Ada Priscilla Elizabeth was the last child of Thomas and Mary-Jane Davidson, born at St Arnaud in 1892. She was only 12 months old when her father passed away a year later in 1893.

 

After her mother married Joe Rogan, the family moved to the Fitzroy/North Carlton area where Ada grew up. She worked for some time as a waitress before entering the Salvation Army Staff Training College in 1913, receiving her first commission in January 1915. Her first posting was to Magill in South Australia, followed over the years by moves to Jamestown, Glenelg, Ashton, Yorketown, and Moonta Mines. She then moved on to Broken Hill in New South Wales, and throughout her time held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain in the Field.

 

In 1918, Ada married Cyril McLeod, resigning from the Salvation Army in 1920 to commence their family. Ada and Cyril had 3 children – Dorothy Heather, Alexander Roland, and Roderick Harding.

 

Eventually, the family moved to Red Cliffs, near Mildura in north-western Victoria, on to a fruit block. Family lore has it that Ada did most of the work, and she and Cyril eventually separated. After this, Ada moved back to Ascot Vale, in Melbourne, living with Cyril’s sister, Nellie Skinner, for about 10 years. Whilst there, she worked at the Ascot Vale Tennis Court, and for some time at what was then known as Australian National Airlines (ANA). She was transferred by ANA to Brisbane in Queensland to take over the management of their hostel at Clayfield, where their staff would stay overnight.

 

Upon her return to Victoria, she lived in Wangaratta with her son Roderick, before returning to Melbourne in 1958 where she lived with her daughter, Dorothy, until she passed away in 1964 at the age of 71. She was cremated at Fawkner Memorial Park and has a memorial there. Her husband, Cyril, remarried in 1964, eventually dying in Hobart in 1977.