Christmas Greetings to all supporters of Roses from the Heart(R). Bonnet makers in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, Kuwait ………..THANK YOU from Christina Henri.

Wishing every one a memorable Christmas. To all who have made bonnet tributes for convict women as part of Roses from the Heart(r) and to those who have supported Christina Henri’s commemoration of the 25,566 convict women transported to Australia, a huge thank you. Christina sends you a glimpse of her Christmas and showcases the wonderful bonnet tribute for Ellen LOVE, made by Janece Bryan, Hobart, Tasmania (2011. Thanks Janece.

5,500 bonnets required to complete the Memorial.

‘Sea of Bonnets’ exhibition November 2011.

Photographs by Robert Boldkald

Artist Christina Henri

 Christina uses boats as metaphors for the expansion of colonialisation and bonnets to represent the convict women. Thousands of bonnets were involved in this installation. Bonnets were made by participants world wide who are part of Roses from the Heart(R) Christina Henri’s Memorial to all 25,566 convict women transported to Australia.

Iris Smith from WA has made a special bonnet out of lace and pearls for convict woman Mary McCarty. Iris made the bonnet on behalf of Gladys Powel (WA)l who is descended from Mary. The bonnet will have both Iris Smith and Gladys Powell’s name on the inside hem of the bonnet and forms part of the collection of 25,566 that artist Christina Henri has conceived - Roses from the Heart(R) the first Memorial to all women transported to Australia as convicts. To date Christina Henri has 20,000 plus bonnets.

Mary McCarty was born in County Cork, IrelandShe was able to both read and write. She was transported to Van Diemen’s Land, (renamed Tasmania) on board the ship the Sir Charles Forbes. The ship sailed from London on September 16,1826 and arrived in Hobart Town January 3, 1827. Four of of the seventy-three convict passengers died on the voyage out. This ship made four voyages as a convict transport.  The Sir Charles Forbes was a 364 ton vessel built in Aberdeen in 1824. Eighteen year old Mary was taken to the Middlesex gaol on April 6, 1826 where she was convicted.  She received a Life sentence (Death recorded). Her crime was stealing twelve yards of lace - valued at 48 shillings - from Robert Orme in his dwelling house on March 30, 1826. Mary, who was married at the time, was one month pregnant when she stole the lace. She stated at her trial that she was in distress and her husband had been out of work for a  long time.  Two witnesses gave her good character references. Her Gaol report stated that her conduct in gaol was good. Two weeks out from Hobart, Mary gave birth to a male child ( J.J Madden). On arrival in Hobart both she and her infant were taken to the Colonial Hospital. According to Philip Tardiffs book Mary was  ’An innocent, inoffensive woman. [She] has suffered much from illness during the voyage out and lain in’.  Mary’s Conditional Pardon was recommended on September 20, 1837 and approved on 31st January 31, 1840.  No other offence was recorded the during eight years leading up to her Conditional Pardon. Notation stated that Mary was a married woman with a large family and her Pardon was strongly recommened. Mary married William Roberts at Norfolk Plains (now Longford) on January 3, 1831 Her son J. Madden was christened at St. Josephs Church in Hobart. Around 1837 the family moved to Melbourne. Mary died on December 16, 1866 at Carlton, Victoria. 

Cascades Female Factory World Heritage Site, 16 Degraves Street, South Hobart, Tasmania

Photos of the site highlighting the variation in cloud formation. View facing towards Mt Wellington.

Photographer: Christina Henri, Artist in Residence at the Cascades Female Factory World Heritage Site, 

Making their Mark(R) is a trail of individual bonnet tributes to convict women permanently installed in places that hold a relevance to each specific woman. A bonnet for Mary Eagen will be permanently installed at the historic Gaol in Oatlands. For the next month the bonnet will be on display at the Supreme Court Museum in Oatlands. In December a Making their Mark(R) bonnet for Eliza Lacking will be installed at the Callington Mill and a bonnet for Serena Turner will be installed at the Supreme Court Museum.

Eventually their will be Making their Mark(B) bonnets in places such as the Wicklow Gaol, County Cork Gaol and Cobh Heritage Centre and Grangegorman in Ireland and other specific places in Scotland, England and Wales and in numerous heritage sites in Australia that relate to the female convict story.

Suzanne Palmer has shared her research on convict woman Mary Eagan whose life ended in Oatlands almost two years after her arrival in Van Diemen’s Land.

Having been in the colony for only a short time, Mary’s death may well have slipped under the radar without notice except for for the unusual circumstances surrounding her premature death.

