From the archives

Marjorie returns home to Fort Street
Last week the Fort Street Archives received a generous donation from the National Trust for the new Ron Horan Museum. It was an antique doll named Marjorie.
The owner of this doll was Fortian, Mrs. Phyllis Bower (nee Manning). She was born on 24th June 1897. After completing her early education in primary schools in the north-west of NSW she gained a place at Fort Street for her secondary education. In order to attend Fort Street she lived at a boarding house in inner Sydney during term time.
To feel more at home at the boarding house she took her favourite doll – Marjorie, a bisque-headed child doll who was dressed in Fort Street school uniform identical to that worn by the students prior to WWI when Phyllis Bower attended. Phyllis had many fond tales of her life while attending the Fort Street and which had made her school days very enjoyable and significant in her education.
Now, after about 110 years has Marjorie has returned home, via the National Trust, and has been donated to Fort Street’s new Ron Horan Museum. Here she will represent, through the story of her original owner’s life and that of the many men and women who have attended the school, the inspiration to achieve ‘a life of substance’.

Mr Iain Wallace
Fort Street Archivist