Mollie McNutt

Mollie McNutt (23 March 1885 – 26 February 1919) was an Australian poet whose work appeared in many newspapers and who published one book.

Early life[edit]

Mollie was born Mary E. Shaw, to parents John A. and Margaret Shaw in 1885 in West Maitland, New South Wales.[1] In 1901 Mary became a pupil teacher at Hillgrove Public School, N.S.W.[2] and shortly afterwards was appointed teacher at West Armidale Infants Public School.[3] In 1911, she resigned from teaching to marry Andrew McNutt, who was teaching in Uralla,[4][5] and who had also been a teacher at Hillgrove.[6][7] Shortly after marriage they moved to Bismuth so Andrew could take up the position of teacher,[8] and within two years he was transferred to Torrington.[9]

Career and works[edit]

Cover – Songs of Bushland

McNutt's writings won prizes or mentions in several competitions, including the Gould League of Bird Lovers (1912)[10] and 1913,[11] Bathurst Centenary Literary Competition,[12] and The Sydney Mail's Australian Remounts competition.[13] McNutt's poetry which appeared in newspapers included "The Quarrel",[14] poetry about nature, including "A Bush Home"[15] and "The Birds I Love",[16] and war poems "Australian Remounts"[17] and "The Boys Who Blazed The Track".[18] Some of Mary's poems were set to music, including "A Nook Of Bushland" (1922),[19] "Buttercups",[20] "The Birds I Love" (1925),[21] and "Silver Wattle" (1930).[22] McNutt's works were used by the Department of Education[23][24] and McNutt was named by children[25][26] and educators[27] among lists of prominent and favourite Australian writers. A list of at least 16 works can be found on AustLit[28] and over 80 works are included in a biography, Australia Song-bird: Mollie McNutt, Poetry And Prose.[29]

The book Songs Of Bushland was published in 1918 by Winn & Co. publishers[30] and sold out before it made it to book shops.[31] AustLit states Songs Of Bushland is "primarily not a children's book".[32]

Death and legacy[edit]

McNutt died of tuberculosis[33] on 26 February 1919,[34] aged 33. An unfortunate incident happened as the body was conveyed to be put on the train to Armidale for interment, when the wheel came off the horse-drawn hearse.[35] At the graveside, Brother Stephens, on behalf of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows Lodge said of McNutt: "as the seasons come and go may wattle-time ever serve as a reminder of our Australian song-bird".[36]

The Inspector of Schools proposed a memorial to Mollie,[37] and a cot with an inscription was bought for the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children with over 800 pounds raised by donations from "Practically every public school in the state".[38]

Another book published about McNutt is The Road To Torrington: Remembering Mollie McNutt, and in it the author says McNutt was remembered in a school song in Torrington in the 1960s, and a trophy called the Mollie McNutt Memorial Shield.[39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ N.S.W. Births, Deaths and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?10
  2. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 810. New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1901. p. 7480. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Local and General News". The Armidale Chronicle. No. 7765. New South Wales, Australia. 21 September 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Local & General". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 14 April 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 22 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "The Late Mrs. McNutt". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 20 June 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 209. New South Wales, Australia. 24 April 1903. p. 3117. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Hillgrove Public School – Gymnasium – First Aid Class – Teacher Andrew McNutt". NSW State Archives & Records. 1 January 1907. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Events & Rumours". Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser (NSW : 1856 - 1861; 1863 - 1889; 1891 - 1954). 31 May 1912. p. 4. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  9. ^ "TRANSFERS AND APPOINTMENTS". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001). 25 November 1914. p. 7126. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. ^ "BIRD DAY". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930). 18 September 1912. p. 17. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  11. ^ "The Birds of Australia". Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938). 22 October 1913. p. 11. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  12. ^ "THE ANALYSIS". Bathurst Times (NSW : 1909 - 1925). 26 February 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Australian Remounts". Armidale Chronicle (NSW : 1894 - 1929). 19 August 1916. p. 9. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  14. ^ "For Children". The Australian Worker. Vol. 28, no. 41. New South Wales, Australia. 16 October 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "A Bush Home". The Australian Worker. Vol. 23, no. 17. New South Wales, Australia. 23 April 1914. p. 13. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "The Birds I Love". The Mercury. Vol. CVII, no. 14, 983. Tasmania, Australia. 27 October 1917. p. 11. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Australian Remounts". Sydney Mail. Vol. IX, no. 228. New South Wales, Australia. 9 August 1916. p. 24. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "The Boys Who Blazed the Track". Sydney Mail. Vol. X, no. 255. New South Wales, Australia. 14 February 1917. p. 30. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "SPECIAL SONG SERIES". Sunday Times. No. 1898. New South Wales, Australia. 11 June 1922. p. 2 (SUPPLEMENT TO SUNDAY TIMES). Retrieved 19 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "New School Songs". Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930). 25 November 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Australian song book. Songs for fourth class. Selection No.1 [music]". Trove. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Silver wattle [music] / words by M.E. McNutt ; music by G.L. Talbot". Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  23. ^ "PERSONAL". Daily Observer. Vol. IX, no. 55. New South Wales, Australia. 5 March 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "M. E. McNutt". Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  25. ^ "My Favorite Australian Poets". The Sun. No. 1684. New South Wales, Australia. 7 July 1935. p. 2 (Supplement to the Sunday Sun and Guardian). Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ "The Letter Box". Freeman's Journal. Vol. LXXI, no. 3671. New South Wales, Australia. 31 July 1919. p. 31. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "Austrian Poets". The Urana Independent and Clear Hills Standard. No. 735. New South Wales, Australia. 4 April 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ^ "M. E. McNutt". Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  29. ^ Lally, Jane (2021). Australian song-bird: Mollie McNutt, poetry and prose. Armidale, NSW, Australia: Jane Lally. ISBN 9780645059076.
  30. ^ McNutt, M. E. (1918). Songs of bushland. Sydney [N.S.W.] : Winn & Co, http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-724040631
  31. ^ "Northern Obituaries". Daily Observer. Vol. IX, no. 54. New South Wales, Australia. 4 March 1919. p. 6. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ "M. E. McNutt". Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  33. ^ "History Matters – Torrington memories". Glen Innes Examiner. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  34. ^ "Family Notices". The Daily Telegraph. No. 12420. New South Wales, Australia. 1 March 1919. p. 8. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  35. ^ "Local and General News". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 4 March 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  36. ^ "Oddfellowship". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 25 April 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  37. ^ "School Notes". Young Witness. New South Wales, Australia. 17 June 1919. p. 4 (Latest Edition). Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  38. ^ "The Molle McNutt Cot". The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 16 July 1920. p. 3. Retrieved 16 December 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  39. ^ Young, Rita (2021). The road to Torrington : remembering Mollie McNutt. Ashfield, NSW, Australia: Rita Young.

External links[edit]

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