Minima

Minima’s father, Edward Stirling was the son of Archibald Stirling, a Scottish plantation owner in Jamaica, and a woman of colour, a slave or a freed slave.[1] Edward was brought to Scotland by his father, sent to school, and, in 1839, given £1000 to emigrate to Australia. After a difficult start, he prospered in farming and copper mining and came back to England in 1865 a rich man. His sons Edward Charles and Lancelot went to Cambridge before returning to Australia, where both had distinguished careers and were knighted. Edward Charles was a polymath, a professor at the University of Adelaide, Director of the Adelaide Museum, physiologist, anthropologist, talented artist and creator of a famous garden at St Vigeans. Lancelot was an eminent South Australian politician and grazier. Their sister Minima, Mary Eliza Collingwood Stirling, met William Ingram in London and they married in 1874.

          Minima, rivalled her husband in her love of birds in house and garden. She was equally passionate about Japanese Chin dogs, toy dogs that would fit into a handbag. In an oral history, Minima’s great nephew Ted Booth described an occasion in the family home that captures her character.[2] The family was in their Westgate home, packing up to return to London – a complicated process involving family, staff and guests. Then the news came from London that Tiny. a favourite albino sparrow was nesting in the drawing room there. Minima halted preparations for the move and decreed that they must all stay in Westgate until the young birds were hatched.