Mrs Kinsman

“Mrs. Fillia Kinsman and her coach,” State Library of South Australia Poor Mrs Kinsman was thus left to fight her own way in life, mysteriously bereft of her husband. With the little money she had, she purchased some cows and sold milk and butter. She realised that there was an opening for a passenger conveyance…

Read More

Fern Sellers – Christmas Eve

THE FERN SELLER—CHRISTMAS EVE. This is an original and characteristic sketch, in which perhaps our artist has sacrificed a little fidelity to nature. In this instance the object seems to have been to embody an idea thoroughly and faithfully rather than exhibit skill in the delineation of female beauty. What the holly is to the…

Read More

Harriet Clisby

HARRIET CLISBY Storm-centre of Two Continents SPENT CHILDHOOD HERE Harriet Clisby, whose death is announced, wore ringlets and frilled pantalettes when she arrived in Adelaide in 1837—but she had a brain that made her a storm-centre of two continents! There was nothing early Victorian about the woman, who left a pioneer music shop in Adelaide…

Read More

On the trail of the lady detective

Lady detectives seem to have come late to Australia. The concept of them was known throughmost of the Victorian era, as they were subject of some popular novels, including Revelations of a Lady Detective  (1864) which was advertised, widely, for many, many, many years in regional Australian newspapers. (It made searching… fun.) Tracing them was also…

Read More

100 Years of Disappointed, Disgruntled, Discredited Husbands

Sydney Gazette, 16 October 1803 Sydney Gazette, 19 June 1808 Sydney Gazette, 12 February 1810 Hobart Town Gazette, 19 October 1816 Hobart Town Gazette, 12 August 1820 Sydney Gazette, 16 October 1823 Sydney Gazette, 23 October 1823 Sydney Gazette, 9 January 1826 The Australian, 10 September 1828 Sydney Monitor, 20 September 1828 Sydney Gazette, 21…

Read More

Mary Sullivan: female searcher

Adelaide Observer, 7 December 1872 Express & Telegraph, 1 August 1873 South Australian Register, 14 November 1873 Express & Telegraph, 31 January 1873 South Australian Chronicle, 21 November 1874 South Australian Chronicle, 4 November 1874 Express & Telegraph, 17 May 1882 Adelaide Observer, 23 July 1892 South Australian Register, 1 August 1893

Read More

Whereas My Husband… Or, What’s Good For Gander

Sydney Gazette, 28 July 1821 This is sequel to 100 Years of Disappointed, Disgruntled, Discredited Husbands. I have transcribed the longer advertisements/letters where the text might be too small to read and included the image, except where it’s an ongoing debate wherein I have just included the text. TO THE PUBLIC.— WHEREAS Mr. Thomas Arkell…

Read More

100 Years Of Teachers

Sydney Gazette 8 January 1814 Sydney Gazette, 4 January 1817 Hobart Town Gazette, 21 January 1821 Hobart Town Courier, 4 July 1829 Sydney Gazette, 8 July 1830 South Australian Gazette, 20 January 1838 Perth Gazette, 9 December 1843 Bathurst Advocate, 23 June 1848 Moreton Bay Courier, 3 August 1850 Bendigo Advertiser, 13 December 1855 The…

Read More