We are thrilled to launch the inaugural biennial Gwenda D. M. Jones Memorial lecture as part of our Distinguished Lecture series.

This lecture honours the life of Gwen Jones, a keen member and generous supporter of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria over many years until her death in 2021, aged 98. The lecture series will promote the vital role of The Jones Collection of the RHSV in documenting and supporting research on these themes.

The Jones Collection was donated to the RHSV by Gwen shortly before she died. Gwen’s creation, stewardship, and generosity surrounding the collection has ensured that future historians have an incredibly rich archive on which to draw.

Eminent historian, Richard Aitken will deliver the inaugural lecture, Orontes’ adventure: introducing The Jones Collection of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.  Richard is a Melbourne-based historian, curator, and writer specialising in the history of gardens and homemaking. Richard’s work is recognised nationally and internationally, and his books have become essential reading for anyone with an interest in Australian history and domestic design. He spent three years sorting, listing and annotating The Jones Collection, resulting in the recent donation of approximately 200 archive boxes of documents and realia to the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. Richard’s work which combines his deep knowledge of and love for Gwen and her family combined with his historian’s rigour have added immeasurably to the value of the collection.

Richard’s lecture will introduce The Jones Collection by focussing on the 1953–54 study tour of Britain and Europe undertaken by Gwen Jones. This is a particularly comprehensive holding within the collection and will act as a catalyst for narrating a significant part of Gwen’s life story as well as highlighting the richness of The Jones Collection for historical research and provide an assessment of its overall archival significance.

Gwenda Dagmar Marie Jones graduated from the University of Melbourne with BA (1947), BEd (1953), and MA (1983) degrees. She was the only child of Ebenezer and Meda Jones and immensely proud of her Welsh and Danish ancestry. The family were exceptionally close and shared a love of travel and music, instilling confidence and independence in Gwen as she progressed through a culturally rich life. Apart from several years studying, teaching, and lecturing in Castlemaine, London, and Geelong, Gwen lived in the family home in Coburg. She embraced her humble local origins of miners and seamstresses but also forged global friendships and interests.

Gwen was educated in local state schools, progressing from University High School to training at Melbourne Teachers’ College. Following her BEd thesis on the early career of pioneering Victorian educationalist Frank Tate, she embarked on year-long study at the University of London School of Education. Funded partially by the University of Melbourne’s Smyth Travelling Scholarship in Education she studied British drama education and its applicability to Victoria. The scholarship and ensuring experiences living in London were a high-point of her personal and professional life.

Apart from stints teaching in high schools, Gwen’s main career was as a lecturer at Geelong and Coburg Teachers’ Colleges. Gwen introduced an elective in Australian history at Geelong in the late 1950s with a focus on local and regional history, was local co-ordinator of the New Education Fellowship, a fine accompanist, madrigalist, and cello player, and produced Salad Days with her students to universal acclaim.

Gwen returned to Melbourne in 1964. She undertook long-term research into the history of Coburg’s Holy Trinity Anglican Church, was a book reviewer and occasional author of articles in professional journals, and wrote many plays for children’s theatre. She took a keen interest in local history and in 1973 commenced postgraduate research under the supervision of Pat Grimshaw, studying governesses in Australian colonial society.

Following retirement in 1986, Gwen spent an engrossing sixteen years with The History Institute of Victoria as a member of its Executive Council and acting as membership secretary and in other roles.

The Jones Collection at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria holds Gwen’s personal and professional papers and an extensive family archive. Whether it was playing piano for Arthur Rubinstein on his 1937 Australian tour, watching Wilson Hall burn in 1952, meeting Yehudi Menuhin at the stage door, or observing artist Arthur Boyd and his family on board her 1972 cruise to England, Gwen seemed to have a ringside seat for history.

Gwen’s passport which used one of her graduation photos.

Housekeeping

This event will be hybrid so presented in person in our rooms and also via ZOOM. Those purchasing ZOOM tickets will be sent the log-in details 24hrs before the event.

An automatically generated confirmation of booking email is sent on booking – please check your Trash or Spam folders if this email does not turn up in your in-box.

As with most of our events, refreshments will be served from 5:30pm – 6pm when the lecture starts (the Zoom session also starts at 6pm). There will be Q&A at the end of the lecture.