Rerun of 2018 post inspired by recent discovery in Little Darwin files of more items related to Margaret Vine who had been an Australian art researcher at the National Gallery . She also did considerable research for the l977 book Documents On Australian International Affairs 1901-1918, edited by Gordon Greenwood and Charles Grimshaw .
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As a special tribute to the late art historian and collector , Margaret Vine , the Magnetic Island Museum will next month launch an exhibition , A Walk Up Olympus Crescent to Journey's End .
Museum president Zanita Davies says it will follow the steps of the New Zealand author and activist Jean Devanny (covered previously in this blog), who in 1950 included the now Heritage listed street in a ramble and wrote an unpublished novel about the island .
Many interesting people have lived in Olympus Crescent over the years, including the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton ; Journey's End was the name of a 1930s house .
By Peter Simon
Vine moved to the island from Brisbane in l998 and took up residence in Olympus Crescent to be near her mother who was in a Townsville retirement home.
With her she brought 45 boxes of books, paintings , an impressive pottery collection,unusual jewellery , a wet paint sign she had picked up and had framed , a mass of retro clothing from which all designer label labels had been removed, and other items of interest she had amassed over the years .
Because of her attire and long green fingernails , nearby young children thought she was a witch , which amused her. They even wrote notes and put them in her letterbox , one asking the leading question , " Are you a witch? "
She responded in the affirmative , but informed them she no longer had a broomstick . What a shame. Those apprehensive children became adult friends .
One of her early actions on moving into the Olympus Crescent property , named Rocky Road , was to remove all trees and vegetation not regarded as native and therefore not beneficial to birds and animals, which she looked after . She was photographed late last year , above, aged 81 , with her "Lolly Tree "in full blossom . Knowing she did not have much longer to live , she had started to prepare for the ultimate end of her journey.
Island carpenter Andy Frost , a sculptor , was commissioned to build her coffin , nothing flash, based on one he had made for his mother, the same height as Margaret , 5ft .
During its construction , Margaret was delighted when Frost told her he had discovered that in New Zealand Maoris did not refer to coffins, instead calling them "underground furniture " . She recounted this amusing story to dentists in Townsville and people she encountered during a trip to Sydney to attend an opera performance .
Boxes of books were transported by me at her direction to the Magnetic Island kindergarten for the annual book sale .This book culling involved me being ushered into her cramped bedroom and removing the 14 unopened boxes of books which formed the base of her bed , a foam mattress on top.
My head holding up the tilted mattress, I pulled out each box at her direction for quick perusal , the contents sorted out , put in stacks . The boxes were refilled with old telephone directories and put back in place , making it more comfortable than she could ever remember.
Arrangements were made for Bronwyn McBurnie , head librarian , Special Collections , Eddie Koiki Mabo Library , James Cook University , Townsville , to come over and view part of the large Australian art book collection , some special presentation copies with inscriptions acknowledging her input , part of which went to the library for inclusion in the special Edna Shaw Australian Art Collection .
Ming Vase joke
Obviously not well , stressed , she called me and asked if I would come and help sort " her pots " that were going to the Queensland Art Gallery .
They were well wrapped pieces of pottery she had collected over the years, in sealed boxes , numbers on the outside. On opening one box, the top of a large jar was visible under the bubble wrap . Margaret , agitated, said that it was not supposed to be in there , dashed off to get a folder containing photos of her collection , flicked through the array .
I was told to close the lid. It being cramped and hot in the storage area, watched by some of her inquisitive pet wallabies through the window , I attempted to ease the tension , quipped, " You're not selling the Ming vase today ?"
Angrily, she firmly told me it was no time for flippancy . Another call for help was received when a packer arrived to take possession of the valuable collection , hand it over to the Perc Tucker Gallery in Townsville , for it to be transported to Brisbane. I was asked to bring a trolley on which to convey the pots down the hill , but it was not required .
After her death, I was informed she had once owned a very large jar or vase which had been made by a "Japanese master" , who suffered from heart trouble, and had died soon after making the masterpiece .
She had travelled south to arrange the sale of her jewellery collection ,which had been stressful, and informed me that it included ancient Chinese beads which somehow had turned up in Indonesia . An Indian chief's ring was shown me.
