Summary

Scrapbook presented to Lucy Hathaway on behalf of the 8th Ballarat Girl Guides Company by the 2nd Ringwood Girl Guides Company, Hants England in 1953. The scrapbook is full of black and white and colour images cut-out from magazines which commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Lucy Hathaway had been a company leader for the Ringwood girl guides before migrating to Australia with her husband Stan and daughters from England in 1951. It was kept by her as a treasured memento and connected her to her community back in England while also recognising her new life and continuing interest in girl guiding once in Australia.

Stanley and Lucy (nee Simmons) Hathaway and their daughter Hazel survived World War II in heavily bombed Coventry, England, remaining there until 1946. They attended the Victory in Europe celebrations there on 8 May 1945. The Hathaways relocated to Buckinghamshire (where second daughter Merle was born in 1948) and Hampshire between 1946 and 1951, finally deciding to migrate to Australia. They applied successfully to the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme but had to wait two years before departing, living and touring England in a caravan until departing on the 'New Australia' 17 November, 1951. They first stayed at the Bathurst Migrant Camp in New South Wales before being relocated to a housing commission estate in Ballarat, Victoria. Within six months they had purchased a block of land, living in a caravan while their house was built. The family became active members of the local Ballarat community, with Lucy working for the newly established McCallum House Centre for Retarded Children at Sebastopol and continued her strong interest in the Brownies and Girl Guides associations.

Physical Description

40 page scrapbook plus cover. Front cover has a central black and white image of Queen Elizabeth II waving within an oval shape surrounded by a gold scrolled border with maroon thistle pattern. At top sits a crown, below the words 'Coronation 1953'. The scrapbook title is printed in red: 'Queen Elizabeth' and at the bottom a white strip of paper has been glued with the words in black: 'God Save Elizabeth, Our Queen'. Also handwritten words beneath. The scrapbook has two staples at the spine as well as a double cord knotted at the centre. The pages are filled with black and white newspaper and magazine images of Elizabeth, from childhood, as a teenager and adult. Also images of Prince Phillip and their children. Back cover titled in red: 'Queen Elizabeth/Scrap Book' and a black and white image of the Queen pasted over the central oval medallion. Book also contain a loose sheet entitled: 'Girl Guide Memorial Headquarters' which appears to be an appeal for funds to complete the new headquarters of the 8th Ballarat Girl Guides Company.

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