City of Armadale - History House > Records

DOLL, MECHANICAL - 'ALICE' SLEEPING

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c. 1902 - 1975

Overview

Articulated wooden doll of a female child. Doll articulated at knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Body and legs shaped to be life realistic and varnished a yellow tinted cream colour. The head is life like with pale white skin tones, red blushed cheeks, red lips, Has lifelike hair attached to the scalp that covers the ears. Eyes coloured blue. Hands same colour as face.
The knee articulation involves a wooden ball joint and cord, the other joints use looped cord.

Historical information

This doll, which she named Alice, belonged to Alice Lousie May Bevis when she was growing up in Yarloop, a timber town south of Armadale in the early 1900s. Alice was born in 1902 in the Waroona district. In 1924 she married Thomas Francis Gowans and they moved to South Australia looking for work as Australia was experiencing the global wide Depression. In 1927 their daughter Margaret Mary Gowans was born in the town of Millicent where her father was working as a chemist.
In c1933 the Gowans family returned to Western Australia, again looking for work as the Depression was starting to come to an end. Alice and Margaret came back first, spending time in Yarloop with family before joining Francis in Belmont where he was running a chemist. During all of this time Alice managed to hold onto her precious doll.
In 1947, their eldest daughter Margaret finishing teacher’s college and was appointed to the Roleystone State School. On the seventh day of her arrival Margaret met Vern Bettenay at the Roleystone Youth Club. They were married the following year and Margaret, as was expected by the Department of Education, quit her job at the school and went to live and work with Vern on the Bettenay family orchard in Karragullen.
Margaret and Vern were prominent members of the Karragullen and Roleystone community. They were active in a varieyt of community organisations including the Roleystone choral and Dramatic Society and the local branch of the Country Women's Association.
In 1968 Margaret was a founding member of the Armadale Kelmscott Historical Society and played an instrumental role in getting the museum History House up and running. Margaret was the inaugural honorary curator, a position she held until 2003. Margaret organised numerous items to be donated to the museum, including her mother’s treasured doll.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-33-AK1975.75

Item type

Toys

Material

Wood

Width

800 mm

Height or length

130 mm

Depth

250 mm

Keywords

Year

Statement of significance

This object is part of a collection of items associated with a person or family who have played a significant role in the economic, community or social development of the City of Armadale. This can include holding key political or social positions within the community, being a key contributor or member of a community organisation, a strong contributor to improving the well-being of the local community, a prominent figure in a local business or industry, developer of new industries or activities or someone who grew up in the area and moved away and had a noteworthy career or life.

Comparative significance criteria

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

City of Armadale - History House

Organisation Details
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