Summary

This item is one of our 50 Treasures: Celebrating 50 years of James Cook University.

Liz Downes answers the question 'Why is this significant?'

Autograph books—who remembers them? Those little books full of blank pages that, in the second half of the 20th century, were especially in demand by girls nearing the end of their primary or secondary schooldays. Today, like hand-written letters and personal diaries, they seem to have become victims of the digital age and the growth of social media.

A charming example of this genre came into Special Collections as part of a donation from Lynda Male. The book's owner was Rose Popham (1886-1969), Lynda's great-aunt and the fourth of twelve children born to Jesse and Frances Popham.

Rose, a child of eight when she arrived in Townsville, grew up in the family home in West End but, unlike later autograph books, hers was not a childhood collection. The earliest entry is dated 1913, when Rose was in her late twenties, and the last was made 22 years later, with the majority dated between 1914-1919. Together they form an anthology of wit, wisdom and friendship. Unmarried, but with many siblings, Rose was described as a much-loved auntie and, judging by the many entries in her book, had a wealth of friends. Since Rose was an original and long-serving staff member of Inglis Smith's prominent drapers store, it is possible that some of her regular customers also made their mark in her little book.

The most entertaining contributions are surely the cartoon-like illustrations, some by Rose herself and two by her brother, Jesse William—who also supplied a family photograph. The wry humour of these sketches, along with the more light-hearted written entries, help to lift the tone of solemnity or sentimentality which characterises other offerings.

We should not forget that some of those who signed Rose's book would have had family members serving in the war that was engulfing Europe; another of her brothers was among them. If some surnames (like Diprose, Quinn, Mabin and Dearness) are familiar to us from local street names, this in itself is an indication that these families suffered the ultimate loss; many Townsville streets were renamed in the 1920s to honour the fallen. A long poem describing the 1911 wreck of the Yongala, adds another layer of gravitas.

Rose's book offers us a small but eloquent piece of social history, reflecting something of the life and mood of a regional city—geographically remote from the world stage, yet still touched by significant events—and of a community of friends and acquaintances, neighbours and colleagues sharing time-honoured expressions of kindness, affection, humour and hope. It is no small legacy.