FEMALE DIVISION MATRONS IN GARDENS

1895 - 1910
Overview

Black and white, landscape image of three women standing in a garden, on card. Image of three women wearing long sleeved dresses with long white aprons over the top, and each has a set of keys attached to their belt. They are standing in a vegetable garden, surrounded by tall plants, possibly corn. In foreground of the image is a wire cage with a bird inside. The image is printed on card.

Historical information

Image of Matrons in Fremantle Prison's Female Division garden. Found with a sympathy card (99.732.1) from Female Division staff to the relative of the deceased at an unknown date.

This photograph is believed to have been taken between 1895 and 1910. Information from Dr. N. Hills, the great-grandson of one of Fremantle Prison’s Matrons Jane Cook (née Findley), believes she is the Matron on the right in this photograph. Jane Cook was at Fremantle Prison when Martha Rendell was hung. Also, according to Dr. Hills’ mother, Matron Cook would also travel by boat to work at the prison on Rottnest Island every fortnight.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-89-1999.732
Item type
Material
Contextual Information

Records show that in 1916, in the exercise yard in the Female Division of Fremantle Prison, stood a parterre or flower bed. The women from the Female Division tended and cared for the flowers and plants. The interest in the flower beds is evident by the care taken by the female inmates to adorn the hospital ward with fresh flowers.

The walled garden area in the north-west corner of the Female Division was originally attached to the Matron’s quarters and was most likely a private garden under her control. It appears to have continued as a form of special place after the Matron ceased to live within the complex. There were plantings of shrubs, which encroached on the sterile zone along the north perimeter wall, and there may have been a tree growing in the space. An article in the West Australian in 1964 describes a weekend recreation garden planted with grass, palm trees and flowers. Some of the trees are said to have been planted 50 years prior, by one of the Prison’s regular inmates Maggie McGill when she was 17 years old.

Other photographs taken in 1975 reveal that this garden still existed at that time, with three mature Canary Island Date Palms growing in the centre of the space. There was also a shelter with a garden plot alongside, planted with shrubs. Since that time all of the plants have disappeared, including most of the grass.

Year
1895
Year End
1910
Primary significance criteria
Historic significance
Artistic or aesthetic significance
Scientific or research significance
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Object’s condition or completeness
Rare or representative
Well provenanced
Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison

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