Tilly Aston was the founder of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, which became the Association for the Blind, Vision Foundation and later Vision Australia. Her work in expanding the options available to blind and vision impaired Victorians triggered the push for similar conditions inter-state, and she was a pioneer force in challenging perceptions of both the sighted and less-sighted communities. This bust of Tilly Aston was donated by Malcolm and Beverley Daubney and unveiled at the 1997 Annual General Meeting for the Association for the Blind (now Vision Australia) on the 19th September 1997.Bronze relief of Tilly AstonMatilda (Tilly) Aston 1873-1947 Founder of the Association for the Blind Generously donated by Malcolm & Beverley Daubney September 1997tilly aston, association for the blind, malcolm daubney

Book. ALEC H CHISHOLM COLLECTION. 243 page hardcover memoir by Tilly Aston, Australia's blind poet, author and philanthropist. B & W photo of Tilly Aston opposite the title page. Also includes some of her verse. Published in 1946 by The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne and printed by John Gartner at the Hawthorn Press. Catalogue sticker ''2258 AST'' on spine.Tilly Astonbooks, collections, biography, alec h chisholm collection, tilly aston, biography

Book. ALEC H CHISHOLM COLLECTION. 148 page hard cover book by Tilly Aston of sketches and word pictures of the old pioneers of Australia. Introduction by A. H. Chisholm who at the time was Editor of the Argus, Melbourne and President of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. Catalogue sticker ''2233 AST'' on spine. Newspaper review pasted on flyleaf dated 1 Sept.1938. Published and printed in 1938 by William Hodge & co. Ltd., London.Tilly Astonbooks, collections, short stories, alec h chisholm collection, tilly aston, prose, short stories

A tie clasp and badge remembering Tilly Aston, the founder of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, was created. It has a cameo of Tilly Aston in gold, against a roughened gold background. A circle surrounds the head and above this "Tilly Aston" and below it, "Association for the Blind" in gold lettering. Metal tie clasp and metal pinTilly Aston Association for the Blindtilly aston, association for the blind, badges

Badge of Tilly Aston replicated from a photograph of her during her teenager/early adulthood. Rectangle in shape with a bronze background. 1 plastic badge with image of Tilly Astonassociation for the blind, badges, tilly aston

Tilly Aston as a young woman in her 20s. She is wearing a cream blouse with a star badge and a rose corsage. Her hair is up and has flowers arranged in it. Pioneering activist Tilly was the first Australian woman who was blind to attend university, but due to the lack of braille texts she had to abandon her studies. 1 photograph in various tones of Tilly Astontilly aston, association for the blind

Matilda (Tilly Aston), was a blind Australian writer and teacher, who founded the Victorian Association of Braille Writers, and later went on to establish the Association for the Advancement of the Blind. Born in Carisbrook, Victoria in 1873, she was the youngest of eight children born to bootmaker Edward Aston, and his wife, Ann. Tillu was vision-impaired from birth, and totally blind by the age of 7. The memorial was built by the Midlands Historical Society in 1970.Colour photograph of a Memorial to Tilly Aston.carisbrook, church, tilly aston, matilda aston

Tilly Aston playing a reed organ, often referred to as a harmonium. An unidentified woman sits next to the organ. In this informal shot a middle-aged Tilly is wearing a checked jacket with white collared blouse and long skirt. The organ has a number of photographs upon it and appears to be in someone's lounge room.B/W photograph of Tilly Aston playing organtilly aston, association for the blind

Photo of Tilly Aston as a young girl of 16 sitting in a chair with a handbag in her lap. She wears a high necked dress and her hair is pulled back behind her in a ponytail. Image has been produced in a sepia and black and white. Black and white copy has 'about 1920' on back, however this date is incorrect as Tilly would have been almost 50 that year.1 photograph in various tones of Tilly Aston aged 16tilly aston, royal victorian institute for the blind

Tilly Aston wearing both of the Coronation Medals for Distinguished Citizenry that she was awarded in 1935 and 1937. This photograph was used for her portrait by John Balmain. She sits with one arm resting upon a table, looking to her right hand side.B/W photograph and negative in various tones of Tilly Aston wearing her medalstilly aston, medals

Portrait in pen and ink with grey wash of Tilly Aston, aged seventeen, done by Fred Kneebone. She is shown with long hair tied back, wearing a high buttoned up dress with a brooch at her neck. In 'Memoirs of Tilly Aston', she recalls the portrait being done (p47) and being donated to the Austral Salon, who held a matinee performance to raise funds for her university education.1 unframed pen and ink drawing with grey washFred Kneebone Miss Tilly Aston Blind authoress philanthropist obit 1947 C.M. Dodd 1" white close upartwork, tilly aston, fred kneebone

