First off, many thanks to two Davids and others who have provided some fantastic and wide ranging information. It not only fills many gaps, but corrects various of my ideas. I will pull all this togther in a chronology. As a child and in my early teens I always felt Sheila was an interesting and warm person. From the information so far, it is also obvious that she and her mother were close.
One query for me: I always assumed/considered that Sheila was Eurasian and mum Hannah was Chinese, my memory from ages 10-15. Maybe I have my mixed races mixed, but having now worked in the N and SW Pacific for 15 years, and having some mixed race of my own, I thought maybe not. But its a mystery.
Sheila's dad, Charles Whitley was English, born 1871 and went to India 1892. He apparently was married then widowed, and in 1906 married Hannah Mary Agnes MacQueen (or Mary Hannah Agnes McQueen) in India. They had 4 children in India: Margaret in1907, Thomas in 1909, Sheila in 1910 and Norman in 1914. There was an older son, Charles jnr born 1903 from his previous late wife. The family relocated to Hong Kong in 1923.
Hannah was born in 1878 in India, and her parents were Theophilus Sydney MacQueen (1847-1911) born in Kolkata, W Bengal, and Louisa Augusta MacQueen (nee Carter) (1849-1914), who were married in 1870. Doesn't look to be any Eurasian mixed race there ??
The other query was Sheila coming to Australia: she and her mum had travelled quite a bit for those times. They moved from India to Hong Kong in 1923; January, 1932 dad Charles died in Hong Kong; May, 1932 Sheila (21) and Hannah sailed from Brisbane, QLD to London; Aug, 1933 Sheila (23) and Hannah sailed Dover to Hong Kong; April, 1939 Sheila (28) and Hannah sailed to Bombay then to London; Nov, 1939 (29) both sailed London to Hong Kong.
Aug 1941 sister Margaret Whitley married Geraint Davies in HK, Hannah and Sheila were absent......possibly already evacuated? If so, would it be to Perth or to UK? Aug 1946 Sheila (35) and Hannah sail Liverpool to Hong Kong. Seems that after this Sheila gets married, and in 1949 is Mrs Sheila Feltwell proprietor of Kubba Roonga guesthouse at Blackheath.
As follow up: Hannah and Sheila are buried together (same gravestone) at Blackheath cemetery, Hannah 1878-1956 (age 78) and Sheila 1910-2011 (age 101). I can't find husband Joseph Feltwell.
Here is the obituary of
Here is the obituary of Charles Whitley Junior in April 1925:
What was the family doing and where exactly prior to their move from India to Hong Kong?
Seems like the father and son were associated with St Andrew's Church in Kowloon. Worth contacting them for any archival information. Of course, back then the Central British School was right next to St Andrew''s Church on Nathan Road. So makes sense the youngsters attended school and then worshipped nearby and Sunday school. And when Charles Senior died he and family were living at Humphreys Buildings (today's Hanoi Road) in Kowloon, again within easy walking distance to school and place of worship.
Source: The China Mail, page 1, 27th April 1925
Here is another take on the obituary which offers a bit more information - he was a great hockey player having participated in several big matches in India (his younger brothers subsequently took up the sport) and he was clearly ill for a significant portion of his stay in Hong Kong.
Source: The Hong Kong Telegraph, page 5, 27th April 1925
Here's a bit more information
Here's a bit more information on your couple:
http://ryersonindex.org/search.php
Sheila Feltwell's death at Kingston and her death notice of 19th September 2011 was published by the newspaper Hobart Mercury on 20th September 2011
Joseph Feltwell's death notice of 8th December 1997 was published by the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald on 13th December 1997
Getting copies of those obituaries will help answer a few pressing questions.
Well, here's the death notice of Joseph Feltwell. A bit sparse but definitely the right person. It's possible he could have been cremated.
Source: The Sydney Herald, page 119, 13th December 1997
The death notice of Hannah
The death notice of Hannah Mary Agnes Whitley at Blackheath was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 13th February 1956
http://ryersonindex.org/search.php
Source: Sydney Morning Herald, page 14, 13th February 1956
Joseph Arthur William Feltwell
A few bits and bobs on JAW Feltwell, none of which answers your queries but adds a bit more to the picture.
Below are two Letters to the Editor
A joke is made of his namesake
The joke is repeated almost 19 years later but as least you know he was a former Chairman of the hospital. The very hospital where he eventually died.