South Coast Histories

Bettie Fisher

Bettie Fisher was an Aboriginal singer, theatre administrator and activist who was once described as ‘a loudmouthed woman, rough, arrogant, independent of men, and has this animosity for whites'...

Elizabeth epitomises the South Coast’s pioneering women. 'They' (as the authors of ‘They Made This Valley Home’ contend) ‘survived isolation, hardships and the risks of childbirth to be homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother, cook, baker, butcher, garment maker, gardener, poultry famer, etc…they were the glue that held the family together.’ And, when called upon, they provided essential services to their fledgling communities...

Rose Hunt (1882 – 1967) was a battler, but Rose saw the value of opportunities! For that, she deserves to be remembered...

Emily Wintle’s fascinating story, as a South Coast pioneer, certainly deserves inclusion here.
But, there is also a second lesser-known story concerning her - one that Mark McKenna, Professor of History at the University of Sydney, indicates (writing in 'Meanjin', Summer 2018) 'is a story that continued to unfold long after it was published, unsettling the memories of the families involved, revealing previously hidden details and shifting at the edges as more information came to light' – that is just as intriguing...

Undoubtedly, there have been many exceptional teachers on the NSW South Coast. Bridget Johnston was one of them – the Sydney Morning Herald even deeming it appropriate to write a piece about her and include a picture of her in the Herald when she retired.
Bridget Ann Ryan was born at Duea River in 1859. She completed her formal education with a two-year teachers’ training course at Blackfriars Teachers’ College on Broadway in Sydney before receiving postings to Moruya Public School...

Ann White arrived in New South Wales from England with her two children on Christmas Eve 1846.
Her husband, Isaac, had arrived in March 1832 as a convict, having been transported following a conviction for housebreaking. In 1842, 1846 and 1847 he was granted Tickets of Leave (these enabled him to work for himself in specified geographical areas), before receiving a Conditional Pardon (which gave him freedom to move anywhere within NSW) in 1848...

Two women are often mentioned as having greatly influenced the history of Eden. One was Sabina Pike who, like Ann White, built a hotel in town and was a hotelier. The other was Flora MacKillop who never resided in or visited Eden, but whose death had a significant impact on the town.
From the 1890s, Sabina Pike (or ‘Aunty Pike’ as she was known) had operated Eden’s Commercial Hotel and then Eden’s Great Southern Hotel...

Flora MacKillop was the mother of Saint Mary MacKillop...

Elizabeth Pearl Corkhill was born on 11 March 1887 at Tilba Tilba, She was the second of three children of William Henry Corkhill, a grazier, cheesemaker and amateur photographer, and his wife Frances.
Pearl grew up on her father’s property, and received her early education from a governess. She later attended Tilba Tilba Public School. After training at Burilda private hospital in Summer Hill, Sydney, she graduated as a general nurse in 1914. On 4 June 1915 she joined the Australian Army Nursing Service, Australian Imperial Force, as a staff nurse...

‘Kitty’ Porter was another South Coast nurse who served with distinction in World War I but, unlike Pearl Corkhill, she was not to enjoy a long and fulfilling life upon her return to Australia...