Tilly Aston was a writer, educator and social reformist for blind and visually impaired people. Her desire to overcome the limitations in her own life, and that of others, led to the establishment of the Victorian Braille Writers Association (later the Braille Library of Victoria) and the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (later Association for the Blind). When the Kooyong site of the AFB required redevelopment due to the success of activities at Paterson Hall, a new building was constructed and named the H.M. Lightfoot Centre. As part of their contribution to acknowledging the work of Miss Aston, as well as two of the men who later worked with her, this plaque was struck and presented by the Blind Members' Council of the AFB.Brown metal plaque with gold writing"All noble things we do and dare, Must be fruitful, sometime, somewhere" Tilly Aston 11.12.1873 to 1.11.1947 Founder of The Association for the Blind Ltd. A gift to the H.M. Lightfoot Centre from The Blind Members' Council November 1991association for the blind, tilly aston, h.m. lightfoot

Framed portrait of Tilly Aston who began the Association for the Advancement of the Blind, a forerunner to the Association for the Blind. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the AFB Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Tilly sits with one hand resting against a table, and the other in her lap. She is wearing a black collared dress with a white lace neck ruff held with an opal pin. Two medals (the Jubilee medal and Coronation medal) are pinned to the chest, each consisting of a red and white bowtie with a brass medallion. Tilly Aston was born in Carisbrook, Victoria, in 1873. When she was very young her parents noticed she was having problems with her vision. They took her to a doctor who diagnosed her with no sight in her right eye and the prognosis of loss of vision in the left eye. As a result of this she was totally blind by the age of 7. Despite this her parents endeavoured to give Tilly as many of life’s advantages that their limited means could supply. From an early age she was taught singing, music, poetry, arithmetic, encouraged to read and observe the natural world around her and be independent. At the age of 8 she was sent to the Asylum and School for the Blind (later called the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind). She excelled in a wide range of subjects and matriculated in 1889. With the help of a public fund was able to attend Melbourne University, being the first blind Australian to do so. Unfortunately the lack of Braille text books made it impossible for Tilly to continue her studies and she left in second year. Tilly was determined that other blind people would not have the same negative experience she had had. In 1894 she organised a meeting to form the Victorian Association of Braille Writers with the aim of producing and supplying Braille to blind Victorians. Braille was produced by trained volunteers with ? recruited in the first six month. Other rights and services for blind people remained very limited. In 1895 Tilly organised a meeting, which formed the Association for the Advancement of the Blind (now Vision Australia). The Association was instrumental in obtaining many benefits for blind people including a blind pension, voting rights and transport concessions. It also established the first nursing homes for blind people, at a time when many blind people were homeless and destitute. Tilly went on to be Australia’s first blind teacher. She was also a very talented musician, author of seven books and was very gifted at arts and crafts. She knew Esperanto and corresponded with people all around the world including Helen Keller. Tilly passed away on November 1st 1947. Her legacy continues through the work Vision Australia which provides services for thousands of blind Australians. A memorial bell dedicated to her is also situated in the King Domain Gardens. 1 art original in gold frameThe plaque at the base of the painting reads 'Miss Matilda (Tilly) A. Aston / President 1904, 1910, 1943 to 1947/ Association for Advancement of the Blind'. association for the advancement of the blind, association for the blind, tilly aston

Information on the Tilly Aston Heritage Collection held at Vision Australia Foundation, with some brief information about Tilly Aston (whom the collection was named after) and the resources held in the archive, and the ability of VAF to provide educational resources, accessibility advice and services to museums.1 white sheet with blue, black and green writingPhotograph of an older girl reading Braille to younger ones on a park bench (previously attributed to Tilly Aston, however there are facial discrepancies)vision australia foundation, fundraising

148 pages with illustrationsnon-fictionPoems by blind activist and poet, Tilly Aston.tilly aston, association for the advancement of the blind

Framed black and white photograph of Tilly Aston. Tilly sits with one hand resting against a table, and the other in her lap. She is wearing a black collared dress with a white lace neck ruff held with an opal pin. Two medals (the Jubilee medal and Coronation medal) are pinned to the chest (one a red bowtie, the other is a brass medallion). At the base is a handwritten inscription: Miss Tilly Aston/ Founder of Assocation for Advancement of the Blind / in 1895 and Leader until 1947.B/W photograph in black frametilly aston, artwork

To commemorate the birthplace of Tilly Aston, a memorial tablet was unveiled at Carisbrook in 1970. The ceremony drew a large crowd and included a reading of Tilly's poetry as well as a performance by school children. REMEMBER WITH THANKSGIVING THE SPIRIT OF TILLY ASTON 1873-1947 Blind From Childhood, She Endured As Seeing The Invisible A Singing Poet She Rejoiced In The Beauty Of Life Born In Carisbrook, Studied At The Blind Institute. The First Blind Student To Matriculate And Be Appointed A Teacher Foundation Member Association For The Blind. Promoted The Braille Library. (Braille characters) Below the plaque is a smaller one: ERECTED BY MIDLANDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND CHILDREN OF CARISBROOK STATE SCHOOL 19707 images of the unveiling ceremony tilly aston

