Julie Glamuzina on Different Matters, Hjilmar Dannevill, Lies and Spies

Well, Dr. so-called Hilmar von Denneville entered our shores along with her close friend, Sarah Womersley, both declaring themselves as domestics on the ship, which they came out from England.

So they arrived, I think, in February, March 1911, And they immediately took some rooms in the central city.

And within a day or two, they had, by her account, strangely met up with a local doctor and were suddenly staying with her.

So it seemed a bit strange that she could be here alone.

Only a few days and then the next thing she's staying at a very notable local doctor's residence in

Melbourne.

Well, we'll come to that notable Dr. Huntley? Huntley, Dr.

Ara Huntley.

Because the first part of the book is kind of a little bit about Draca Huntley.

She's a really interesting individual in itself.

But when these two so-called domestics arrives, how do I say, Hilma, Hilma Dannyville was 49 years old, only five foot two.

Yes.

Short.

Yep.

And her traveling companion, Sarah, was 33.

Yes.

And the trip from London had taken, via Cape Town and Tasmania, had taken 41 days to third class it sounds like a reasonably brutal journey in itself and one that Sarah perhaps struggled with.

It wasn't a luxury tour that's for sure.

No because talking about the ship there are so many little interesting because part of the reason why I love this book and I loved your story it wasn't just a story about Danville it was a little glimpses that this story tells about the New Zealand and the wider environment because you talk about that you talk about in a cross-dressing and a whole raft of other social stuff that was happening at the time.

So this isn't really just a story about this one individual.

It's kind of, well, for me, it was a window into a part of New Zealand.

Yeah,

well, it has to be because we are always, always operating within some kind of social and political context and economic context.

So we all are.

So was she.

Well, Dr. so-called Hilmar von Denneville entered our shores along with her close friend, Sarah Womersley, both declaring themselves as domestics on the ship, which they came out from England.

So they arrived, I think, in February, March 1911, And they immediately took some rooms in the central city.

And within a day or two, they had, by her account, strangely met up with a local doctor and were suddenly staying with her.

So it seemed a bit strange that she could be here alone.

Only a few days and then the next thing she's staying at a very notable local doctor's residence in

Melbourne.

Well, we'll come to that notable Dr. Huntley? Huntley, Dr.

Ara Huntley.

Because the first part of the book is kind of a little bit about Draca Huntley.

She's a really interesting individual in itself.

But when these two so-called domestics arrives, how do I say, Hilma, Hilma Dannyville was 49 years old, only five foot two.

Yes.

Short.

Yep.

And her traveling companion, Sarah, was 33.

Yes.

And the trip from London had taken, via Cape Town and Tasmania, had taken 41 days to third class it sounds like a reasonably brutal journey in itself and one that Sarah perhaps struggled with.

It wasn't a luxury tour that's for sure.

No because talking about the ship there are so many little interesting because part of the reason why I love this book and I loved your story it wasn't just a story about Danville it was a little glimpses that this story tells about the New Zealand and the wider environment because you talk about that you talk about in a cross-dressing and a whole raft of other social stuff that was happening at the time.

So this isn't really just a story about this one individual.

It's kind of, well, for me, it was a window into a part of New Zealand.

Yeah,

well, it has to be because we are always, always operating within some kind of social and political context and economic context.

So we all are.

So was she.