Mary was an Irish peasant girl trying to survive during the famine years.

Records show she was one of four siblings, single, of Roman Catholic religion, illiterate, her trade was that of nursemaid and she resided in County Kildare.

On March 21, 1850, six months after the second offence, Mary was convicted of stealing a cow in Kildare.  At the trial, Mary’s words were “I stole Mr. Reed’s cow”.  This is the only recording of Mary speaking. For this conviction Mary received a sentence of ten years transportation to Van Diemen’s Land.

Mary was one of 219 women and 32 children who departed Kingston, Co. Kildare on the 580-ton Duke of Cornwall on July 8, 1850.  The ship’s Master was John Whitehead, Surgeon Superintendent was Charles Smith and the Matrons were Misses Hooper and Downing.

The Surgeon recorded that at the time of departure all on board were healthy. Most of the convict women were between the ages of twenty and thirty years old and they had lived in Dublin or surrounding areas.

There were two deaths during the voyage. Mary’s name was noted in the Surgeons Report referring to her being on the sick list from September 5, 1850 until September 24, 1850 with a condition of ‘catarrhus’ (inflammation of mucus membranes).  The Ships Log showed that she resumed duty after September 24. 

On October 27, 1850, the Duke of Cornwall arrived in Hobart Town. Mary was described as being seventeen years old, five foot one and a half inches tall, with a fresh complexion, dark brown hair, blue eyes, medium nose with a burn mark on the bridge, wide mouth, short chin and slightly freckled face.

There were newspaper reports of the ship’s arrival on page two in the Colonial Times, October 29, 1850 and also in the Hobart Town Courier, October 30, 1850.  Both articles gave details of the officers on board and stated that 198 women had arrived. This number is at odds with the 219 listed women taken from the record book detailed on the Tasmanian Archives Site – convict section. The Courier also noted that the total mail carried on board comprised of seven letters. Reference was also made to the fact that a baby boy had been born enroute.

It is most probable that Mary was included amongst fellow convicts who were sent to the New Town Farm Depot. This building was opened in 1850 as a temporary station for the reception of female convicts arriving in the colony. In fact on December 12, 1850 the Hobart Town Gazette reported that ninety-four female convicts had recently arrived aboard the Duke of Cornwall and were waiting hiring at the New Town Farm Depot.

On November 4, 1850 Mary’s services as an assigned servant were advertised and a Mr. Bonny hired her. On April 3, 1851 the Conduct Records show that Mary refused to work for Mr. Bonny and she was sentenced to one month’s hard labour at the Cascades Female Factory. Further notation shows that on April 11, 1851 Mary was charged with ‘neglect of duty’.  No punishment was recorded against this charge.

Mary doesn’t appear again until records show that she was detained in the Ross Female Factory on December 30, 1851 where she was listed as a third class pass-holder.

On March 19, 1852 Mary was hired by Mr. Lakland, an overseer, at the Ross Depot.  A few months later, on August 16, 1852, Mary was returned to the Ross Female Factory. Records from August 31, 1852 indicate that Mary was charged with being asleep when she should have been working and this infringement incurred a punishment of seven days in the cells.

On September 9, 1852 Captain Peter Pegus, keeper of the Oatlands Gaol, hired Mary as a nursemaid to look after his four weeks old daughter Constance, born on August 13, 1852. At the time of being assigned to Captain Pegus Mary was suffering from what appeared to be a very bad cold and she could only speak in a whisper.

The following day Mary went to bed unwell. She locked her door. The next morning on September 11, 1852 Mary failed to report for work. Members of the Pegus family were unable to raise her and so they called in one of the javelin men (convict warder) to remove a pane of glass and a child was passed through the space and was able to open the door. Mary was found dead in her bed.  It was noted that her hand was resting beneath her head and the bedclothes lay undisturbed suggesting that she had died peacefully.

An inquest into Mary Egan’s death was held immediately at the Oatlands Court House before the District Coroner and a jury of seven people. It was recorded that Mary Eagan’s death had occurred on the night of the 10^th or morning 11^th, and that she had been afflicted with a certain fleshy growth in the orifice of the windpipe which had closed over occasioning suffocation and eventually death. The jury reached the conclusion that Mary ‘died of natural causes’.

