Summary
International telegram from Hope Macpherson while on Macquarie Island in December 1959 advising family she would be home on New Year's Day.
Hope Macpherson was the first female curator at National Museum of Victoria (now Museum Victoria). Hope along with Isobel Bennett, Susan Ingham and Mary Gillham were the first women to visit the Antarctic in their December 1959 expedition.
Description of Content
Colour portrait of Hope Macpherson wearing a knitted top light olive green, collar edged in a lighter colour, pink bow in front on neck line, wearing glasses and not smiling. Image mounted on offwhite backing card that has some foxing.
Physical Description
Red printed form from The Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia), headed International Telegram for use in conveying messages. Number R 124.
Significance
The Hope (Macpherson) Black Collection is a significant addition to Museum Victoria's working lives collection, it reveals the journey of a woman from depression era Melbourne and illustrates the power of education. It also reveals the often discriminatory policies in place in Victoria before the equal opportunity developments of the late 20th century. In balance though it also exposes the somewhat free expression possible for empowered women in this period. Hope Macpherson clearly states that in her day to day work she never felt discrimination and believes she was given great opportunity to pursue her career and aspirations. However, on analysis her role was often shaped by her gender and its perceived strengths and weaknesses; she was dissuaded from applying to become a taxidermist as it was 'an unsuitable job for a woman', although part of the first group of female scientists allowed to travel to Macquarie Island they were not permitted to camp on land with the male crew for fear of inciting passions. And finally after a distinguished career she was forced to resign her tenure as Australia's first female Curator when she married late in life, as a consequence of the Marriage bar.
More Information
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Collection Names
Museum History Collection, Hope Macpherson Black Collection, Antarctica Collection
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Hope Black (nee Macpherson), Apr 2011
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Sender
Miss Hope Macpherson - National Museum of Victoria, Macquarie Island, Tasmania, Australia, Dec 1959
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Addressed To
Glen Iris, Victoria, Australia, Dec 1959
Sent to the Macpherson Family -
Inscriptions
Message in black type produced on white strips pasted on to form. Stamped in purple ink "Received 29 Dec 1959 A.N.A.R.E." Stamped in black ink on back - ANTARCTIC RUS/ANTARCTIC DIVISION DEPT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS 187 COLLINS ST MELBOURNE A/H M/F AFTER 5,6P ALL SAT/SUN/HOL DETAIN Stamped in blue ink on back - 59 DC 27 15 33
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
202 mm (Length), 193 mm (Width)
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Keywords