal Party'. Free Lance, April 10, 1909. From Paperspast.

In the following five years Ethel’s parents and two married siblings also emigrated to Australia. Robert and Ethel had two sons. The couple spent time in London where Robert was Victoria’s Agent-General for the state. She was vice-president of the Women’s Hospital in Melbourne and an active worker for the Melbourne Children’s Hospital. She was also patroness of the women’s welfare committee of the Big Brother movement which assigned YMCA members to be an elder guardian for boys in State care. Ethel died in 1968, aged 86, and is buried at Springvale, Victoria