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It's great to now know the location of Mary's home so I can see it when we travel to Adelaide, I did check the Catholic baptisms without success.

One of the things I have found most interesting is the insight one gains into society at that time from the poverty and lawlessness in Tipperary that encouraged the Coonans to come to Australia, the moral hazard that many young women faced in the colony, the revivalist movement and so on. It's an education.

To answer the question about Ada's birth certificate, this is none which isn't all that rare in those times.

Joseph Job Downes married Ada Sullivan at the Lutheran Parsonagein Adelaide on December 5, 1891. She was 16 and Joseph 28. Both resided in Kent Town. Witnesses were E.M.Galle, a teacher from Flinders Street and H.Dorsch, who was probably the officiating Minister, Casper Dorsch's wife. She later went on to have a distinguished academic career, while her husband, a man of sternly religious views suffered a nervous breakdown.

I don't place much faith in the note on the death certificate that Ada was born in Adelaide. She seemed to deliberately keep her background secret. One touching note was that Ma died quietly from a heart attack listening to a 'Music for the People' concert in the Melbourne Botanic Garden.

Such hard times! Michael Sullivan died at age 54 and left a wife and seven children. The redoubtable Mary died at age 61 in 1893 which meant she could have attended Ada's marriage if she had wished to do so. I can't however imagine good relations between a very devout Catholic woman and Joseph Downes who was a fervent member of the Salvation Army until he fell out with them. Mary was largely instrumental in the achievement of equal pay for policewomen. Her sister, Mary was a bold advocate  for womens' suffrage.

All very interesting, but it doesn't help in the search for the elusive Ada's beginnings!

Exactly what my theory is. I believe Ada is the natural daughter of Mary Coonan/Gosling/Haylock.
This is partly based  on my late mother's vague recollection that her mother was raised by an aunt. The Mary Sullivan in Adelaide was married to Michael Sullivan, the gent mentioned as father on Ada's marriage certificate. only problem is that he died long before Ada was born. Another clue is that Ada was brought up ion a strict Catholic background which turned her into a fierce Protestant. The wording on Mary Sullivan's gravestone is very Catholic. The fact is there are no records of Mchael Sulllivan or Ada's birth. Haylock may have been the father, but he seems to have suffered a nervous breakdown and around Ada's birth, he gave up his post as Carisbrook, Victoria's mayor and deserted his wife. At the same time, it was common for sisters to swap children among their family. Poor Ada! She seemed to be the parcel no one really wanted.