University encounters.
Of her time at Queensland University, putting herself through Arts, she provided brief anecdotes . This included her singing to me part of a slightly risqué song she rendered at what could have been a revue, accompanied on the piano by a student who went on to become a member of the Queensland judiciary .
There was mention of another prominent university student, muscular, who became amorous . Being pressed against him was like being up against a leather backed chair . That clearly was the end of that anecdote .
Queensland University book sales were discussed , from which she bought many volumes, one the 1856 Narrative of the Expedition of An American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, by Commodore M. C. Perry . With Margaret's deep interest in opera , and the plot of Madame Butterfly being about the American naval officer Pinkerton taking a Japanese wife, she was delighted to obtain the book.
During our association, I told her on several occasions I would like to sit down with her and record her life story, knowing any day could be her last . While not agreeing to that course of action , she did say she would provide some anecdotes-disjointed , nevertheless fascinating . Because of her condition , which made it difficult for her to sit and travel in a car , I brought her home and indicated how she could stretch out like Cleopatra on a lounge , and I would interview her, start the third degree . Yes . Someday soon . Never .
Each time I transported her in my car , she positioned herself with her knees on the seat, facing the back of the car , holding onto the back of the seat. On the ferry , she often spread out in the horizontal .
Stanley and Mr Bean
On two occasions , while driving her to the ferry, I got carried away trying to flesh out an anecdote or three and instead of heading straight to the ferry boarding area , continued on into the round about .
This caused her to shout my name and ask what I was doing . Apologising , I told her, on the second occasion , I was imitating Mr Bean in his runaway little car. At times she addressed her colostomy bag , Stanley by name , informing me he had been reluctant to give up a nice Japanese meal partaken during a special opera trip in Sydney . On such flights to Sydney she booked two seats because of her body problem.
Delivering her home from the ferry one day , we pulled up, Margaret announced Stanley had not liked something , began moaning , clutched at her side . I instantly said I would drive her to the medical centre . No . Questioning Stanley about what he was doing, she insisted on getting out of the car and making the long walk up to her house on the hill , without any assistance .
Obviously clearing out her personal possessions , I asked if I could have a peek at any / all papers, documents, ephemera she was discarding . She responded by saying much of it was only old photocopies , death certificates , related to research over the years , which she just ripped up.
Recoiling in shock, I said photocopies of the many areas of her research could be of interest to others . NO . NO . On leaving her premises , I glanced into a wheelie bin and there on top were torn photocopied pages dealing with the famous Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba . On seeing this , I informed Margaret I was going to slip round at night with a chaff bag and steal the contents of her wheelie bin .
One day she produced a photocopy of a small, early Tasmanian newspaper article providing advice for bachelors on how to entertain young women on their premises, for me to hand on to a teenage boy soon to move out of house. I subsequently was informed she had also arranged for a cookery book with basic information for new cooks be given him .
Following her death , her brother gave me a small notebook in which Margaret had kept notes on people who had lived in Olympus Crescent over the years, with contact numbers , other details of interest , which Zanita Davies said would be helpful in preparing the exhibition .
At the time of writing this post, Margaret Vine's ashes are in the possession of Zanita Davies and arrangements are being made for them to be scattered about Alma Bay , perhaps to the sound of opera.
One of the books Margaret kept from her schooldays, awarded to her as a prize, dealt with the myths and legends of Greece and Rome . Olympus , of course, featured in that book , in which she had marked some contents in pencil , one being the meaning of Manas : The shadows of the dead . Margaret continues to cast a most unusual shadow on Magnetic Island and beyond .
At the time of writing this post, Margaret Vine's ashes are in the possession of Zanita Davies and arrangements are being made for them to be scattered about Alma Bay , perhaps to the sound of opera.
One of the books Margaret kept from her schooldays, awarded to her as a prize, dealt with the myths and legends of Greece and Rome . Olympus , of course, featured in that book , in which she had marked some contents in pencil , one being the meaning of Manas : The shadows of the dead . Margaret continues to cast a most unusual shadow on Magnetic Island and beyond .
(Vine , Art, Pottery.)