Arthur Dight Harrison
3 October 1871 – 27 February 1959
Arthur Dight Harrison was born in the family home in Mason Street Hawthorn Melbourne at 4.45pm on 3rd October 1871. He was the eighth child of the twelve children of Edward George Harrison (born 25th July 1928 in Jamaica) and Mary Frances Dight (born 23rd August 1837 in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia).
Edward immigrated to Melbourne in 1853 and married Mary on the 18th Mar 1858 at St. Peter’s Church in Collingwood. The Harrison and Dight families both came from wealth – the Harrisons from slave trade and plantations and the Dights from their early roots in colonial Australia’s land endowments.
Arthur was only 10 years old when his father Edward George Harrison died and was educated at home and then later at Hawthorn Grammar School, Melbourne.
Harrison folklore insists Phoebe Alice Parsons was employed in service by the Harrisons at their home in Mason Street, Hawthorn and Arthur fell in love with her. The Harrison family disapproved of Arthur’s romance with Phoebe and they moved to Perth in order to marry.
Arthur and Phoebe were married on the 22th August 1896 in the old wooden Wesley Methodist Church at 113 Charles Street, North Perth.
Their witnesses were William Morham and Martha Ann Parsons (nee Griffin), Phoebe’s sister-in-law.
Arthur was a carpenter and the Harrisons built a weatherboard cottage at 256 Perth Street Subiaco.
They had four children:
Later in life they moved to 18 Kitchener Street, Hollywood (Nedlands) where Arthur continued on building projects with his son Lou and they enjoyed supporting their children and grandchildren.
Arthur died on 27th February 1959 aged 87 after having been a widower for 16 years.