Most Van Diemen’s Land newspapers as well as a Melbourne newspaper reported Mary’s death.  In particular an article on page three of the Hobart Town Courier, September 15, 1852, gave an extensive account of the circumstances surrounding her death under the heading of ‘Singular and sudden death’. The following was included in the article. ‘From the evidence of Dr. Doughty, it appeared that a substance, somewhat similar to a bunch of grapes, had been sometime forming in her [Mary’s} throat, and that the said substance had dropped down while she was sleeping, and had stopped her breath’. The article ended saying Mary was quite a young women and must have died tranquilly.’

The Conduct Records show that Mary died on September 11 and a letter to that effect was documented as being received on the September 13, 1852.

Mary’s death must have been upsetting to Captain Pegus and members of his family. One can only hope there was genuine feeling for their nursemaid’s unexpected demise not merely an inconvenience to be sorted. There doesn’t appear to be any burial records that implies Mary was probably laid to rest in a corner of the general cemetery at Oatlands.

Information about the convict woman being remembered will accompany the bonnet tribute. A list of other places where more Making their Mark(R) bonnets can be viewed will also be included.

At the moment bonnets can be seen at Woolmers World Heritage Site at Longford and Oatlands - Tasmania. 

A bonnet for Mary Eagen will also be included in the Roses from the Heart(R) Memorial collection. The bonnets in Making their Mark(R) are additional tributes and have a special connecting feature. Jill Cartwright has made the bonnet for Mary Eagen that belongs to the Making their Mark(R) bonnet trail. 

Tasmanian Premier the Honourable Lara Giddings MHA opened artist Christina Henri’s Roses from the Heart(R) display today at the Oatlands Supreme Court Museum as part of the town’s eleventh Spring Festival.

Rowena McDougall the Manager of the Museum and Christina Henri greeted the Premier and Rowena welcomed all the guests on behalf of the Southern Midlands Council. Those attending included , the Honourable Lara Giddings, the Honourable Michael Polley, the Honourable Rebecca White, the Mayor of Southern Midlands Tony Bisdee and Mrs. Bisdee, the Deputy Mayor John Jones and Mrs. Jones, Councillors Alex Green, Don Fish and Mark Jones the Principal of Oatlands District High School Mr. Geoff Williamson and student representatives, distinguished guests, members of the Southern Midlands community and members of the broader community including David and Anne Kernke, custodians of the heritage colonial property, Shene.

The following is a small part of the welcome presented by Rowena McDougall.

‘The vision for the Oatlands Supreme Court House is about Sense of Place: that it be a place for interpretation and of experience. A place that people can contribute to, and be a part of; a living place in the cultural fabric of Oatlands; a place that contributes to a greater understanding of the role of heritage in the fabric of contemporary life and its role in forming community & individual identity.

The Oatlands contribution to the Roses from the Heart® commemorates some of the female convicts who lived and worked and served their time in Oatlands, as well as female convict ancestors of people who have a connection to Oatlands or surrounding districts today.

In her speech the Premier paid tribute to all Indigenous Australians, then gave specific mention to the tribes that once traversed the land Oatlands now occupies.  Mention was made of a recent visit the Premier had to the National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) owned property, Clarendon House, in Evandale where she saw the quarters  designed specifically for assigned convict servants. The Premier complimented Christina Henri on her convict related art, Roses from the Heart® and agreed how important it is to remember the contribution convict women made to the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land. Reference was made to the manner in which Roses from the Heart® personalises the women’s stories and values their identity by individually naming the 25,566. To date Christina has received over 20,066 bonnets.

Christina Henri thanked the Premier for the bonnet tribute that she contributed towards making for convict lass Selina Turner who spent time at Oatlands. A special thank you to Rowena McDougall for her excellent organising of the event. Also thank you to Brad Williams Manager of the Heritage Programs Section of the Southern Midlands Council, Alan Townsend, Researcher, and Karen Bramich Project Officer.

Christina extends her thanks to all the participants who have made bonnets for Roses from the Heart® and to the following people whose bonnets are on display over the next month at the Oatlands Supreme Court Museum:

Amelia Kenny, Angie Howard, Brad Williams, David Huntley, Erica Norgrove, Evalyn Curtis, Jennie Hansen, Jo Bain, Karen Bramich, Kay Harman, Lynn Bennett, Pat Birchall, Rowena Jo Butler, Sharyn Rawnsley, Suzanne Palmer and the Premier  the Hon Lara Giddings MHA and  Jess Radford, Deputy Chief of Staff, who created Selena Turner’s bonnet tribute.

Oatlands convict heritage is definitely worth visiting and the Roses from the Heart® display at the Supreme Court Museum is a bonus. Stories of the convict women accompany the bonnets they commemorate.

