Rosemary Clarice Hanna was born in New Providence, The Bahamas on 22nd August 1942. She is the sixth of seven children born to Percival James and Leona Aurelia Hanna (née Butler).
She grew up in Over-The-Hill, New Providence at the corner of Anderson street and Gaol Alley and her family home (pictured below at right) still stands there as one of the few original homes in the area. Rosemary was educated at Western Junior and Senior Schools and The Government High School in New Providence, Westwood High School, Stewart Town, Trelawney, Jamaica, The College of The Bahamas and Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. She studied Banking & Finance and Music at the College of The Bahamas where she obtained associate degrees in both disciplines, and at Acadia University she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Music. She is an Associate of the Bahamas Institute of Financial Services (ABIFS), and over the span of her 40-year financial services career she was employed at World Banking Corporation Limited / SFE Bank Limited, The Securities Commission of The Bahamas, Sentinel Bank & Trust Limited and The Private Trust Corporation Limited.
Since retirement she has been actively involved in the Social Outreach of St. Agnes Anglican Church which led to her writing the book “Pictorial history and Memories of Nassau’s Over-The-Hill”. The book came about as a result of Rosemary’s photography hobby and her distress at the rot and decay that has overtaken the Island of New Providence and, in particular, the Over-The-Hill area where she was born and grew up. She observed that most of the once lovely and immaculately maintained homes of her childhood had disappeared or were in a state of disrepair. Only a few of such homes remain as oases in the midst of decay and she thought it important to record the Over-The-Hill story for those who remembered and for future generations. She also thought it was very important for the uninformed to know that many of the nation builders and others upon whose shoulders we stand came from Over-The-Hill, Grant’s Town, Bain Town, Mason’s Addition, Anderson Street, Lewis Street, McCullough Corner, Market Street, East Street, Fort Fincastle, Nassau Street, Chippingham, Meadow Street, King Street and Ross Corner – these were neighbourhoods where everyone took pride in and kept their surroundings clean.
Over-The-Hill was the epicentre of social change in The Bahamas and Rosemary thought it important for our history to be known and also that Bahamian History should be made a mandatory subject in all of our schools, both public and private. It’s a sad state of affairs when our people do not know from whence they came or the sacrifices that so many people made in order for us to enjoy the freedoms that we have today.
The documentary film “Nassau’s Over-The-Hill” which is based on the book premiered under the patronage of Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Lady Foulkes at Government House on 20th February 2014 to an overflow crowd. Showings followed at Galleria Cinemas, JFK Drive and the Mall at Marathon.
Rosemary has shared her knowledge and general history of The Bahamas and Over-The-Hill on numerous radio and TV shows and also with classes at the College of The Bahamas and a number of Nassau high schools. Copies of her book were presented to the Governor General and to the Minister of Education as well as to public libraries and schools in New Providence. .
She is actively involved in music as a member of the Senior Choir at St. Agnes Anglican Church where she previously served as director of the choir for twenty years from 1980-2000. She served as the Director of The Anglican Chorale for ten years and the group’s concerts and hymn festivals are frequently aired on local TV. She is also an avid gardener and past president of The Horticultural Society of The Bahamas.
Rosemary is a social activist who is dedicated to educating the Bahamian public concerning our rich culture and heritage which she does via social media. She also hosts the weekly TV Series, “The Bahamas…Then and NOW” which is shown on Bahamas Cable 12 at 7:30 p.m. on Sundays.
She is a member of the community group, Creative Nassau (CN), which was formed in 2008 by the late Jackson L. Burnside III and his wife Pamela. On 1st December 2014 (through the efforts of a small group of private citizens led by Pamela) Nassau was designated as the first UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art in the Caribbean or in a small island state.
Rosemary enjoys the pleasures of family, church work, gardening, computer networking and travel. She is a lover of the arts and of all things Bahamian. She has a lovely daughter, Clarice Hanna Cooper.
Facebook Links:
Nassau’s Over-The-Hill
Bahamian History Highlights
Links to The Bahamas Weekly News articles: http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/arts-and-culture/Rosemary_C_Hanna_is_pleased_to_invites_you_to26529.shtml
Email address: aurelia025@hotmail.com
© Copyright Rosemary C. Hanna 2015
Story written by Ann Marie Albury