PALMER, Rosina Martha Hozanah (1844-1932)

singer

daughter of Jerome and Marie Carandini (q.v.) was born in Tasmania on 27 August 1844. As a child she accompanied her mother on a concert tour in the east, and at an early age developed a soprano voice of excellent range and quality. She toured widely in Australia and New Zealand and married Edward Palmer, a bank official, and settled at Melbourne. There she became the leading soprano singer of her time, taking the soprano part in the performances of the Philharmonic and other well-known societies. Well trained and a thorough musician, Mrs Palmer could be relied upon to give an excellent rendering of the music of her part. There is a well-known story that on one occasion, the tenor's voice failing during a performance, Mrs Paltrier sang his music at sight in addition to her own. After her retirement Mrs Palmer was a successful teacher of singing. She died at Melbourne on 16 June 1932. Her husband had died some years before, and she was survived by a son and two daughters.

The Argus, Melbourne, 17 June 1932; The Age, Melbourne, 18 June 1932; personal knowledge; Kenyon Papers at Public Library, Melbourne.