Women in the 19th Century – Moreton Bay and More

Ellen the Cutter – Part 2.

Sausages and insults were hurled. David Semple returned to Ipswich in late October 1858, with a Colonial Ticket of Leave allowing him to reside and work in that area. Ellen’s former partner, William Morley, had died, and she was temporarily at a loose end. It seems the couple tried to reconcile for a brief timeContinue reading “Ellen the Cutter – Part 2.”

Women at Work

A small revolution took place in the 19th century workplace. Women started to be admitted into professional and administrative fields – very slowly, and very quietly. The women were quiet about it – the men who faced what they believed to be the erosion of the natural order of things were not quiet. This isContinue reading “Women at Work”

The Huguenot and the Chinese Interpreter.

In 1871, Charles Dean married Temperance Bouchard at Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Nothing terribly unusual about that – both were single and of marriageable age. However, the backstory of their lives, and how they came to meet and eventually marry each other is quite extraordinary. The groom was a Singapore-born Chinese businessman and interpreter. TheContinue reading “The Huguenot and the Chinese Interpreter.”

Advice to Wives and the Ladies’ College

I found the following pieces when browsing the Queenslander of the late 1860s (it was for other research, and I have no life). Seeing a heading “Advice to Wives,” I prepared myself for a migraine-inducing eyeroll, only to read on, and find some surprisingly progressive sentiments being expressed. One can only imagine the feelings thatContinue reading “Advice to Wives and the Ladies’ College”

The Marrying Kind

Bigamy in Colonial Queensland – PART TWO Annie Clarke must have been quite a gal. She scandalised three colonies, underwent at least six marriage ceremonies, and created news wherever she went. Who she actually was is hard to pin down, probably because of the number of husbands and surnames she racked up in a hecticContinue reading “The Marrying Kind”

Ladies’ Fashions of the 1800s

AN EARLY FASHION VICTIM The first European women in Australia were of two distinct classes – Government/Military wives and poor convict women. The latter were largely immune to the variations in high style. The former were prey to the slings and arrows of outrageous fashion – foremost among these was Mary Bligh Putnam. Mary accompaniedContinue reading “Ladies’ Fashions of the 1800s”