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There was an article in LACE (April 2007) about the bonnets for women sent to Australia for misdemeanours
and branded as convicts. Here is an update from Christina Henri - some of you might like to make a bonnet for her. Contact details are on her website.
To the North Cheshire Lacemakers
Thank you to those of you who are supporting and making bonnets as part of my project Roses from the Heart. I thought you would like an update on how the project is progressing. Please do keep in touch with me.
Kind regards,
Christina Henri MFA
It is interesting that just recently the Hon Kevin Rudd MP Prime Minister of Australia was handed two leather bound volumes of his family history by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - or Mormons - at a private ceremony in Sydney.
Last year I attended the Family History Conference in Casino, New South Wales where I spoke with the head of the Australian Section of this Organisation, Norbert Gariety. He congratulated me on the work I am doing, through my art, that highlights the contribution made by convict women to their new Nation's prosperity. Roses from the Heart is the first permanent public art memorial of ALL convict women sent to Australia. I am unaware of anyone undertaking such an enormous Memorial to our Countries' female convict grandmothers.
At the Memorial of the Bonnets ceremony at St. John's Cathedral, Parramatta that I held this year (10th April 2008) over 600 people, many of them descendents of female convicts presented bonnets commemorating the memory and worth of convict women. Many of these bonnets will form part of the exhibition 'Bonnets and Boats' that will be installed at the Parramatta Artist Studio on the 5th September this year. [Eventually all these bonnets will become part of the 25,566 permanent public art display, Roses from the Heart].
One of the bonnets worn at that ceremony by Deborah Tabart AO, CEO of the Australian Koala Foundation, paid tribute to Mary Wade. This 12 year old lass transported to Australia contributed both socially and economically to the Nation and is the paternal fifth great grandmother of our Prime Minister.
Since 2004 I have been highlighting the significance of convict women. In
2008 I began writing a weekly article on convict women in the Tasmanian newspaper, The Mercury.
You may be interested to know that my contribution to the recognition of convict women has been acknowledged through the selection of the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site in Hobart, Tasmania being nominated for World Heritage Listing. The far reaching international community involvement, that my art has achieved, positively effected and influenced the nomination decision.
My project Roses from the Heart(tm) is a unique conception. It is the first memorial to ALL convict women that commemorates their value to the Nation.
This is not a tribute designed simply by the one person. Although I have conceived the idea I rely on the thousands of interested participants world-wide to create the components of the installation. There is a specific reason for this. Involving descendents of convict women to make a bonnet allows for a personal connection with their very own ancestor and provides an opportunity to create a beautiful dedication to their worth. Those who do not have female convict ancestry are offered the opportunity to 'adopt' a convict woman. Wherever possible I encourage research of an 'adopted' convict lass so the bonnet maker has a greater understanding of the convict story.
To date I have received almost 11,000 bonnets which is nearly half the target number. Bonnets have come from individuals, groups, organisations, Colleges and Universities all around the world. The story of convict women has spread to thousands of people who previously knew nothing of their existence. I have hundreds and hundreds of stories relating to the experience of people who have become involved with this project. I have hundreds of stories that give insight into the individual convict women's lives.
To give you three examples. A lady in America flew to Ireland to learn more about her female convict ancestor's life. Whilst there she bought some Irish lace. On returning to America she made her bonnet tribute using this lace and then sent the bonnet to me to be a part of Roses from the Heart.
The Organisation, The Daughters of the American Revolution's South Carolina Branch, dedicated Roses from the Heart as their State project for 2007 and made and mailed hundreds of bonnets to me.
In Denmark, women have been making wonderful bonnet tributes which were displayed in Copenhagen to coincide with International Women's Day 2008.
Subsequently the bonnets were sent to me which I have since displayed in Hobart. Danish women are continuing to create bonnets for Roses from the Heart.
On many occasions I receive a bonnet from someone who tells me that they have only just found out they have a female convict ancestor. Sometimes it is during the making of the bonnet they discover this is the case. I understand this situation as I only found out in October 2007 that I also have a female convict ancestor.
I am presently in Parramatta highlighting women incarcerated at the Parramatta Female Factory.
I will continue to hold events until bonnet number 25,566 arrives. In 2010 I will take the 'girls back home' to the UK and Ireland and in 2011 I will travel to Canada, USA and New Zealand. The bonnet installation will become a permanent public art display once all the required bonnets have been received.
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