Edna May Kerr was Jack Harrison‘s mother.
12 August 1906 – 28 June 1996
Edna May Kerr was born in Midland Junction to railway carriage painter William Walter Kerr and Swan River Pioneer Amy Louisa Gane.
She attended Bayswater Primary School and in her teenage years began performing with her sister Bessie Amelia Kerr in the entertainment troop the Rainbow Pierrots where she met her future husband William Edward Harrison in June 1922.
She worked in a photography shop hand colouring photographs prior to getting married.
On Sunday 10 August 1924 the engagement was announced in the Sunday Times of:
Edna May, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Kerr of Leake Street, Bayswater, to William Edward, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Harrison, of Merriwa Street, Nedlands.
At the age of 27 on the 25th July 1925 at St Mary’s Church of England West Perth William Edward Harrison was married to the eighteen year old EDNA MAY KERR (born 12.8.1906 in Midland Junction, Western Australia).
They lived at 64 Bruce Street Nedlands until their own house at 24 Highway (later Kingsway) Nedlands was completed.
Edna and William had four children:
William Arthur (1926 – 2000)
Ramon Kerr (1929 – 2023)
Jill Lois (1931)
Jack Louis (1931 – 2013)
From her home at 24 Highway Nedlands (later renamed Kingsway) Edna and her sister Bessie ran a catering business, often providing suppers for the performances at which her husband and children performed.
1939 At around this time Edna Harrison and her sister Bessie started a catering business called George Harrison Caterers. Both their houses had large areas set up mass cooking (pastry made by hand using lard). Lois: I use to scrub the cake tins out in the backyard drain for a shilling, I’d say I was about 6. So maybe 60 years ago. They never advertised it was all word of mouth. They used the back outside room to Bessie’s house to do a lot of prep. All the dishes etc were kept in the second garage/shed they had 3 at 3 Croydon St shenton park. They always made trifles for dessert. I am sure there was always a beef curry with keens curry powder and rice and probably a tuna mornay. They had little bacon cheese savouries. Ross George’s wife was an expert wedding cake decorator and most likely contributed. Doug: “I recall Grandad Bill George making bricks and building the small kitchen at the back of the house and it probably was 60 years ago. I did a couple of waiter jobs for them. They would be in the kitchen cooking for hours on end. Think they also made sausage rolls.”
R.A.A.F. COMFORTS FUND.
In connection with the march through Perth today by men of the Royal Australian Air Force, a street appeal will be conducted by the R.A.A.F. Comforts Fund. Stalls will be situated as follows: Mrs. Harrison: City Mutual building (St. George’s-terrace).
Edna was widowed in 1977 and sold the Harrison family home at 24 Kingsway Nedlands to move to a unit on Stirling Highway. She was very active playing tennis, croquet, cards and was much admired and loved by her children and grandchildren.
Edna died 28th June 1996 just shy of her 90th birthday.
[1] The West Australian Friday 18 October 1940 page 6