Isobel Bowden's floral diaries and Bowden family photographs, ca. 1865-1984

PXA 1647
PXD 1272

fonds

ca. 1865-1984

Graphic Materials, Textual Records, Manuscript Cartographic Materials, Photographs, Ephemera, Clippings, Watercolours

412081

24 sketchbooks (containing watercolours) - 27 x 37 cm. or smaller
588 photographic prints - 24 x 19 cm. or smaller - col., black and white
1 volume of textual material
1 album (12 photographic prints) - 8 x 13 cm.
5 maps - 32 x 22 cm. or smaller - manuscript

Isobel Kendall Bowden, conservationist, teacher and author, was born at Woodford, NSW, in 1908, second daughter of Federal Parliamentarian and Minister for Defence, Eric Kendall Bowden, and his wife Reinette, nee Murphy. Miss Bowden spent most of her life in the Blue Mountains where she developed an abiding interest in local and natural history and bush walking and a concern for the environment. Active in the local community, Isobel was a foundation member of the Pioneer Way Association and the Blue Mountains Flora and Fauna Association and maintained an active membership of the Blue Mountains Civil Defence (State Emergency Service), the Blue Mountains Conservation Society and the Methodist Church. She was recognised for this service in 1985 when she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal. For some years, Miss Bowden also operated the tea and craft shop at Woodford Academy. She died in August 1986 after a long illness

PXA 1647
Box 1
12 numbered floral diaries dated 22 August 1961-19 February 1974. Diaries contain water colours of native flowers and plants with loose manuscript notes by Isobel Bowden

Box 2
Contains a further 9 numbered floral diaries dated 5 February 1974-1981 along with 3 other unnumbered and undated floral diaries and a volume including a complete plant list of her diaries as well as material on related matters and loose items

PXD 1272
Folder 1
53 colour and black and white photographic prints, ca. 1930-1984, mostly relating to the Woodford fires in the Blue Mountains by Isobel Bowen and Elizabeth Perrers. Also includes typescript notes regarding bushfires and plant recovery by Isobel Bowden

Folder 2
66 colour and black and white photographic prints, ca. 1960-1984, mostly relating to the Blue Mountains and the Katoomba landslide. Also includes 6 sketches of flowers and Katoomba shale mines and notes relating to the Katoomba landslide

Folder 3
30 colour and black and white photographic prints, 1951-1978, relating to bushfires in the Blue Mountains. Includes many small manuscript notes, many attached to photographs

Folder 4
85 colour and black and white photographic prints, 1975-1984, mostly relating to Wentworth Falls and Jamison Creek. Includes manuscript and typescript notes, 5 sketched maps relating to the area and a clipping from the Blue Mountains Echo, 15 August 1984, regarding Blue Mountains electoral boundaries

Folder 5
78 photographic prints, ca. 1875-1921, mostly being portraits of members the Bowden family along with 5 related postcards. Included is a manuscript index of some of the pictures and 1 newspaper clipping mourning the death of A. F. C. Murphy - former Mayor of Blue Mountains City Council

Folder 6
75 photographic prints, ca. 1865-1980, mostly being portraits of Bowden family members and pictures of family residence 'Edrim' at Parramatta. Also includes 7 related postcards and newspaper clipping relating to family residence 'Addington' at Ryde, NSW

Folder 7
98 photographic prints, ca. 1914-1955, mostly being portraits of Bowden family members (many at family residence 'Hollington' in Beecroft, NSW), including World War I soldiers and wedding pictures. Also included is a clipping of the poem, 'The Shield', by Marianne Rylands

Folder 8
Includes 1 album of 12 photographic prints of the finish of the 'first aerial derby held in Australia' from Mascot to Richmond, NSW, 1920, with accompanying manuscript note

Also included are 103 loose photographic prints, 1923-1965, mostly being portraits of Bowden family members as well as a picture of Western Australian Airmail arriving in Sydney[?] 1923 and a photograph with manuscript note which reads, 'found with letter of Eric Kendall Bowden, Minister for Defence, 1923-1925, describing the Japanese fleet visit in 1924' and showing the Minister with Japanese naval personnel. Also 1 postcard of Terrigal Beach and 3 manuscript sheets of notes of Bowden family history during the Great Depression

Forms part of MLMSS 4427

Copyright status:: In copyright - Life of artist plus 70 years
Copyright status:: In copyright - Life of photographer plus 70 years

Pic.Acc. Upgrade Project - Information transferred from Pic.Acc.5763 as part of the eRecords Project 2012-13

Many photographs captioned by donor