Marion Scott was born in Richmond, Melbourne in 1865 after her parents had migrated from Scotland. She married Christopher Flinn on 16 April 1890 and shortly afterwards; on 10 May they sailed to London on board the 'Carthage' for their honeymoon. During this trip the couple visited their Scottish families and Marion would keep up her correspondence with her cousin James Baird Scott and his young daughters, Nettie (Janet) and Anna (Susannah), who died as a teenager, through letters, postcards, gifts and tokens including sprigs of heather, newspaper clippings, photography books and fabric swatches.

Marion's correspondence with her cousin and his family record observations of home and social life, literature, politics, Australian culture and the weather, often written with reference to the various scenes of urban and rural Victoria and New South Wales the postcard images represent. They allude to early Australian nationalism, social politics particularly in regards to women and prejudices surrounding Aboriginal Australians, and global shipping and communication.

Marion and Christopher had four children. The family were Presbyterian, their daughters Janet and Isabel Mary attended Presbyterian Ladies College in Melbourne, and Christopher was involved in the church debating society. Their correspondence with relatives indicates that the family enjoyed camping and outdoor activities and references to holidays suggest available leisure time. At some point the family were residing at 37 Albert Street East.

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