Historical information

This item comes from the estates of the Misses Ardlie of Warrnambool. It belonged to Agnes Ardlie (1915-1993) who was aged 11 when she received the album. Her sisters were Olive (1905-1912) and Dorothy (1910-1993). They were the daughters of Arthur and Ethel Ardlie of Warrnambool, the granddaughters of the prominent Warrnmbool lawyer, William Ardlie and his wife Mary and the great granddaughters of John and Mary Ardlie, early settlers in Warrnambool. The Misses Ardlie lived in their early years at Aroona in Princess Street in Warrnambool. The autograph album has handwritten contributions (verse and signatures) from family members and friends and twelve signatures of cricketers from the Australian Test series of 1928-1929. These are mostly English cricketers and include the signatures of Wally Hammond, Jack Hobbs, Harold Larwood and George Duckworth.

Significance

This autograph book is of considerable interest, firstly as a memento of Agnes Ardlie, a member of a prominent family in Warrnambool in the 20th century and secondly, as an item of some significance in the cricket world with its signatures of some English cricketers on tour in Australia in 1928/29.

Physical description

This is an autograph album with a dark red leather cover and gold writing on the front cover. Inside the cover are pages in a green mottled pattern. The other pages are mostly white or cream with some coloured pages. Some pages have handwritten verse and signatures in black and blue ink. A blue shopkeeper’s label is on the inside back page.

Inscriptions & markings

Album
Agnes M. Ardlie ‘Aroona’ Warrnambool 3.11.26