Laura Jocica address to PPPG General Meeting 13 September 2025
Dr Laura Jocicis a curator and historian with a specialisation in dress and textiles. At her address to the P.P.P. Group Laura spoke of the letters of Captain Richard Hanmer Bunbury (1813 – 1857), known as Hanmer, and his wife Sarah (Sally) Bunbury and how they provided an insight into the social and domestic lives of those who settled pre-gold rush. Sarah wrote of her daily life and her friendships, particularly with Georgiana McCrae.
The Bunbury letters discuss a broad range of contemporary topics. The Series 2 letters discuss the following topics; the voyage to Australia in 1841, impressions of Melbourne, Charles Joseph La Trobe, purchases of land and stock, explorations in Victoria, conflict with Aboriginal people, financial matters, flora and fauna, property at Mount William, Sir George Gipps, farming, appointment as Superintendent of Water Police at Williamstown in 1842, servants, crime, prices, bushrangers, closure of banks, kangaroos, proposed separation of Port Phillip from New South Wales, explorations in the Grampians, horse races, balls, plans for returning to England, migration of labourers from Van Diemen’s Land, and the Great Exhibition of 1851, just to name a few.
Summary points of all the Bunbury letters can be found on the State Library Victoria website at https://findingaids.slv.vic.gov.au and another informative source is fitzroyhistorysociety.org.au
Hanmer served in the Royal Navy where he lost one hand in battle. He married Sarah (Sally) Susanna Sconce (1816– 1897) on 19 December 1838. Hanmer, Susannah and their son Harry Bunbury emigrated to Port Phillip on the Argylearriving in March 1841 where he was appointed a magistrate that same year, the Superintendent of Water Police at Williamstown in 1842 and Harbour Master at Williamstown in 1844. He owned a station at Mount William named Barton Hall after his home in England.
The family lived first in Brunswick Street, New Town (now Fitzroy), then at Stanney on the Darebin Creek. In September 1842 they moved to Williamstown.
After a trip to England in 1857, Hanmer returned to Victoria and died in Melbourne the same year.
After Hanmer’s death, Sally and the children left Victoria to live in England. She died with an estate valued at around £35,174. source: SLV
Laura also spoke of the unbound book of folded paper leaves containing a range of sewing, embroidery and knitting examples produced by Irish immigrant Anne Trotter in 1840 at the Free School in County Louth, Ireland. Some of the examples can be seen below and readers can find more information and examples at the Museums Victoria website. She cited Anne Trotter’s book as an example of the sewing skills that female immigrants brought with them across the seas and how these skills were utilised by women of all classes to make new clothes or alter older clothing and how some women were given cloth to take on their journey to pass the time constructively.
(Images below from Laura’s presentation)
Sarah Bunbury Back of our house
