A Ticket to the Past

Some people love a clear-out and have zero interest everyday ephemera, but others like to tuck things away to commemorate a special memory.  In the history world, we love these people.  

John and Camille Butcher recently donated to the Royal Agricultural Society (RASWA) these Perth Royal Show tickets from 1912 that have been kept by their family for over 100 years. John’s great grandfather was James Clarke, who emigrated to Western Australia from Rugby Warwickshire in 1910 with his wife, son and two daughters. The family settled in the Bruce Rock district and commenced wheat farming, greeting the inevitable challenges faced by those more used to the growing conditions of England. No doubt becoming a member of RASWA provided a valuable lifeline for James Clarke. Descendants James and Shirley Thorn have remained closely connected to RASWA, and John Butcher and family active with the Yilgarn Agricultural Society.

Not only did James Clarke leave a legacy of dedication to agriculture, but (probably the women in the family) also thought to keep these lovely ‘ladies’ tickets to the show.  Which suggests that women were not admitted as members and begs the question – when were they invited to also join?  And that’s why we love ephemera, because it can hold so much DNA of the past, make us ask more questions, and deliver great satisfaction to the hoarders (sorry collectors) amongst us.