Eleanor Valentine Rennie was born on March 5 1898 at Lilly Street Beaconsfield near Fremantle (Fremantle Birth Registration 369/1898). She was the fourth child of Richard and Sarah Rennie, and the first of their children to be born in Western Australia.
See Family Tree of Richard and Sarah Rennie
Once again the name Valentine comes from James Valentine,
the
name of the second husband of her grandmother Elizabeth Brown;
her
grandfather Richard Brown having died in 1873. However
Eleanor
Valentine was always known as Nellie, after her Aunty
Nellie
Valentine - daughter of James and Elizabeth Valentine.
Eleanor Valentine Rennie c1902
See Family Tree of Sarah Rennie
When, as a child, she visited Victoria with her parents they
would always
stay with Grandma Valentine in Ligar Street Ballarat. They would
then go down to Buninyong (some 12 miles away) and stay a little while
with her Grandpa and Grandma Rennie. She attended Church of
England School for Girls in High Street - Girton College (as did her
sisters Lucy and Mona).
Eleanore Valentine Rennie c1905
Nellie Rennie married Oliver David Rees, eldest son of Mr and Mrs Oliver Rees Senior, in Wyndham on August 5, 1922 . The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Gribble of the Forrest River Mission. Oliver was a baker, once working at Rottnest Island. Lucy went to Wyndham (by ship at the time) and was one of the bridesmaids.
Subsequently the Rees operated a news agency in Hay Street
Subiaco.
In 1940 Oliver joined the army and served in the Middle East,
later, in 1944, being discharged from the forces with health (back)
problems.
Mr and Mrs Oliver Rees Senior had later operated the Crystal
Hostel in Hay Street (which incorporated the Crystal Tea-rooms). These
were sold, in 1944, to their son Oliver David and Nellie Rees.
Oliver David and Nellie Rees had two children.
- Oliver Valentine Rees
- Wyvern Rees
See Family Tree of Eleanor and Oiver Rees
Eleanor Valentine Rees had been an important link with the early members of the Rennie family, and has provided invaluable assistance in the gathering of information for the production of this document on the Rennie family.
Nellie Rees' husband Oliver died in 1977
After living for many years in Nedlands, Nellie died in 1997
aged 99 years.
Eleanor Valentine Rees (nee Rennie)