ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0154 Majura Women's Group Records

Scope and content notes

Call Number	HMSS 0154
Collection	Majura Women's Group Records
Date Range	1986-2005
Quantity	5.00m (6 manuscript boxes, 3 oversize containters, hatbox, 2 rolls)
Access Conditions	open
Copying Conditions	unstated
Related Collections

In 1982 the Downer Women’s Community Group was formed, in 1987 changing its name to the Majura Women’s Community Group. The Group was incorporated as the Majura Women’s Group in 1989.

It is a self-run community group that helps reduce the isolation of women who choose to stay at home with their young children. It provides women with an opportunity to meet regularly, exchange information and learn new skills. The Group is funded by the ACT Government through agencies such as the Children’s, Youth and Family Services Bureau and HealthPact. The grants are used mainly to run a licensed adjunct childcare facility and to fund speakers and session leaders.

From 1989 to 20-09, the Group ran an annual community arts project, originally called the Backyard Project, later the Community Arts Project. Each project employs a community artist to help participants explore themes relating to the lives of women at home with young children. The projects have included ceramics, silk screening, textiles, terracotta sculpture, writing and performance. Some examples are the tile murals at the Dickson Library and the Dickson Aquatic Centre, sculpture and other art works for places such as the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital for Mothers and Babies, and oral histories with some of Canberra’s older women, women from different cultural backgrounds, and the Chorus of Women which came together to protest the Iraq War. Exhibitions of the smaller works have been held from time to time. Several books of writings have also been published and donated to libraries and other community groups.

The final project in the formal series was an exhibition at the Belconnen Arts Centre in January 2010 and creative writing, print-making and bookbinding projects. The projects continue informally and in 2011-2012 wall hangings were produced and donated to a school and to the Downer Community Centre where the Group meets. For Canberra's centenary year in 2013, the Group researched and recreated women's fashion from the 10 decades of the city's existence as the national capital and presented the result as an exhibition.

The collection consists of minutes and other administrative documents, funding applications and acquittals, correspondence, publicity material, project management and examples of output, and photographs.

Box List

BOX NO.	DESCRIPTION	QUANTITY	DATE RANGE
1	CONSTITUTION	1 sleeve	1992

1	MEMBERSHIP Includes membership and mailing lists	1 file	1990 – 2000

1	MEETINGS Committee, special general and annual general meeting minutes and supplementary papers, financial reports, auditor’s reports, president’s reports, lists of correspondence	8 files	1986 – 2001

1	CHILDCARE Correspondence, information sheets, employment	1 file	1989 – 1995

2	CORRESPONDENCE Mainly with other community organisations, and with speakers for the Group. A list of correspondence in and out is included. Monthly lists of correspondence are included in the Meetings papers	3 files	1989 – 2000

2	PUBLICITY Includes correspondence with newspapers, advertising and flyers, programs of events	3 files	1987 – 2000

2	PROGRAMS AND EVENTS PLANNING NOTES	1 file	1989 – 1995

2, 3, 4	GRANTS Includes submissions, allocation, acquittal and evaluation documents, and correspondence	14 files, 1 sleeve	1990/1991 – 2000/2001

4	LINOPRINTS One of the earliest craft activities of the Group, it continues both within the Group and as an independent activity under the name No Chickens, an offshoot group that has met in members’ homes from 1990. Linoprints continue to decorate the covers of the Majura Women’s Group newsletter and other publications	1 file	1990 +

4, 6, 7, 8, 9	BACKYARD PROJECTS Each project produced one or more objects, including wall murals, sculpture, textiles, books and oral histories. These files include the working papers of the group leaders, correspondence, the artist’s report on the project, photographs, and usually one or more of the objects produced. There is no documentation for the 1992 project. Each project file is described below	6 files, 1 album, 2 rolls, 1 oversize	1989 – 2013

4	WRITING PROJECTS Separately funded projects run by local writers. The files include a copy of the publication and may also include the working papers of the group leaders, correspondence, the leader’s report on the project, and photographs	2 files	1992 – 2005
	- Home grown anthology. 1992. Group leader Sara Dowse - Majura Women’s Group writing project 1993; a collection of writing by women. 1993. Group leader Dorothy Johnston - Home bound. 1996. Group leader Dorothy Johnston. This book documents the work of the previous years’ Backyard and Writing Projects - Women’s works: an anthology by the Majura Women’s Group. 2005. Group leaders Kathy Kituai and Rachel Bruhn

