Historian Louise Blake shares historical letters written to a popular newspaper editor, Aunty Patsy in the nineteenth century.

Aunty Patsy was the editor of the Children’s Pages of the Advocate, a Melbourne-based newspaper. Children all over the state wrote letters to Aunt Patsy about to tell her what it was like living in their home town.

If you could write to Aunty Patsy, what would you tell her about your suburb/town?

Download our lesson plan to go with this video and letter writing template designed by PHA (Vic and Tas) member, Felicity Claire Design.

About Dr Louise Blake

Louise Blake is a professional historian with a particular interest in the stories of women, families and communities on the nineteenth-century goldfields. She has a doctorate in history from Monash University where her thesis focused on Women and Community on the Upper Goulburn Goldfields in north-east Victoria. Find out more about Louise’s work here https://louiseblake.com/

Online Gallery
Image 1 - Gill, S. T. Zealous Gold Diggers, Castlemaine 1852 / S.T.G., 1872. State Library of Victoria H141536. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/303474
Image 2 - Grosse, Frederick. VIEW OF WOOD'S POINT. [picture], 1864, State Library of Victoria IAN24/02/64/8. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/95496
Image 3 - Scott, Eugene Montagu. PACK-HORSES LOADING FOR WOODS POINT. [picture], 1864, State Library of Victoria IAN25/07/64/4. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/236522
Image 4 - Appleton, Frederick, and James Waltham Curtis. PACKING TO WOOD'S POINT - "NERVOUS TRAVELL [i.e. TRAVEL] [picture], 1881, State Library of Victoria IAN29/01/81/25. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/252494
Image 5 - Dale, Charles William. Woods Point [picture], 1907, State Library of Victoria H36372. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/23087
Image 6 - Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954) 27 December 1913: 42. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page20369306
Image 7 - "Letters to Aunt Patsy." Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954) 21 October 1916: 35. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151845491
Image 8 - Lucy O’Keefe, courtesy Katrina Wixoe
Image 9 - Harvey, J.H., 1905. [O'Keefe & Carey, General Merchants, Norwich Union Fire Insurance Agency, Woods Point, Victoria] [picture], State Library of Victoria H92.171/48. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/51359
Image 10 - Woodspoint, Road Coming from Jamieson [picture]., 1903, State Library of Victoria H42834/64. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/75062
Image 11 - "SOME OF AUNT PATSY'S POSTAL LIBRARY BOOKS." Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954) 16 June 1917: 38. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152194187