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Olive Oliver Collection
Image: Travel Diary – Olive Oliver, 1911
Source: Museum Victoria
In 1911 Miss Olive Oliver, a wealthy 32 year old woman from Melbourne, embarked on a round-the-world tour of the United States of America, Britain and Europe. The extensive journey took her to many grand cities and places of natural beauty. Olive travelled with her father, William Oliver, her brother, William Donald ('Don'), and her friend, Gretta Nicolls.
Throughout the trip, Olive kept a travel diary and collected brochures, postcards, menus, concert programs and maps from the places she visited. Museum Victoria has acquired these items as well as Olive's large wooden sea chest, and together these make up the Olive Oliver collection. The diary is a small, leather-bound paper diary in which Olive wrote of her daily activities from 9 March 1911 to 31 December 1911. As the trip lasted about a year, it is likely that there would have been a second diary covering the months of the trip during 1912 but unfortunately it has not survived.
The diary and colourful ephemera enable Olive's travels of almost a century ago to come to life. Yet more than simply recording the story of one woman's travels, the collection gives insights into early 20th century Australia and the cultural outlook and identity that Australians engaged with at this time. It demonstrates the desire among early and subsequent generations of Australian settlers to return 'home' to Britain and Europe, as well as visit other 'new world' countries, and it highlights the importance placed on gaining a cultural education outside of Australia through the 'grand tour'.
The collection is also a record of an era when the world was opening up to women, especially middle and upper class women, as they were granted new economic and legal rights, and presented with unheralded opportunities for travel and recreation, as well as for work.
Apart from the details of her journey, little is known of Olive except that she returned to Australia, did not marry or have children and died in Melbourne 1961. If anyone has any further information about Olive Oliver, please contact the Discovery Centre at Museum Victoria.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 51 - 60) 87 items
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Booklet - 'A Souvenir of Delightful Journeys, Salt Lake Route', Los Angeles, California, U ...
'A Souvenir of Delightful Journeys, Salt Lake Route' is a booklet issued by The Passenger Department of the Salt Lake Route in California, U.S.A. in 1911. It provides images of, and inf ...
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Booklet - 'A Souvenir of Delightful Journeys, Salt Lake Route', Los Angeles, California, U ...
'A Souvenir of Delightful Journeys, Salt Lake Route' is a booklet issued by The Passenger Department of the Salt Lake Route in California, U.S.A. in 1911. It provides images of, and inf ...
Images: 1 -
Booklet - 'Mount Vernon, Va.', An Illustrated Handbook, Virginia, U.S.A., 1910
'Mount Vernon, Va.' is a booklet issued by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association in Virginia, U.S.A. in 1910. It provides information and photographs of Mount Vernon, the home of George ...
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Booklet - 'Photographic Studies of Indians by Karl Moon', Grand Canyon, Arizona, U.S.A., 1 ...
'Photographic Studies of Indians by Karl Moon' was issued by El Tover Studio and Fred Harvey, in Arizona, U.S.A. in 1910. It shows a collection of photographs by Karl Moon taken of Nati ...
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Booklet - 'Del Monte Guide Book', Del Monte, California, U.S.A., 1910
'Del Monte Guide Book' issued by Hotel Del Monte in California, U.S.A. in 1910. The guide book provides hotel guests with travel information about Del Monte and its surrounds. This is ...
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Leaflet - 'Puget Sound Trips', Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., 1911
'Puget Sound Trips' leaflet issued by The Puget Sound Navigation Co. in Seattle, U.S.A. in 1911, provides information and time tables for steamer excursions around Puget Sounds. This ...
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Leaflet - 'The Princess Line', Vancouver, Canada, 1911
'The Princess Line' leaflet issued by British Columbia Coast Steamship Service, Canadian Pacific Railway in Vancouver, Canada in March - April 1911. The leaflet outlines the timetable f ...
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Leaflet - 'Hotel Dunsmuir', Vancouver, Canada, 1908
'Hotel Dunsmuir' is a leaflet issued by Hotel Dunsmuir and printed by Evans & Hastings in Vancouver, Canada in 1908. It provides information about the hotel. This is one of about eight ...
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Booklet - 'In SEATTLE it's The New Washington', Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., 1911
'In SEATTLE it's The New Washington' is a booklet issued by The New Washington Hotel in Seattle, U.S.A. in 1911. It provides information about, and photographs of, the New Washington Ho ...
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Booklet - 'Santa Catalina Island, California', California, U.S.A., 1911
'Santa Catalina Island, California' is a booklet published by Newman Post Card Co. in California, U.S.A. in 1911. It contains colour images of Santa Catalina Island. This is one of abo ...
Images: 2