	AUDIO WOMEN A radio and audio project undertaken with ArtsACT funding. It explored the skills involved in recording social history and making radio documentaries. Some of the recordings are only for acquisition of recording skills and have little information value. Group leader was Sarah Gillman.
5	Project documentation - Audio Women – the background: includes application for funding, biographical details of the contributors, story boards - Audio Women – progress reports: includes programs and reports on the work over four terms, correspondence, newscuttings, program of the handover of the project material to the ACT Heritage Library on 11 May 2004	2 looseleaf books	2003 – 2004
10	Hat box, circular, 60cm diameter, decorated with linocut prints; this originally held the recordings and related material collected during the project	1 box
5, 6	Audio cassette tapes, minidisks and related documentation: includes cassette tapes or minidisks, production sheets and some related materials. Some tapes were broadcast, most were created as an archival record of the thoughts and concerns of women with young children at the beginning of the 21^st century. The content of each cassette or minidisk is described below. Running time is not always stated, but the untimed interviews were probably no more than 15 minutes.	9 files	2003
	Three women compiled collections of their work: Frances Byers, Katherine Chan and Sue Hoffmann. One item in Sue Hoffmann’s collection, Sandra’s interview with her on her life in Tarrington, has been recorded on a minidisk in Frances Byers’ collection.

6	PHOTOGRAPHS Collections of photographs of group activities, including images of some project work	3 albums, 1 wallet

Backyard Projects

BOX NO.	DESCRIPTION	QUANTITY	DATE RANGE
1	CONSTITUTION	1 sleeve	1992

1	MEMBERSHIP Includes membership and mailing lists	1 file	1990 – 2000

1	MEETINGS Committee, special general and annual general meeting minutes and supplementary papers, financial reports, auditor’s reports, president’s reports, lists of correspondence	8 files	1986 – 2001

1	CHILDCARE Correspondence, information sheets, employment	1 file	1989 – 1995

2	CORRESPONDENCE Mainly with other community organisations, and with speakers for the Group. A list of correspondence in and out is included. Monthly lists of correspondence are included in the Meetings papers	3 files	1989 – 2000

2	PUBLICITY Includes correspondence with newspapers, advertising and flyers, programs of events	3 files	1987 – 2000

2	PROGRAMS AND EVENTS PLANNING NOTES	1 file	1989 – 1995

2, 3, 4	GRANTS Includes submissions, allocation, acquittal and evaluation documents, and correspondence	14 files, 1 sleeve	1990/1991 – 2000/2001

4	LINOPRINTS One of the earliest craft activities of the Group, it continues both within the Group and as an independent activity under the name No Chickens, an offshoot group that has met in members’ homes from 1990. Linoprints continue to decorate the covers of the Majura Women’s Group newsletter and other publications	1 file	1990 +

4, 6, 7, 8, 9	BACKYARD PROJECTS Each project produced one or more objects, including wall murals, sculpture, textiles, books and oral histories. These files include the working papers of the group leaders, correspondence, the artist’s report on the project, photographs, and usually one or more of the objects produced. There is no documentation for the 1992 project. Each project file is described below	6 files, 1 album, 2 rolls, 1 oversize	1989 – 2013

4	WRITING PROJECTS Separately funded projects run by local writers. The files include a copy of the publication and may also include the working papers of the group leaders, correspondence, the leader’s report on the project, and photographs	2 files	1992 – 2005
	- Home grown anthology. 1992. Group leader Sara Dowse - Majura Women’s Group writing project 1993; a collection of writing by women. 1993. Group leader Dorothy Johnston - Home bound. 1996. Group leader Dorothy Johnston. This book documents the work of the previous years’ Backyard and Writing Projects - Women’s works: an anthology by the Majura Women’s Group. 2005. Group leaders Kathy Kituai and Rachel Bruhn

	AUDIO WOMEN A radio and audio project undertaken with ArtsACT funding. It explored the skills involved in recording social history and making radio documentaries. Some of the recordings are only for acquisition of recording skills and have little information value. Group leader was Sarah Gillman.
5	Project documentation - Audio Women – the background: includes application for funding, biographical details of the contributors, story boards - Audio Women – progress reports: includes programs and reports on the work over four terms, correspondence, newscuttings, program of the handover of the project material to the ACT Heritage Library on 11 May 2004	2 looseleaf books	2003 – 2004
10	Hat box, circular, 60cm diameter, decorated with linocut prints; this originally held the recordings and related material collected during the project	1 box
5, 6	Audio cassette tapes, minidisks and related documentation: includes cassette tapes or minidisks, production sheets and some related materials. Some tapes were broadcast, most were created as an archival record of the thoughts and concerns of women with young children at the beginning of the 21^st century. The content of each cassette or minidisk is described below. Running time is not always stated, but the untimed interviews were probably no more than 15 minutes.	9 files	2003
	Three women compiled collections of their work: Frances Byers, Katherine Chan and Sue Hoffmann. One item in Sue Hoffmann’s collection, Sandra’s interview with her on her life in Tarrington, has been recorded on a minidisk in Frances Byers’ collection.

