Her face is on the $10 note, her life was about inspiring change, and the artistic community of Crookwell is once again getting ready to celebrate its most famous historical resident.
The town will host its seventh annual Mary Gilmore Festival from October 26-28 to celebrate the life of the influential writer and social activist.
Members of the area’s contemporary artistic community will come together to mark Dame Mary’s amazing work and life.
Highlights will include an exhibition of artworks by students from Crookwell High School at The Teahouse and Gallery.
There will also be an open invitation showcase for poets, balladeers and musicians on the Sunday morning and a performance by Maggie Somerville, who has put a number of Mary Gilmore’s poems to music.
Other events include a variety concert and youth showcase.
Upper Lachlan Dame Mary Gilmore Society president Trevene Mattox said while there were a number of Mary Gilmore festivals throughout NSW, Crookwell’s was smaller, less mainstream and more culturally oriented.
“Mary always promoted clever young people, so we like to promote our local youth,” she said.
“We’re a very friendly country town; when people visit, we make it our business to be friendly.”
She said the society believed Mary was Australia’s “most important woman”.
The social activist moved to Paraguay to form the New Australia Colony with socialist William Lane before returning to Australia and becoming one of our most influential poets and writers.
She was the first Australian woman to be offered a damehood, although she initially refused the honour and laid the groundwork for social change by promoting ideas that were ahead of their time.
Among other social causes, she advocated for maternity leave, the female right to vote, returned soldiers and the local Indigenous community.
Crookwell is 238km south-east of Sydney and 113km from Canberra.
- For more information about events or bookings, phone 4832-1988.