An older girl sits on a garden bench surrounded by younger girls, as she reads from a Braille book. Believed to be Tilly Aston, this image demonstrates the power of story, regardless of it's medium, as well as the work of the RVIB School in educating children, and was often reproduced.High quality image of Braille reader in gardenroyal victorian institute for the blind, tilly aston

243 pages with illustrationsnon-fictionMemoir of blind activist and poet, Tilly Aston.tilly aston, association for the advancement of the blind

Believed to have been made by Tilly Aston, this tray cloth is an example of the type of skills the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind school taught its female students. Handicrafts was a possible method of income, and the emphasis was on producing usable pieces rather than highly decorative ones. It is a rectangular shaped tray cloth made from cotton and silk thread. The centre piece is cream coloured and consists of 2 layers of pulled thread work The cloth is edged with a beige coloured lace border. Linen cloth with crocheted edgingtilly aston, royal victorian institute for the blind

The Tilly Aston Award was presented for 15 years of service. This signboard commemorates recipients of the this award and was displayed at the Kooyong centre until it's refurbishment. The list of names is as follows: 1987 Betty Dainton, 1990 Beryl Smout, 1990 Vi Wilkinson, May Wallace, 1991 Bill Arthur, 1992 Peg Lucas, 1993 Nell Gibbons, Ilma Jewell, Charles Parker, 1994 Margaret Collins, Coral Matheson, 1997 Louise Doddrell, Alma Davey, Janice Cowan, Elaine Coe, Peg O'Dea, 1998 Mary Burgess, Val Doyle, May Edwards, Margaret Ford, Mais Opie, Moira Proustie, Dorothy Shipston, Moira Spencer. (Second board:) 1998 Yvonne Taylor, Vera Watkins, Elaine McMullan, 1999 Gwen Dick, Ron Matheson, Penny Ford, Joyce Oxenbury, 2000 Jean Hocking, Nilma Henson, Eileen Burke, 2001 Lorna Britton, 2002 Joan Feldtman, Elwyn Gayfer, Beryl Alexander.Boards with grey wash and vinyl gold letteringTilly Aston Award 15 years Service (thereafter follows a list of names that extends across to a second board)association for the blind, volunteers, nameplates

122 pages with illustrationsnon-fictionPoems by blind activist and poet, Tilly Aston.tilly aston, association for the advancement of the blind

146 pages with illustrationsnon-fictionPoems by blind activist and poet, Tilly Aston.tilly aston, association for the advancement of the blind

Information on the Tilly Aston Heritage Collection held at Vision Australia Foundation, with some brief information about the formation of the collection, Tilly Aston Council, the collection strengths, volunteers, donations and outside exhibitions, achievements and future goals for the archive.1 white sheet with blue, black and green writingvision australia foundation, advertising

To honour 25 years of service provided, a silver coloured medallion inset to a wooden column was awarded to individuals. On the front is a cameo of a woman (Tilly Aston) wearing a pendant and an old-fashioned ruffled blouse. Around the outside is written 'Vision Australia Foundation Tilly Aston Award' and below this '25 Year Award'.1 maroon wooden stand with silver tone inlaid medallion, with illustrations25 Years Awardvision australia foundation, awards

To acknowledge the work of the Tilly Aston Council, the name of the chairman was inscribed on a signboard which hung at the Kooyong centre. At the top of the signboard is written 'Vision Australia Foundation' with the VAF eye logo located in the top left-hand corner. Underneath this are listed the names of the people who chaired the Tilly Aston Council: 1970-1988 Bryan Sitlington, 1989-1990 John Bland, 1990-1992 Jean Ross, 1992-1995 Eve Lustig, 1995-1997 Don Draffin, 1997-1999 John Perry, 1999-2002 Graeme Jones, 2002-2005 Valerie Thomas. At the base of the board is written: 1989-2005 Shirley Admans, Manager, Tilly Aston Council.Brown rectangular board with gold letteringvision australia foundation, bryan sitlington, john bland, jean ross, eve lustig, don draffin, john perry, graeme jones, valerie thomas, shirley admans

As well as being an activist, Tilly Aston was also a published author and wrote several books during her lifetime. In this scanned image, from The Weekly Times newspaper, she holds her hand to her face and wears a flounced blouse with a multi-strand pearl choker and a heavy bangle which appears from underneath a decorated cuff. Her hair is swept up in a top knot and a large black bow, turned sideways, rests upon her left side. The photograph was printed as part of an article on the 'Principle Prize Winners of Prahran Competitions'.Black and white scanned newspaper imageMiss Tilly Aston (1st original story)tilly aston, weekly times newspaper