6	PHOTOGRAPHS Collections of photographs of group activities, including images of some project work	3 albums, 1 wallet

Backyard/Community Arts Projects

Box no	Artist or Group Leader	Activities	Objects included with documentation of the project	Date
4, 11	Franki Sparke	Relief printing, monoprints, linocuts, screen printing	Frieze-booklet Wet patch on carpet, 1989 4 sets of hand-printed linocuts 1 screen print	1989
4, 12	Jenna Smith	Drawing, relief printing, screen printing		1990
4	Annie Trevillian	Screen printing, writing, quilting, papier mache, linocut, printing	Our hidden lives	1991
8	Bev Hogg	Ceramics, sculpture, found objects, screen printing	1 teatowel with a bag of game pieces, comprising The MUD Game (Mothers’ Uppers and Downers)	1992
4	Franki Sparke	Drawing; the group produced a collage map which was framed and hung at Megalo Print Studio		1993
4, 8, 9	Suzanne Knight	Screen printing, painting, book making	5 screen printed teatowels Length of screen printed fabric	1994
4	Sharon Peoples	Embroidery	Heart felt, a book of textile pieces, photographs and documentation of the project 24 photographs of the exhibition of embroidery at Dickson Library in 1996	1995
4, 11	Kayleen Watts	Terracotta sculpture ‘Diving into Motherhood’	Photographs	1996
4, 11	Simone Penkethman	Writing for performance	Spoken images	1997
4, 11	Nancy Tingey, Penny Jacobs	Works on paper, visual diary	7 watercolours, 10 pastels Mounted newscuttings	1998
4		Tile mosaic for Dickson Swimming Pool	Artwork	1999
4		Quilting	Photographs	2001
5, 6		Recording social history and making radio documentaries	Audio Women [see separate listing]	2003
4, 7 (oversize)	Amanda Bruhn	Tile mosaic for QE II Hospital	DVD of project by Helen Martin DVD of assembling the mosaic by Amanda Bruhn Album of sketches, design notes and photographs	2004
11 (oversize)		HealthPact display	1 packet of A2 black and white enlargements of mothers and babies at Majura Women’s Group 3 posters	2003
6		Retrospective exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery	Majura Women’s Group celebrating 25 years: a selection of recollections, reflections, images and quotations	2006
6		Libertea, Maternitea, Realitea; celebrating 20 years of Backyard Projects; exhibition at Belconnen Arts Centre 16 January 2010	Exhibition flyer	2009
6	Philippa Leask, Jan Hamilton, Carole Thompson, Carol Sweetapple, Margaret Young	Textile art with a garden theme, to create a wall hanging, later given to Lyons Early Childhood School. Surplus textile squares were assembled into a second hanging installed in Downer Community Hall	Report on project with colour illustrations	2011 or 2012
6		Women: celebrating a century of Canberra’s women; an exhibition of women’s fashions over the previous 100 years, at Belconnen Arts Centre	10 caption cards from the exhibition, with an A4 colour photograph of each era Exhibition flyer, opening speech and comments pages from viewers	2013

