Talks Club: The Mitford Sisters & the Devonshire Jewels

Name: Talks Club: The Mitford Sisters & the Devonshire Jewels
Start: 2026-10-20T10:30:00+10:00
End: 2026-10-20T10:30:00+10:00
Location: Majorca Room, City Library

About

Join Susannah Fullerton OAM (one of Australia’s literary experts, author, ArtsNational lecturer and President of the Jane Austen Society Australia) and Adrian Dickens (personal jeweller and ArtsNational lecturer) for two captivating talks exploring the lives, personalities and jewels of the Mitford family.

Susannah Fullerton presents Those Mitford Girls!, a talk which looks at the lives and works of these unconventional sisters. The aristocratic Mitford sisters were writers and socialites, biographers and essayists. Jessica, who wrote Hons and Rebels and The American Way of Death, was a communist and human rights activist. Unity sympathised with the Nazis and worshipped Hitler. Nancy’s Love in a Cold Climate characters had a reckless upper-class Bohemianism and were determined to find life amusing at all costs, Diana became the most hated woman in Britain during World War II and Deborah became a Duchess.

Adrian Dickens presents The Jewels of Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, exploring the family heirlooms and personal jewels of the youngest Mitford sister, as well as her distinctive love of animals—particularly chickens. Deborah Mitford was the last of the infamous Mitford sisters, prominent members of English Society in the 1930s in 40s. Although the sisters were not originally known for their wealth or their jewels, this changed when Deborah married Lord Andrew Cavendish who later became the 11th Duke of Devonshire. Deborah started wearing various well-recognised family jewels, as well as more personal pieces that illustrated her very “wonderful and ordinary” character.

Ideal for lovers of history, literature, jewellery, fashion and fascinating characters.

10:30am–12:40pm
Majorca Room, City Library, Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD.

Doors open 10:20am. First talk begins 10:40am sharp, followed by a 10-minute interval at 11:30am. Second talk begins 11:40am. Cafés and refreshments are located nearby.