Historical information
Prior to the election of female Councillors and Mayors, the Mayoress role was one of the few ways women could officially undertake civic duties and Mayoress's played an important role in civic life through charity work, even stepping in on occasions to undertake Mayoral duties. Anne Galvin O.B.E. was born Anne Edith Ruby in 1903 and was one of Bendigo's best known charity workers. She used her first speech as Mayoress to indicate her intentions to do something for mothers and children and it was mainly through her efforts as president of the National Council of Women that Bendigo received the appointment of the two first women police officers in 1956 (1). Anne Galvin was the second woman in Bendigo to be elected to the Bendigo City Council in the 1960's, retiring after six years on Council in 1973. Anne was awarded an O.B.E in 1967 for community service and the Anne Galvin Early Learning Centre is named after her.
(1) p 193 Jackman, Mayors of Bendigo 1856 - 2001.
Physical description
Framed, oval photographic portraits with convex glass and print, created using a collodion wet plate process. Hand coloured detail.
Inscriptions & markings
cr: Mrs L W Galvin / Mayoress 1944 - 45
Mounting & framing
wood and glass
Keywords
References
- Jackman., Betty May, 2003, Mayors of Bendigo 1856 – 2001, Publisher B.M. Jackman, Bendigo, Victoria ISBN/ISSN: ISBN 9578260 0 1
- Bendigo Mayoral Ball, The Australian, Sat 25 June, 1932. Newspaper article about the Bendigo Mayoral Ball June 1932. Describes the gowns of the councilor's wives in detail including several past and future Mayoresses.