Audio Women

The Majura Women’s Group is shown as MWG

Interviews recorded at the Downer Community Centre are shown as DCC

ID consists of C for audio cassette, M for minidisk, and an item number

ID	INTERVIEWEE/S ON EACH CASSETTE OR MINIDISK	TOPIC	RUNNING TIME	ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTATION	INTERVIEWER	DATE RECORDED / BROADCAST
C1	Sue Hoffman and Frances Byers	Audio Women Project and the Majura Women’s Group	Not stated	Production sheet, with note that this was the first interview and was broadcast to publicise the project	Louise Maher	2003; broadcast 2003
C2	MWG members	What they like about the Group	Not stated	Production sheet	None	2/07/2003
C3	MWG members	Oddball knitting and knitting traditions	Not stated	Production sheet, correspondence	Louise Maher	2003; broadcast 9/09/2003
C4	1. Roxanne Lambie, ArtsACT 2. Harry and Gracie 3. Amber Ecclestone	1. Preparation of 2004 grant application 2. Eating toast; birthdays 3. Trying out tape recorder	1. 15 min 2. Not stated 3. 30 sec	1. Production sheet 2. Production sheet 3. Production sheet	1. Francis (Frances Byers) 2. Mary Quilty 3. Casuarina Dalton	1. 24/06/2003 2. Not stated 3. Not stated
C5	1. Robyn Banks 2. Cordelia Dalton	1. MWG in the late 1990s 2. MWG in the 1980s	1. 10 min 2. Not stated	1. Production sheet 2. Production sheet	Casuarina Dalton	July 2003
M1	MWG members	Gardening; members’ children	Not stated	Production sheet	None	November 2003
C6	Simone Penkethman	Spoken Images: MWG and community art	Not stated	Production sheet	Not stated	2003; broadcast 2003
C7	1. Mary Quilty and family 2. Anita Scheiver and family	Informal chat about home life	Not stated	Production sheet	None	April/May 2003
C8	Katy Gallagher, Dickson Library staff, MWG members	Launch of Backyard Project 2002, an animal mural in the children’s area at Dickson Library	30 min	Production sheet, correspondence, background on the mural and radio history projects, launch flyer	None	29/04/2003
C9	Claudia Cresswell, Northside Community Service	Parenting workshop	Not stated	MWG Term 3 program sheet	None	17/03/2003
C10	MWG members (listed on the production sheet)	Thoughts on the ACT Children’s Plan	Not stated	Production sheet, brainstorming notes, summary of the conversation	None	24/09/2003
C11	Tarrington, Victoria, 150^th celebrations	Excerpts from recordings made by Sue Hoffmann: 1. Tarrington Trial 2. Robert Paech	1. 4 min 27:50 sec 2. 3 min 28:01 sec	Correspondence, biographical information for Sue Hoffmann, flyer, newscutting, production notes	Sue Hoffmann	3/10/2003; broadcast 6/10/2003
	Sue Hoffmann	About growing up in Tarrington, Victoria; birth family, etc.	See M7	Production sheet	Sandra	5/11/2003
	Libby Bailley	Fertility issues, experiences of IVF and adoption of two children	No recording received	Production sheet	Sue Hoffmann	3/06/2003
	Sue Hoffmann	A Chorus of Women	No recording received	Press release, letter of protest, program of performance, newscutting	Sue Hoffmann	6/02/2004
	Frances Byers	Overview of project and her interviews	3.5 inch floppy disk	2 pages of text		10/12/2003
M2	1. Rosie Byers, Dan Pope, James Bryan, David Pope 2. Katherine Chan, Frances Byers, Anita Scherrer, Cassandra Freeman, Giselle Bahr, Ellen Onruh, Megan Nutt 3. Sue Hoffmann	1. Group interview with four children about a weekend trip to the beach on the NSW south coast during winter 2. Group interview with seven women on family size and spacing of children 3. Having a first child at 45	1. Tracks 1-2: 10 min 2. Tracks 4-17: 50 min 3. Last track: not stated	1. Summary of interview 2. Summary of interview 3. Notes on envelope	1. Frances Byers 2. Frances Byers, Giselle Bahr 3. Not stated	1. August 2003 2. 26/11/2003 3. Not stated
M3	1.Robert Bryan, Rosie Byers, Frances Byers, James Bryan, Peter Bryan 2. Tom Scott, Rosie Byers, James Bryan 3. MWG members 4. Rosie Byers, Dan Pope, Jack Black, Maihi, Rowen Evans	1. Family life and piano practice 2. Soccer and school 3. Group interview on exercise and how to fit it into the routine with work and small children 4. Fun Day at Turner Primary School for school’s 50^th anniversary	1. Tracks 1-3: 10 min 2. Track 7: 5 min 3. Tracks 8, 10, 11: not stated 4. Tracks 12-13: 6 min	Four summaries of interviews	1, 2, 4. Frances Byers 3. Frances Byers and Mary Quilty	1. 1/08/2003 2. 2/08/2003 3. 5/08/2003 4. 28/11/2003
