Leila Steedman

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Miss Leila Steedman was born in Williamstown in 1895, only child of Ernest Steedman and his wife Emily, nee Freyer.

The Steedman family built a gracious home in Tanti Ave, Mornington, called "Summerlea".

The site is now occupied by the dwellings of "Summerlea Close".

Leila Steedman was a musician of great talent. As a teacher, she had a large clientele of music students and taught them the instrument of their choice.

For awhile she was organist at St. Peter’s Church until she had a falling out with the Vicar. There are wall plaques in St. Peter’s to her, and other family members.

In about 1922, Leila got together a group that played on Sunday evenings, in the Methodist, and also the Presbyterian Church.

From small beginnings, the "Summerlea Orchestra" was born. They played with some success at public concerts over the years and were at their peak just before the 2nd World War.

After the war, the "Mornington Peninsula Symphony Orchestra" was formed, and the complete dictatorship of the orchestra remained in the capable hands of the conductor Miss Steedman - they played on till the 1950’s.

Many stories have been told of Miss Steedman’s eccentricities. She considered it essential that her Steinway grand piano be used in every performance, and it was loaded on a truck and taken from home and back again after the concert.

Leila was also known as the ‘Cat Woman’. At one stage she had 28 cats and 15 dogs, all of which had free entry to her house. She also headed off every night to feed the stray cats living in the scrub or around the cliffs.

Leila Steedman died in 1964, but will always be remembered as the conductor and leader of Mornington’s only Symphony Orchestra.