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Dame Mary Gilmore With digital objects English
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Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

May Gilmore thanks the principal and, through him, the 1956-7 session of students and the town's inhabitants, for dedicating to her a set of gates, to be located at the College's main entrance at College Street. Includes reflections of early Wagga Wagga.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter and annotated envelope to George Blakemore.
Original hand-script letter-card to Mary Gilmore from Minnie Bennett (Mrs Bernard Jones).

Mary's explanatory letter accompanies the envelope on which is information relating to a small utilities bag belonging to Norman Cullen Hargreaves; and, a letter card from a member of an old Wagga family, Minnie Bennett. There are to be added to her collection.

She suggests that Wagga should get the Melbourne publication, 'Overland' for which she has recently written an article relating to the District.

Possibly Mary's last latter to the Principal who died in 1958.

See also Box 3: RW114-21.

Letter to Phoebe Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Phoebe Price*.

Sent on the death of her mother, Lizzie McGaulley, with whom Mary Gilmore went to school, the letter contains reminiscences of their youth together in the Wagga District.

*Phoebe was co-Principal of the Little Theatre School of Arts in MacLeay Street, Wagga for many years.

Letter to Phoebe Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Phoebe Price.

Mary Gilmore regrets that she cannot travel to Wagga to present the Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod prize and mentions she will also be unable to attend the official dedication of the Dame Mary Gilmore Memorial Gates because of her ill-health. She is conserving her strength in order to finish her current book in time for publication.

Letter to Phoebe Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Phoebe Price.

In reply to a letter and enclosure from Phoebe, Mary Gilmore asks that she collect the aboriginal bust to be included in her memorabilia collection.

See also Box 2: RW114-19.

Letter to Mr Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Mr Price.

Mary Gilmore is sorry to hear of Phoebe Price's illness.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

Mary Gilmore regrets that she cannot attend the official dedication ceremony and proposes that a friend, Dorothy Catts, widow of the late J.H. Catts MHR, represent her. She wishes to give the College, among other things, an aboriginal axe-head from Queensland and shingles from the beach at Puerta Gallegos in South Patagonia. She encloses a small donation of £2.20 to go towards the purchase of a book to chronicle events, people, autographs, etc. - the start of a continuous history for the next hundred years of the college.*

See also Box 3: RW114/22; RW114/23; RW111/24; RW114/25.

  • For Chronicle, see SA1.

Letter to Phoebe Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Phoebe Price.

Mary Gilmore expresses her concern over being misrepresented in the Wagga press. The incident relates to a reception at which she had allegedly made an anti-royalist statement. Mary Gilmore relates to Phoebe her perception of the events and asks her to correct any future misrepresentations.

Notes to Mr James Halloran and his wife

Xerox copy of typescript address with appended hand-script notes to James Halloran and his wife.

Written for the occasion of their Golden Wedding at 'Fernleigh', their home. In the appended note, Mary asks that the document be properly taken typed, given to the editor of the 'Daily Advertiser' and copies of the paper be sent to her.

Bears Wagga Wagga and District Historical Society stamp.

Letter from Sheila Tearle to Mrs Armstrong

Typescript letter from Sheila Tearle to Mrs Armstrong.

Sheila refers to the accompanying Mary Gilmore's 'The Wollundry Lagoon', a poem in her 1932 anthology 'Under the Wilgas'. She also comments on a number of poems in 'The Tilted Cart', Mary's third anthology, published in 1925.

Sheila Tearle was for many years a leading light of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, located in Sydney.

Newspaper article by Keith Swan

Typescript copy of the article 'The Filmore' by K. J. Swan, President of the Wagga Wagga and District Historical Society. It appeared in the 'Daily Advertiser' on Thursday, 16 December 1962.

Refers to Mary Gilmore's association with the early history of the District and her connection with George Blakemore and the College. Reference is also made to her collection of memorabilia and to the Dame Mary Gilmore Memorial Gates.

See also Box 3: RW114-22, RW114-23, RW114-24, RW114-25.

List of Dame Mary Gilmore's ephemera

Typescript list of Mary Gilmore's "Reliques" on display in glass case at the Wagga Wagga Teachers' College Library. In 1994 it was noted that some items not in the custody of Charles Sturt University.

See also Box 2: RW114-19; and Box 3: RW114-20, RW114-21, RW114-22, RW114-23, RW114-24, RW114-25.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

A short note (probably accompanying document RW114-3E), her formal thank you to be read at the official dedication ceremony. Apart from mentioning Phoebe Price, she leaves him to choose who will do the reading and asks only that she be sent either the original or a typed true copy for inclusion in her papers at the Mitchell Library, SLNSW.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

Re: items for 'the museum' to be delivered by Mrs Catts. These include a photograph of Norman Hargreaves in 1915 and the cover of a gas mask belonging to Keith Douglas Young. Both are from old Wagga families.

See also Box 3: RW114-21.

Letter from George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Transcript letter from George Blakemore.

