Wingecarribee Women Writers
Wingecarribee Women Writers is part of a global movement that celebrates women’s stories, voices and creativity. Our purpose is to empower women of the Wingecarribee & beyond, to ensure their stories and voices are heard in literature and the arts.
The Poets Walk
at
Harper's Mansion
featuring the works of
Grace Perry
1927-1987
a successful poets walk
On Saturday October 5, we launched The Poets Walk featuring Grace Perry in the gardens of Harpers Mansion in Berrima. We are delighted to report that a wonderful day was had enjoying Grace's poetry and the scenic gardens at Harpers mansion.
Grace Perry published several volumes of poetry during her lifetime. Many contain beautiful descriptions of the flowers, plants, animals, birds and the natural environment in and around Berrima.
The Walk took form as a series of plaques depicting poetry extracts aligning with the different plants, flowers, trees and areas of the garden. We also shared live poetry readings and were delighted that relatives of Grace Perry were able to join us on the day.
We were able to rekindle interest in the work of Grace Perry and encourage visitors to stroll through the gardens to read and reflect on her work in a beautiful setting. The Walk will continue throughout the October weekends. We hope to see you there!
Our first project was The Charlotte Project which attracted overwhelming public support to raise funds for the bronze statue of pioneering woman, Charlotte Atkinson. The statue was unveiled in the Marketplace Park in Berrima by Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW in December 2023
There’s a small sandstone plinth opposite the Magistrate’s House in Berrima which holds a bronze plaque commemorating the life of Grace Perry. It’s easy to miss and it’s the only reminder that this extraordinary woman spent many years of her life living in the village. (see below)
Grace was a woman of many talents - she was a poet, publisher, GP, Paediatrician, and for a time a Simmental cattle breeder just outside of Berrima.
Born in Melbourne in January 1927, Grace began writing poetry at a very young age. Between the age of 12 and 18, Consolidated Press published three volumes of her work. She was hailed as a major talent and in 1944 was invited by the ABC to give the Australia Day student broadcast. Such was the acclaim for her poetry that her books were included in parcels sent to Australian troops serving in WWII.
In 1945, Grace was admitted to study in the predominantly male domain of Medicine at Sydney University, one of just three women undertaking these studies at the time. Soon after graduating in 1951, she married a medical student colleague, Harry Kronenberg. Grace set up a home-based medical practice in Sydney’s inner west and served as an honorary physician at the Renwick Hospital for Infants in Ashfield. She was also an honorary paediatrician at the Fairfield District and South Sydney Women’s hospitals. Grace and Harry had three children between 1952 and 1962: Ruth, Coralie and Hugh.
Grace began writing poetry again in the early 1960’s and joined the board of Poetry Magazine, later becoming the editor. She championed the work of many young poets including Les Murray, John Tranter and Geoffrey Lehmann. She established contact with international poetry magazines and facilitated the publication of Australian poetry including her own. Her support of young poets throughout the 60s and 70s was significant.
After falling out with some Poetry Magazine members, Grace registered a new magazine, Poetry Australia, under her new publishing company South Head Press (housed in her surgery) and she worked tirelessly to build its membership. By 1968 Poetry Australia was recognised as one of the top four poetry magazines in the world.
In 1985, Grace won the New South Wales premier’s literary award and in 1986 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia. She suffered ill health which affected her mobility but nonetheless continued to commit to publish and edit Poetry Australia. In 1987 she tried to establish a poetry award for the upcoming Bicentennial but failed to secure the funding. She continued to suffer health issues and problems in both her professional and personal life. Tragically, in the winter of 1987, Grace Perry took her own life.
Her professional achievements as well as her 8 books of poetry have faded from public view. Wingecarribee Women Writers (WWW) hope to restore the recognition that Grace Perry deserves and bring her poetry to a new generation of readers.
The Forgotten Poet
Grace Perry AM (1927–1987)
Media Release 10/09/24
A Garden of Poetry
A Poets Walk will be unveiled in the gardens of the National Trust property, Harper’s Mansion in Berrima on October 5th and continue each Saturday and Sunday throughout the month.
The Walk will feature the poetry of longtime Berrima resident, Grace Perry AM.
A poet, publisher, GP, paediatrician and cattle breeder, Grace Perry packed a lot into her 60 years of life.
Initially a weekend visitor to Berrima, she later bought and lived in the Magistrate’s House and owned substantial properties just outside the village where she bred and raised award winning Simmental cattle.
Grace produced and edited the Poetry Australia magazine and published several volumes of poetry during her lifetime. Many contain beautiful descriptions of the flowers, plants, animals, birds and the natural environment in and around Berrima.
Wingecarribee Women Writers (WWW) are honouring Grace’s literary achievements with The Poets Walk which will take the form of a series of plaques featuring poetry extracts selected to align with the stunning variety or plants, flowers and garden areas of Harper’s Mansion.
This is WWW’s second project. The first was the successful campaign to raise funds to create and place a bronze statue of pioneering woman Charlotte Atkinson by sculptor, Julie Haseler Reilly in the Marketplace Park in Berrima.
Charlotte was Australia’s first published children’s author who was also a passionate educator and a trail blazer for the legal rights of women. Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW unveiled the statue in December 2023 before an audience of about 300 people. WWW spokesperson and chair of The Charlotte Project, Lynn Watson says it’s vital that we honour the life and work of women who have come before us in our community:
“Our committee began because we saw a need to shine a light on the literary and artistic achievements of women which too often in our history have been overshadowed and even ignored because of the focus on men.”
Paula McLean was patron of The Charlotte Project and is a WWW committee member. She says although Grace Perry’s poetry was praised during her lifetime, it has been largely forgotten since her death:
“Grace was feted as a literary prodigy in her younger years and throughout her time in poetry publishing, she championed so many other poets – yet her own achievements have somehow been allowed to fade away. Through The Poets Walk we aim to rekindle interest in both Grace’s work and the beauty of the poetic form.”
We hope locals and visitors will come to The Poets Walk at Harper’s Mansion throughout October to wander through the beautiful gardens and to read and reflect on the remarkable poetry of Grace Perry.
Ends ....
*The Poets Walk will be begin with a Launch at midday on Saturday October 5 and will be open every weekend in October between 11am and 3pm. National Trust admission fees apply. Please mention The Poets Walk on arrival.
Further reading on Grace Perry:
Full biography here
Biography by the State Library of NSW here
Essay on Grace Perry's works by Phillip Hall here