Bonnet tributes are being made as part of Roses from the Heart(R) for all convict women Transported to Australia. Amongst the 25,566 convict women this Memorial remembers are convict women who spent time in Oatlands, Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania.

It you know of any convict women who spent time at Oatlands, or if you are related to any convict women who spent time in Oatlands, please contact Christina Henri, Artist in Residence at the Casacdes Female Factory World Heriatge Site, 16 Degraves Street, South Hobart. 7004

If you would like to ‘adopt’ a convict women who spent time at Oatlands, and make a bonnet tribute for her as part of Roses from the Heart(R) please contact Christina Henri.

If you live in Oatlands and have female convict ancestry Christina would be very pleased to hear would be great to hear from YOU. Your bonnet tribute, a cloth bonnet for your very own ancestor, will be part of a special display of bonnets in Oatlands, as part of the Oatlands Spring Festival on Sunday 16, October, 2011. The bonnet display will be launched by the Premier of Tasmania, the Hon Lara Giddings, MHA.

If you would like to be linked with a convict women to be remembered in this, the first Memorial, to ALL convict women sent to Australia, contact Christina Henri on cjhenri@iinet.net.au

A list of women below are some of those convict women known to have spent time in Oatlands.

Agnes Lander Arrived in VDL aboard the Margaret                19 July 1843

Mary Ann Scace       Arrived in VDL aboard the America                    9 May 1831

Selina Turner           Arrived in VDL aboard the Jane                     22 January 1833

Hannah Evans          Arrived in VDL aboard the William Bryan            4 July 1833

Ann Woodley           Arrived in VDL aboard the William Bryan            4 July 1833

Mary Sandy             Arrived in VDL aboard the William Bryan            4 July 1833

Matilda Bell        Arrived in VDL aboard the Frances Charlotte    10 January 1833

Mary Burns             Arrived in VDL aboard the Jane                          30 June 1833

Sarah Martin           Arrived in VDL aboard the William Bryan             4 July 1833

Elizabeth Lacken/Lacking

                               Arrived in VDL aboard the Mary Ann                19 March 1841

Mary Ann Miller       Arrived aboard the Tory (1)                              25 March 1845

Norah Corbett/Cobbet

                               Arrived aboard the Persian (1)                         5 August 1827

Thanks to Rowena at the Oatlands Court House, Oatlands. Heritage Site.

This lovely bonnet tribute to convict woman Elizabeth Connon has travelled across the world to Australia to be part of Tasmanian artist Christina Henri’s Roses from the Heart(R) Memorial to all women transported to Australia as convicts 1828 -1853. Elizabeth was transported to Australia on the Blackfriar in January 1851. 260 female convicts were on board this ship that departed from Dublin, Ireland.

Christina Henri took this bonnet with her to the workshop held at the Oatlands Courthouse where a number of participants sewed bonnet tributes and gave thought to the convicts who left Ireland, especially during the famine years. As bonnet tributes were being made participants were aware that many Irish were taking time out of their busy lives, on Saturday, September 10,  to reflect on the tragedy of An Garta Mor. The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, attended a formal State ceremonial event in Clones, County Monaghan, that was organised by the National Famine Commemoration Committee in memory of the millions who either died or emigrated as a result of the Great Famine. 

Christina Henri spent the weekend in Oatlands invited by the Southern Midlands Council to hold bonnet making workshops in the town that will subsequently be shown at the Oatlands Spring Festival in October, 2011. Christina would like to thank Rowena for organising her visit. Rowena is a descendent of Mary Reibey who was transported to Australia as a convict, on the Royal Admiral in October 1792. Mary created an enormously successful life for herself and her family. Her accomplishments are remembered with her image included on the Australian $20 note.

Christina’s observations staying in Oatlands:

What a treat, especially it being Spring. Walking along the main street of Oatlands in the evening with the lights, in imitation gas lamps, placed strategically along the street gave the town the air of a bygone era. The Georgian sandstone houses added to the ambience. The Oatlands Lodge, built around 1837, would have seen convict servants assigned to the owners of the property. Today this  stately two-storey Georgian sandstone convict-built residence is a National Trust property. Some of the hand-made bricks in the interior walls bear the thumbprints of the convict workmen.

Run as a guest house, the breakfast visitors are offered is the signature feature of the establishment and if you enjoy log fires, history in every room and hosts that can fill you in on the town’s heritage value and much more then this is where you should be enjoying an after dinner port and connect with the lives of those who spent time in the house during the colonial era.