He informs Mary that the College's proposed history is underway. He expresses his interest in the Dobell portrait of Mary and inquires whether it would be possible for it to be displayed in Wagga as it journeys to the capital cities for exhibition. The portrait was commissioned in 1955 by the Australiasian Book Society of Melbourne on the occasion of Mary Gilmore's ninetieth birthday.

Journal: "Meanjin" Issue 2, 1959

'Meanjin 2, 1959' and envelope to the College Library.

The journal contains Mary's appreciation (among others) of the work of Nettie and Vance Palmer, who had died on 15 July. The cover is inscribed and dated by Mary Gilmore.

Journal: "Art Gallery Quarterly" Issue 3, 1961

'Art Gallery Quarterly 3, 1961'.

Journal of the Art Gallery of NSW. It includes a 'with compliments' slip from the Director. Among the commentaries concerning 1960 acquisitions is that of the Dobell portrait, which Mary Gilmore has donated to the Gallery.

Letter from Mr Hogan, Principal of North Wagga Primary School

Original hand-script letter to Mr Hogan.

A letter thanking the principal of North Wagga School for his information on Parkan Pregan Lagoon. It includes reminiscences about her time spent as assistant of the school. Mary Gilmore also exhorts Mr. Hogan to establish a collection of her books in the school library and to compile a scrapbook of his school as a possible preliminary to later forming a School Historical Society.

Letter to Phoebe Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Phoebe Price.

Written during a period of convalescence after a major operation, Mary Gilmore thanks Phoebe for her proposal of naming a City of Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod prize in her honour and suggests that it could perhaps be shared with her mother, Lizzie.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

Re: a tentative inscription for the Dame Mary Gilmore Memorial Gates and her wish that the Gurwood Senior School be remembered in it. There is the possibility that Mary may not attend the official dedication ceremony because of her continuing bouts of illness and/or because her birthday party has been organised by the Australiasian Book Society around the raising of funds for the now Chair of Australia Literature. As informed by Alan Marshall, and very probably as much for her communist leanings as for her talent, she is now recognized by the chief literature societies of Moscow and Peking among others.

"Column 8" [newspaper clipping]

Sydney Morning Herald clipping.

Re: the opening of the Dame Mary Gilmore Memorial Gates. Designed by the College's lecturer in Art, Lionel Gailer, they capture, according to Blakemore, the spirit of 'Jiemba', the evening star, the aboriginal name bestowed on Mary as a child.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

Mary suggests he write to the President of the NSW ? Art Gallery Board of Trustees, Bertrand James Waterhouse, for details of exhibition arrangements about the Dobell portrait which has engendered a lot of controversy and which she plans to give to the nation. She brings up the matter of sending someone to collect 'a pottery aboriginal head', to be added to her collection at the college.

See also Box 2: RW114-19.

Letter to George Blakemore, Principal Wagga Wagga Teachers' College

Original hand-script letter to George Blakemore.

Mary comments about the magazine 'Baringa'*, the College's new literary magazine, and enthuses about some of the contributors. Mention of the aboriginal bust, given to her by a man from Alice Springs who told her he had carried it over half of central Australia.

See also Box 2: RW114-19.
*for 'Baringa', see RW2143-165,166,167,168.

Letter to the Secretary of the first Masonic Lodge, Wagga Wagga

Original hand-script letter to the Secretary of the First Masonic Lodge, Wagga.
Typescript copy.

The gift of a moleskin purse-around the edge of which Mary sewed a fringe, all that was left of her father's Masonic regalia - was offered to George Blakemore for inclusion in Mary's collection at the College.

See also Box 3: RW114-20.

Journal: "Selearte" 53, 1961

'Selearte 53, 1961'.

Bi-monthly Italian cultural publication with selective international information on architecture, sculpture, painting, graphic arts, visual arts and design. It includes an article of the art of Anthony Van Dyck who may have influenced Dobell's vision of Mary Gilmore (see details of hands, p. 18). The journal, in Italian with summaries in French, Spanish, English and German, is inscribed by Mary Gilmore.

Letter to Phoebe Price

Xerox copy of hand-script letter to Phoebe Price.

Mary Gilmore regrets that she cannot visit and suggests that someone might write to the Trustee of the Australiasian Book Society if Wagga wishes for the Dobell portrait to be exhibited there.

Letter to Mr Newling, Sydney Lyceum CLub

Transcript copy of letter to Mr Newling, Sydney Lyceum Club.

This letter contains a full description of the Eric Saunders / Kate Beard portrait of Mary Gilmore and gives the reason why it was re-framed as an oval. She was a founder of the club.

Letter to Mr Muir from GA Truskett, Headmaster of Wamoon Primary School

Typescript letter to Mr Muir from GA Truskett, Headmaster of Wamoon Primary School.

Regarding the donation of an Admission Register from Downside School to the Wagga Teachers' College Library. Mary Gilmore is listed on the Admission Register under her maiden name Mary Cameron.

See also OO: RW114-26.