A few points -
*There does not appear to be a shipping record to and from Australia for Olive.
*It is certainly doubtful that Olive gained a piano teaching qualification in Australia as she only passed her junior exam in New Zealand in 1894.
*A trawl through all the Olive HICKSON newspaper items sadly does not reveal anything of her musical career.
*The Melbourne CBD Collins Street property which according to the terms of Dr Thomas BLACK's will, was to remain leased and the many beneficiaries were to receive the income as part of their annuity. The property was valued by the executors in 1895 at £130,000. The many newspaper items reporting the hearings at the Supreme Court of Victoria indicate there were legal difficulties executing the terms of the will. The property does not appear to have been left to your grandmother. I note that Dr Archibald Grant BLACK appeared before a Taxation hearing in 1933 in regard to land tax on a property he had inherited, the rental of which was distributed. I wonder if there is some sort of connection with the sale of this property. I have tried to find a connection for Dr Archibald BLACK and his brother Dr John G BLACK, sons of Mr James BLACK, with Dr Thomas BLACK, but to date no connection. Strange that both Dr Archibald and Dr Thomas lived in homes named 'Cintra'.
Family stories are an extremely valuable resource but invariably they are often a tad inaccurate or the facts have become distorted over time. I am only attempting to help find the facts.
And that's about it from me...time for bed.
Cheers
Cando
