Mollie McNutt

Mollie was born Mary E. Shaw, to parents John A. and Margaret Shaw in 1885 in West Maitland, New South Wales.N.S.W. Births, Deaths and Marriages, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/result?10 In 1901 Mary became a pupil teacher at Hillgrove Public School, N.S.W.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226386846 |title=Government Gazette Appointments and Employment |newspaper=Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales |issue=810 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=27 September 1901 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=7480 |via=National Library of Australia}} and shortly afterwards was appointed teacher at West Armidale Infants Public School.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188107834 |title=Local and General News |newspaper=The Armidale Chronicle |issue=7765 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=21 September 1901 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1911, she resigned from teaching to marry Andrew McNutt, who was teaching in Uralla,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191944076 |title=Local & General |newspaper=The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=14 April 1911 |accessdate=22 December 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191991507 |title=The Late Mrs. McNutt |newspaper=The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 June 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}} and who had also been a teacher at Hillgrove.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220936158 |title=Government Gazette Appointments and Employment |newspaper=Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales |issue=209 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 April 1903 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=3117 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web |url= https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/image/15051_a047_006535 |title= Hillgrove Public School – Gymnasium – First Aid Class – Teacher Andrew McNutt |author= |date=1 January 1907 |website=NSW State Archives & Records |access-date=16 December 2020 }} Shortly after marriage they moved to Bismuth so Andrew could take up the position of teacher,{{Cite news|date=1912-05-31|title=Events & Rumours|pages=4|work=Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser (NSW : 1856 - 1861; 1863 - 1889; 1891 - 1954)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191953772|access-date=2021-09-19}} and within two years he was transferred to Torrington.{{Cite news|date=1914-11-25|title=TRANSFERS AND APPOINTMENTS.|pages=7126|work=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article227424620|access-date=2021-09-19}}

File:Songs Of Bushland Cover.png

McNutt's writings won prizes or mentions in several competitions, including the Gould League of Bird Lovers (1912){{Cite news|date=1912-09-18|title=BIRD DAY.|pages=17|work=Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239177294|access-date=2021-09-19}} and 1913,{{Cite news|date=1913-10-22|title=The Birds of Australia.|pages=11|work=Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165963694|access-date=2021-09-19}} Bathurst Centenary Literary Competition,{{Cite news|date=1914-02-26|title=THE ANALYSIS.|pages=2|work=Bathurst Times (NSW : 1909 - 1925)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111494567|access-date=2021-09-19}} and The Sydney Mail's Australian Remounts competition.{{Cite news|date=1916-08-19|title=Australian Remounts.|pages=9|work=Armidale Chronicle (NSW : 1894 - 1929)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187712234|access-date=2021-09-19}} McNutt's poetry which appeared in newspapers included "The Quarrel",{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145778941 |title=For Children. |newspaper=The Australian Worker |volume=28 |issue=41 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 October 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}} poetry about nature, including "A Bush Home"{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145941641 |title=A Bush Home. |newspaper=The Australian Worker |volume=23 |issue=17 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=23 April 1914 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}} and "The Birds I Love",{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226332296 |title=The Birds I Love. |newspaper=The Mercury |volume=CVII |issue=14,983 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=27 October 1917 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}} and war poems "Australian Remounts"{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160388576 |title=Australian Remounts. |newspaper=Sydney Mail |volume=IX |issue=228 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=9 August 1916 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}} and "The Boys Who Blazed The Track".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160387755 |title=The Boys Who Blazed the Track. |newspaper=Sydney Mail |volume=X |issue=255 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=14 February 1917 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=30 |via=National Library of Australia}} Some of Mary's poems were set to music, including "A Nook Of Bushland" (1922),{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128207256 |title=SPECIAL SONG SERIES |newspaper=Sunday Times |issue=1898 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=11 June 1922 |accessdate=19 September 2021 |page=2 (SUPPLEMENT TO SUNDAY TIMES) |via=National Library of Australia}} "Buttercups",{{Cite news|date=1923-11-25|title=New School Songs|pages=3|work=Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120538112|access-date=2021-09-19}} "The Birds I Love" (1925),{{Cite web|title=Australian song book. Songs for fourth class. Selection No.1 [music]|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-177140301|access-date=2021-09-19|website=Trove|language=en}} and "Silver Wattle" (1930).{{cite news |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2066269/|title=Silver wattle [music] / words by M.E. McNutt; music by G.L. Talbot |access-date=18 December 2020 }} McNutt's works were used by the Department of Education{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105053266 |title=PERSONAL. |newspaper=Daily Observer |volume=IX |issue=55 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=5 March 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news|url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A25656?mainTabTemplate=agentWorksBy&restrictToAgent=A25656/|title=M. E. McNutt |access-date=18 December 2020 }} and McNutt was named by children{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article231288793 |title=My Favorite Australian Poets |newspaper=The Sun |issue=1684 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=7 July 1935 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=2 (Supplement to the Sunday Sun and Guardian) |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116769181 |title=The Letter Box. |newspaper=Freeman's Journal |volume=LXXI |issue=3671 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=31 July 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=31 |via=National Library of Australia}} and educators{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116179229 |title=Austrian Poets. |newspaper=The Urana Independent and Clear Hills Standard |issue=735 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 April 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} among lists of prominent and favourite Australian writers. A list of at least 16 works can be found on AustLit{{cite news|url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A25656?mainTabTemplate=agentWorksBy&restrictToAgent=A25656/|title=M. E. McNutt |access-date=18 December 2020 }} and over 80 works are included in a biography, Australia Song-bird: Mollie McNutt, Poetry And Prose.{{Cite book|last=Lally|first=Jane|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vs1ozgEACAAJ|title=Australian song-bird: Mollie McNutt, poetry and prose|publisher=Jane Lally|year=2021|isbn=9780645059076|location=Armidale, NSW, Australia}}

