Theomin Family of Olveston, Dunedin

Theomin Family of Olveston, Dunedin

The Theomin family of Dunedin, is perhaps better known to New Zealanders through the gift of the magnificent ‘Olveston’ Historic Home to the City of Dunedin.

David Ezekiel Benjamin and his wife Marie Ann (nee Michaelis) arrived in Dunedin in 1879 from Melbourne. 

David Benjamin was born in Bristol in 1852 to Joseph Benjamin, a rabbi originally from Prussia, who had changed his name from Theomin to Benjamin on his arrival in England. 

Brought up in Bristol, attending Bristol Grammar School, David left for Melbourne in 1874 and began working for a wholesale jewelry business. After arriving in Dunedin in 1879 he quickly established his own wholesale jewelry business, D Benjamin & Co in Dowling Street. In 1881 he began a tannery firm named Michaelis, Hallenstein & Farquhar with his father-in-law among the partners, at Sawyers Bay.  His father-in-law, Moritz Michaelis, was a successful businessman who also ran a tannery at Footscray in Melbourne with his nephew, Isaac Hallenstein.

Obviously an ambitious man and keen to get ahead quickly, he established yet another business, the Dresden Piano Company (during WW1 it became the Bristol piano company) in 1883, which traded out of premises on Princes Street – a impressive building designed by Salmond & Vanes with a façade of Staffordshire tiles which would have been a striking sight at the time.

A family home was purchased at Royal Terrace, named ‘Olveston’, some of the adjoining land being used to build a new home for which they commissioned London architects Ernest George and A B Yeates. The couple were keen entertainers and the home was designed around social and musical gatherings as well as having space for their expanding collections of glass; ceramics; silver; paintings and prints; Persian rugs and antiquities. On moving into the new home in 1906, the old home was demolished and made into fine gardens.

Olveston, 1906.

Olveston’s graceful drawing room

Olveston garden

David Theomin was an active member of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, holding the post of President in 1901-2, and representing the Chamber at the celebrations for the inauguration of the Federation of Australian States as well as at the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902. For 27 years he was a Commissioner of the Dunedin City Sinking Fund using his substantial business skills to help the new and expanding city pay down its debt burden.

As well as being a leading member of the Jewish community, he gave his time to many causes and organisations in Dunedin. He was very involved with the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, was president from 1923-24 and was involved in developing the visual and decorative arts collection. He was chairman of the Fine Arts Committee for the NZ and South Seas Exhibition 1925-26. He also personally made gifts of antiquities to the Otago Museum and of sculpture to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. He also supported young artists such as Frances Hodgkins and Alfred O’Keeffe who appreciated his patronage. A keen musician, he also sang with the Royal Dunedin Male Choir.  

He also demonstrated his public spirit in his charitable work with the Patients’ and Prisoners’ Aid Society, the Shipwreck Relief Society and the Otago Patriotic and Welfare Association, where his wife Marie was also involved. David had himself been shipwrecked when the steamship ‘Taranaki’ had gone down in the Bay of Plenty whilst he was on an early visit to scout out New Zealand’s potential – he obviously remembered the experience.

David Theomin

Marie Theomin

While David was busy with his businesses and civic duties, Marie Theomin was a homemaker and hostess as well as contributing both financially and in kind to the Plunkett Society. She was on the founding committee and within a few years was elected National Treasurer, remaining so until her sudden death in 1926 when David and daughter Dorothy continued her work with the Plunkett Society. Marie sometimes also acted as Secretary and was active in lobbying parliament on behalf of Plunkett. She also raised funds for the Otago and Southland Women’s Patriotic Association as well as other organisations during the Great War.

The couple had two children, Edward and Dorothy. It was just prior to the birth of their son Edward that David Benjamin changed the family name back to Theomin. 

Edward Moritz Theoman was born in January 1885, educated at Otago Boys High School after which he joined the Sawyers Bay tannery, by now called Glendermid Ltd. He was a keen motorist in the early days of the Otago Motor Club, taking part in their outings with his three-seater Renault.

Edward served as a soldier overseas in the Great War, enlisting in 1917 he was attached to the Otago Regiment, landing in France in March 1918. In 1919 he met and married science graduate Ethel Mocatta in London, whom he met through her brother Frederick. Ethel remained in Dunedin after Edward’s sudden death following a prolonged illness in November 1928. She died in Dunedin in 1982 at the age of 93, outliving her husband by 54 years.

Edward Theomin

Dorothy Theomin

The youngest member of the family, Dorothy Michaelis Theomin was born on December 1888, educated locally in Dunedin and then from 1902-05 at Roedean in Sussex. 

Dorothy returned to Dunedin around 1906 just as Olveston was being completed. She was very active socially as well as being involved in a lot of sporting activities including golf; riding; the Otago Hunt Club; hockey; tramping and mountaineering, where she was an active member in the New Zealand Alpine Club with her sister-in-law Ethel. She climbed and tramped the Southern Alps over many years, taking part in 35 documented climbs, and numerous crossings of the Copeland Pass and Graham Saddle. She also recorded these exploits through photography and many of her fine photographs are lodged with the Hocken Library. 

Dorothy continued her mother’s work with Plunkett, displaying a genuine fondness for children. She also continued her father’s work, serving on the council of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery for 33 years; as Vice-President 1954-57 and as President 1957-59. She was also active with the Red Cross particularly during the Second World War years when she was involved in sending parcels and letters of encouragement, particularly to prisoners of war.

She was a keen traveller and would visit with family in Australia, Britain and mainland Europe as well as pursuing her artistic and cultural interests there in art and music.

Dorothy lived at Olveston until her death in 1966, when she left the home and its contents to the care of the City of Dunedin for the enjoyment of the public.

Dorothy with Marie

In later years: David with Dorothy

Dorothy with male climbing companion, Haast Ridge Bivouac, March 1913.

Originally published on the parent website, Jewish Online Museum (edited).

Jane Thompson, ed., Southern People: A Dictionary of Otago Southland Biography, Dunedin 1988, 

Photos courtesy of Olveston Historic Home. You can visit this magnificent historic home at 42 Royal Terrace, Dunedin 9016. See the Olveston website for details of opening times: https://www.olveston.co.nz