K. Busck

Originally transcribed as M Busch

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.

Kate Busck was born in 1860 in Odense, Denmark – the daughter of Carl Busck and Catharine Rohmann.

In 1890 Kate emigrated to New Zealand on the “Aorangi” accompanied by her friend Susanne Gether. (See 167 S Gether)

They settled in Dunedin where Kate taught music and Susanne taught wood carving.

In 1891 Kate and Susanne performed at a concert at the Choral Hall – Kate played the piano, violin & guitar and Susanne sang.

Kate taught private pupils at their home in Chapman’s Terrace in Stuart Street in piano, violin, viola and guitar and she was also a member of the Ladies’ Musical Club.

Kate signed the suffrage petition at Stuart Street.

In 1896 Kate and Susanne left Dunedin ”en route for Auckland and the South Sea Islands. After spending some months there, they intend to take to pastoral pursuits and settle on the Taieri Plains”. On their return they settled at Otakia, south of Dunedin and, in 1897, they took a neighbour to court for damages “caused by trespass of defendant’s sheep” on their land.

Kate continued to teach music in South Otago before moving back to Dunedin.

In 1900 she was teaching singing classes at the Otago Girl’s High School and St Hilda’s Collegiate School.

She spent a year in Europe after this studying the latest teaching methods and resumed her private classes in 1901.

She appears to have spent the next few years travelling as, in 1923, she entertained the Otago Women’s Club with her “experiences and travels since she left Dunedin some years ago”.

She left later in the year for South Africa with her friend Alice Whittall.

By 1930 Kate and Alice were living in Surrey, England where Kate applied for naturalisation.

Kate died at St George’s Hill, Salfords, Surrey on 22 February 1941.

Sources:

Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz

Papers Past  https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

GRO England   https://www.gro.gov.uk

Stuart St