The book Songs Of Bushland was published in 1918 by Winn & Co. publishersMcNutt, M. E. (1918). Songs of bushland. Sydney [N.S.W.] : Winn & Co, http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-724040631 and sold out before it made it to book shops.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105065783 |title=Northern Obituaries. |newspaper=Daily Observer |volume=IX |issue=54 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 March 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}} AustLit states Songs Of Bushland is "primarily not a children's book".{{cite news |url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A25656/|title=M. E. McNutt |access-date=18 December 2020 }}

McNutt died of tuberculosis{{cite news |url=https://www.gleninnesexaminer.com.au/story/6695058/torrington-memories/|title=History Matters – Torrington memories |newspaper=Glen Innes Examiner |date=24 March 2020 |access-date=16 December 2020 }} on 26 February 1919,{{cite news|date=1 March 1919|title=Family Notices|page=8|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|issue=12420|location=New South Wales, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239589697|access-date=16 December 2020|via=National Library of Australia}} aged 33. An unfortunate incident happened as the body was conveyed to be put on the train to Armidale for interment, when the wheel came off the horse-drawn hearse.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191988308 |title=Local and General News. |newspaper=The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 March 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} At the graveside, Brother Stephens, on behalf of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows Lodge said of McNutt: "as the seasons come and go may wattle-time ever serve as a reminder of our Australian song-bird".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191989696 |title=Oddfellowship. |newspaper=The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 April 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The Inspector of Schools proposed a memorial to Mollie,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122434069 |title=School Notes |newspaper=Young Witness |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=17 June 1919 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=4 (Latest Edition) |via=National Library of Australia}} and a cot with an inscription was bought for the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children with over 800 pounds raised by donations from "Practically every public school in the state".{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192008787 |title=The Molle McNutt Cot. |newspaper=The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 July 1920 |access-date=16 December 2020 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Another book published about McNutt is The Road To Torrington: Remembering Mollie McNutt, and in it the author says McNutt was remembered in a school song in Torrington in the 1960s, and a trophy called the Mollie McNutt Memorial Shield.{{Cite book|last=Young|first=Rita|title=The road to Torrington : remembering Mollie McNutt|publisher=Rita Young|year=2021|location=Ashfield, NSW, Australia}}

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• [https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Mollie+McNutt&qt=owc_search WorldCat listing of works associated with Mollie McNutt]

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Category:1885 births

Category:1919 deaths

Category:20th-century Australian poets

Category:Australian women poets

Category:People from Maitland, New South Wales

Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Australia

Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis