News · Newsletter

News: January 2023 Newsletter

Muriel Matters Society

Hello to All Members and Friends!
Happy New Year everyone – hopefully you have had a safe and joyful Festive Season. Please read below about current events and happenings:

Recent News

  • The Lone Pine Exhibition, launched at the combined Xmas Nibbles and AGM on Sunday 13 November, will again be open for members to view items relating to the war service of Muriel’s brother, Charles Adams Matters. Charles died at Lone Pine in August 1915, only days after arriving on the peninsula. There are new items, acquired after the opening, that add further insights and perspective to this terrible time of loss and sadness for so many people while also highlighting the endeavour and resilience shown by the families and friends at home.
  • Keep your eyes open for confirmation of a combined general meeting and Balloon
    Week exhibition, to be mounted at NCW House on 19 February. It has been a while
    since the items relating to the Balloon Protest have been on show – not to be missed!
  • Children’s book/s – Collette will be back from the UK soon and I look forward to meeting
    with her to form a committee to look at all aspects of this very important project.
  • Locating interesting suffrage/Edwardian items for sale – anywhere – remains a very
    hard task. Despite this, we have recently acquired items relating to suffrage and history
    in Hastings and are looking at items from Muriel’s various sea voyages.
  • On this note, I have become more involved with the Pioneer Society of SA. Through this
    association I hope to uncover more about Muriel’s grand-parents’ travel to South
    Australia in 1852 – not quite our First Fleet, but pretty soon after!
  • Local northern Adelaide sculptor Scott Eames (in association with The City of Adelaide)
    recently finished and unveiled a statue of Queen Adelaide in the Trial Rose Garden in
    the Botanic Garden (near the Tram Barn on Dequetteville Terrace). Maquettes have
    been produced (there are still a few left!) to help raise funds to cover the project. On
    behalf of The MMS, I have purchased one – this means The Society’s name will be
    added to the list of supporters on the plinth. Lord Mayor Elect (congratulations!!) Jane
    Lomax-Smith has graciously accepted the maquette on behalf of ACC.

Obituaries

It is with great sadness we advise of the following:

  • Oliver Waldren – a resident of Hastings UK, passed away in November. Oliver is the last person we know of who knew Muriel socially during her lifetime – and is more than likely to be the last person we discover who knew her. He was a wonderful gentleman who, at 100 years old, had lived a truly amazing and interesting life. He was always very welcoming of our visits and we originally met him through another UK friend, Sam Taylor, former Editor of The Lady’ magazine. Oliver will always be remembered for his kindnesses and the recounting of his adventures with Muriel in her later life.

AGM Report

The meeting was well attended and following several changes in circumstances since the state election, there was discussion about the need to implement our own changes to make The Society sustainable. Office consumables are subsidised by the Secretary and a Petty Cash system will be implemented. In particular, membership rates, which have not changed since incorporation in 2009, will need to increase to help cover costs as we search for our own permanent gallery display area, while still maintaining our happy sublease at NCW House in the city. Therefore, as has been called for many times, it was moved and passed by members present at the AGM to increase full membership to $20 and concessional membership to $10. Any prior pre-paid subs will be honoured and reflect the new financial year from
1/7/23. Subs for our ever-important Organisational members (this money covers many permanent costs) will remain unchanged at $50. When I have been asked in the past what members get for their subs:
3 – 4 newsletters each year with a similar number of heavily subsidised events. The money collect also goes towards financing the projects that support our Aims and Objectives.

Merchandise, Talks and Memberships

  • Group talks are again being booked – despite COVID – promising start to the year!
  • Merchandise sales should begin to pick up – 2023 will see the arrival of new items.
  • Please remember our merchandise items make great gifts (and you can place an
  • order on-line)!
  • Thank you to all members who have already paid their subscriptions – we are catching up with mailing of receipts and apologise for any delay in you receiving yours. Special thanks to members who also make donations – these extra funds really help!