The Mary Poems | Irene Wettenhall in Conversation
About
The Mary Poems, by Tasmanian-born poet Irene Wettenhall, explores critical junctures in the life of her ancestor, Mary Burgess Wettenhall (1809-1896). Mary emigrated from Cornwall to Van Diemen’s Land in 1835 with her husband, Lieutenant Robert Wettenhall (1793-1877). Robert had been laid off from the Royal Navy on half pay in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. Their attempts at farming southeast of Hobart failed with the severe economic recession of the 1840s. A brief stint as lighthouse keeper on Swan Island also failed. Thereafter, they struggled to survive and educate their eight children. Robert became increasingly embittered while Mary faced their circumstances with fortitude. The poems are documentary poetry, based on historical sources transformed by poetic imagination, in the way defined by the acclaimed Australian poet, Jordie Albiston.A seventh-generation Tasmanian, Irene Wettenhall was born in Nipaluna-Hobart in 1957 and attended The Friends’ School. She graduated with First Class Honours in History from the University of Adelaide. After a career of four decades working in international development, Irene now lives in Canberra but still strongly identifies as a Tasmanian. Irene and her sister Lynn have recently edited their mother Lois Calvert’s memoirs of 19th and 20th century Tasmania and Norfolk Island for publication at www.loiscalvertmemoirs.com.au
In conversation with Irene will be historian Alison Alexander. Alison Alexander is a leading and prize-winning Australian historian whose distinguished works include Corruption and Skullduggery (2015; republished by EER, 2024) and Land of Rogues & Scoundrels (EER, 2025).
Date
Sunday 26 July 2026 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (UTC+10)Location
Fullers Bookshop
131 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000
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The Mary Poems | Irene Wettenhall in Conversation
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