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City of Greater Bendigo - Civic Collection
From the collection of City of Greater Bendigo - Civic Collection
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Photograph - Portrait, Vincent Kelly, Mrs M.E. O'Brien Mayoress 1929 - 30, c 1930

  • Oval shaped full length studio portrait depicting a standing woman in a dark evening dress with lace sleeves wearing pearls. The woman has her right hand on the top of a small table next to a small vase of flowers.

    Mrs M.E. O'Brien Mayoress 1929 - 30.

Historical information

Prior to the election of female Councillors and Mayors in the 1960’s, the Lady Mayoress role was one of the few ways women could officially undertake civic duties. Mayoresses made important contributions to their local communities through their charity work and as ambassadors for their region on a state and federal level. They also undertook some Mayoral duties on occasions when their husband was unavailable. Mayoress O'Brien was born Annie Webb at Dunolly in 1893 and died in 1938 aged 68. Mayoress O'Brien was interested in child welfare and gave devoted service to the baby health centre (1).
(1. Jackman, Mayors of Bendigo)

Physical description

Framed, oval photographic portraits with convex glass and print, created using a collodion wet plate process. Hand coloured detail.

Inscriptions & markings

ll, Mrs M.E. O'Brien / Mayoress 1929 - 30
lr; Vincent Kelly / Bendigo

Mounting & framing

Wood fame with domed glass

Keywords

References

  • References: Jackman., Betty May, 2003, Mayors of Bendigo 1856 – 2001, Publisher B.M. Jackman, Bendigo, Victoria ISBN/ISSN: ISBN 9578260 0 1
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