Dame Joan Hammond, DBE, CMG (24 May 1912 – 26 November 1996) was a New Zealand-born Australian soprano, singing coach and golfer.
Joan Hammond was conceived in England, but born in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father was born Samuel Hood in England. He married his first wife Edith, then left her and took up with Joan's mother Hilda Blandford, with whom he had two sons in England. He informally added Hammond to his name, and they represented the...
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Dame Joan Hammond, DBE, CMG (24 May 1912 – 26 November 1996) was a New Zealand-born Australian soprano, singing coach and golfer.
Joan Hammond was conceived in England, but born in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her father was born Samuel Hood in England. He married his first wife Edith, then left her and took up with Joan's mother Hilda Blandford, with whom he had two sons in England. He informally added Hammond to his name, and they represented themselves as "Mr and Mrs Samuel H. Hammond", although they were not married at that time. Their third child, Joan Hilda Hood Hammond was born in May 1912, not long after the Hammonds had arrived in New Zealand. She was only 6 months old when her family moved again, to Sydney, Australia. Her parents finally married in Sydney, on the day after her 15th birthday, but there is no evidence Samuel's first wife Edith had died by that time, or that they ever divorced.
She attended Pymble Ladies College and excelled in both sports and music. She was...
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