Lizzie Dogherty, aka Ida Davidson, was born to Susan Woodend Dogherty in Nth Ireland on 23 March 1920. Her Father was George McCandless.  Susan was an orphan and unmarried and it is understood that she lived with her sister, Elizabeth (Eliza Jane) Davidson (nee Dogherty), her husband, and their family.  From babyhood, Lizzie was cared for by her Aunty Eliza and from a very young age was always known as "Ida Davidson". Ida is pictured here at 17 years of age.

For reasons not known, Susan, with assistance from the Salvation Army, immigrated to Western Australia, leaving 3-year old Ida to the ongoing care of her Aunt Eliza and her family.  It is understood that young Ida remaining with her Aunt was at first not a formal arrangement between the sisters (Eliza and Susan) but at some stage, her Aunt must have officially fostered Ida, and Aunt Mary later was to tell Ida that, at times it was this foster money that kept the household going. Ida left home at 15, getting a live-in job as companion/help to an elderly lady.

It was only at the age of 21, when Ida applied for her Birth Certificate to join the Air force, that she learned of her real name, and about Susan - her real mother.  During the war Ida was a Radio Telephonist and was stationed all over Britain, until she married Alexander Mackenzie in Scotland on 28 August 1945.

Ida gave birth to her first child, Cathrine, in 1946.  A second daughter, Patricia, was born in 1948.  It was about this time that Ida's Father contacted her and the family then moved to Nth. Ireland to be near him for a while before Alexander, Ida and daughters immigrated to Eastern Australia, where Alexander had accepted a job offer.



                                             Alexander, Cathrine, Patricia & Ida Mackenzie (nee Dogherty)

Ida and Alexander then had a son, Calvin, who was born in Australia in 1956. The family moved to New Zealand in 1961. Many years later Calvin was to return to New South Wales where he still lives with his wife and children.

Ida died on 31August 1983, of kidney cancer, at the age of 63. Sadly she never got to meet her Mother who Ida had attempted to make contact with on a number of occasions.  Also, very sadly she never got to meet her younger sister, Phyllis, who was my Mother and who was born to Susan and Fred Bamkin after Susan immigrated to Australia. To my knowledge, my Mother died never knowing that she had an older sister.  I suspect that they would have been great friends!

Children of Ida and Alexander Mackenzie:

Cathrine Jean                b. 3 Aug 1946 – d. 24 Aug 2002
Patricia                         b. 21 Sep 1948
Donald George (Calvin) b. 26 Sep 1956