M4	1. Peter Bryan, James Bryan, Rosie Byers, Robert Bryan 2. 13 MWG members 3. 17 MWG members	1. Family life, temper tantrum at bedtime 2. Group interview on knitting 3. What did you intend to do with all the free time that you thought you would have when you were home with a baby?	1. Track 1: 5 min 2. Tracks 3-18: 50 min 3. Track 20: 6 min	Three summaries of interviews	1. Frances Byers 2. Frances Byers and Sorel Old 3. Vanessa Morris	1. September 2003 2. 29/08/2003 3. August 2003
	1. Robin Errey, James Bryan, Mark Errey, Duncan, Harry 2. Paull McKee, James Bryan, Peter Bryan 3. Rosie Byers, James Bryan 4. People at a rally of child care workers, parents and children	1. Bonfire on a spring evening 2. Story time at Dickson Library 3. Children playing in a hailstorm 4. Sounds of the rally	1. 20 min 2. Tracks 8-9: 10 min 3. Track 10: 5 min 4. Tracks 11-13: 15 min No recording received	Four summaries of interviews	Frances Byers	1. 12/11/2003 2. 14/11/2003 3. October 2003 4. mid November 2003
M5	Bruce Smith	Job sharing and family life	50 min	Summary of interview, biographical notes on an envelope	Frances Byers	September 2003
M6	Sue Hoffmann and other members of MWG	MWG 2003 Annual General Meeting with sung president’s report and election of committee members	Tracks 1-3: 33 min	Summary of interview	Frances Byers, Sorel Old	20/08/2003
C12	Robin Errey	Robin’s life as a child in Kenya and immigration to Australia as a teenager	2 sides of cassette	Summary of interview	Frances Byers	17/09/2003
C13	Rosie Byers, James Bryan, Peter Bryan, Frances Byers	Children’s voices, at night, breastfeeding	Not stated	Summary of interview	Frances Byers	8-9/06/2003
C14	Robyn Johnston	On her decision to take her family to Cambodia	Not stated	Summary of interview	Frances Byers	Winter 2003
C15	Alison Smith	Job sharing	Not stated	Summary of interview	Frances Byers	21/07/2003
M7	1. Sue Hoffmann 2. Mary Quilty, Katherine Chan, Cath Croxford, Sue Hoffmann, Vanessa Morris, Ellen Unruh	1. About growing up in Tarrington, Victoria; birth family, etc. 2. Returning to work	1. Track 1: not stated 2. Tracks 3-11: 20 min	1. See file containing C11 2. Summary of interview	1. Sandra 2. Christine Gesto, Ellen Unruh, Frances Byers	1. 5/11/2003 2. 5/11/2003
M8	1. Vanessa Morris, Christine Gesto, Mary Quilty 2. Frances Byers, Christine Gesto, Mary Quilty, Bettina Wolpensinger, Vanessa Morris, Katherine Chan, Casa Dalton, Sarah Gillman	1. Vermin in your life 2. How did you name your children and decide on the children’s surname?	1. Tracks 1-3: not stated 2. Tracks 4-6: not stated	Summaries of interviews	1. Mary Quilty 2. Casa Dalton	1. 10/09/2003 2. 10/09/2003
	Katherine Chan	Biographical information and overview of interviews	No recording	Manuscript biography, typescript overview		26/11/2003, 31/03/2004
C16	1. Julie Chan 2. Katherine Chan	1. Singing with Julia 2. Diary entries 1998, Christmas letters 1997 and 1998	1. part of side A 2. side B and part of side A	Production sheet	Katherine Chan	1. 19/09/2003 2. 23/09/2003
C17	Katherine Chan	Background news stories and general stories current on this day, read at Radio Print Handicapped RPH	Not stated	Production sheet	Katherine Chan	10/08/2003
C18	Joan Boucher	Working holiday taken in her twenties	45 min	Production sheet, black and white photograph of Joan Boucher and others dancing on board ship	Katherine Chan	20/10/2003
C19	Joan Boucher	Recollections of her arrival in Canberra 40 years ago and early days in Canberra	Not stated	Production sheet	Katherine Chan	30/06/2003
C20	Trevor Boucher	Recollections of early Canberra, and of growing up in country Victoria	20 min	Production sheet	Katherine Chan	August 2003
C21	Nicole Ward	Juggling motherhood and work	10 min	Production sheet	Katherine Chan	June 2003
C22	Katherine Chan	Overseas working holiday, 14 months August 1987 to October 1988	60-70 min	Production sheet, typescript diary of the holiday, photographs, letters, greeting cards, documents relating to work overseas	Katherine Chan	9/12/2003