Ruby Davy : South Australian Icons

Ruby Claudia Emily Davy

Ruby Claudia Emily Davy was born on the 22^nd of November 1883, in Salisbury. Her father, William Davy was a local shoemaker, and her mother, Louisa, a singer and music teacher. Ruby grew up in a home full of music, not only was her mother an accomplished singer, but her father was an excellent brass instrument player. Their house was full of instruments, and young Ruby was encouraged to play them all.

By the age of 5, Ruby was improvising, and composing on the family piano. By the age of 13, Ruby was teaching 27 students at the Salisbury School of Music. By the age of 20, Ruby had begun studying at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, and also earned an Associate of Music.

 Ruby graduated in 1907, at the age of 24 with a Bachelor of Music, she still taught music in Salisbury, was now also teaching at Allen’s Music shop in Rundle Street, Adelaide.

•        Ruby Davy was the first Australian woman to receive a doctorate in music from The Adelaide University, one of many firsts, which also included:

•  First woman to receive a doctorate in faculty at the University of Adelaide.
•  The first person in Australia to become a Licentiate of the London College of Music (1913).
• First Australian woman to become a fellow of Trinity College of Music, London (1921), the first to be awarded outside England.

Ruby’s outstanding achievements also included earning a Diploma in Elocution from the

London College of Music, and an Honorary Fellowship of the Victorian College of Music (the first person to be awarded this honour outside of England)

Ruby’s life changed dramatically in 1929, first, her mother Louisa died in April, aged 78, and only a month later her father, William died aged 82. Ruby, an only child, fell into a deep depression, which led to a nervous breakdown, and the closing of her music school at Prospect.

 It took four years to recover from the blow of losing her parents, but with support from Pastor John Hewitt, Ruby returned to her first love in 1993, and by 1934 she had returned to performing music in public.

 Ruby soon found herself giving performances on radio, and through 1934 to 1938 found herself touring through Victoria.

In 1939, Ruby toured England and select parts of Europe, Canada and the United States giving lectures and recitals.
In 1941, she founded the Society of Women Musicians of Australia, which she presided over until 1949.

Ruby was described as a frail woman with haunting dark eyes, she usually wore long black dresses and black clothing, probably in mourning for her beloved parents. 

In 1947, Ruby suffered a tragedy she would never recover from. Diagnosed with breast cancer, she was given a full mastectomy, which negatively impacted her playing. Ruby fell into another deep depression and never recovered, she died on the 12^th of July 1949.
 Her body was returned to Adelaide, and she was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery

.

Ruby Davy collection held at the University of Adelaide:
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/special/mss/davy/

The Dr Ruby Davy Prize for Composition: https://arts.adelaide.edu.au/scholarships/prizes/ruby_davey_prize_composition.html

Memorabilia for Ruby Davy can be found in the local history room of the Len Beadell Library in Salisbury, South Australia.
 

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2017

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Bibliography. 

1929 'MUSICIAN AND ATHLETE', News (Adelaide, SA: 1923 - 1954), 17 May, p. 15. (HOME EDITION), viewed 26 Sep 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129141051

Joyce Gibberd and Silvia O'Toole, 'Davy, Ruby Claudia (1883–1949)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/davy-ruby-claudia-5918/text10081, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 26 September 2017

1934 'Dr. Ruby Davy's Concert', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 - 1954), 14 March, p. 18. , viewed 26 Sep 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74082657

1949 'DR. RUBY DAVY DEAD', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 - 1954), 13 July, p. 3. , viewed 26 Sep 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18122279

1940 'DR. RUBY DAVY', News (Adelaide, SA: 1923 - 1954), 25 July, p. 9. , viewed 26 Sep 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131420359