Quilt No.599PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut

Agnes Chitty (1857-1934) was born Agnes Kersey in the Beechworth district of Victoria. Her mother Maria and father William were both English and William was a miner looking for gold. In 1862 Maria and her daughter Lydia both died and in 1868 William Kersey died probably in a mine explosion. Agnes was then 11 years old and her sister Isabella 9 and they were taken in by Eliza Dunn who was the owner of the Freemason's Arms Hotel, Deep Creek, Victoria.
Phillip Chitty was born in Van Diemen's Land in 1843 and came via the goldfields to Walwa Victoria where he was an overseer for Grandison Watson who had the Walwa run. In 1875 Agnes and Phillip were married and went to live on the Mundaroo part of the run called 'No Place'. They had 3 children there and another 9 when they moved to Tintaldra, Upper Murray, Vic.
[Source: "Memories of my Mother" 1990 The Pioneer Women's Hut]

Agnes was a fine needlewoman and a keen gardener: " Grandfather Phillip's orchard was an amazing affair of grafted trees, vines and such fruits as Granny Smith Apples, Jonathan Apples and Northern Sky variety on one tree. As well he had Green Gage and Rosa plums on one tree. He also had sweet water grapes and black Muscatel grapes on one vine etc.
Grandma Agnes garden was just as amazing. A sea of red hot pokers in an old swamp, surrounded by catmint, yellow castor oil, roses, red cabbage roses, cream banksia climbing roses and nearby grew the biggest apricot tree, bowed down by 'dead ripe' fruit I have ever seen, and also I remember not being able to eat the apricots for a long time after much feasting on the very ripe fruit. Gran would always identify the roses in the garden by name and was able to grow almost anything, having the proverbial Green Thumb. The bleeding heart plant was another of her specialities."
[Mavis Carruthers, grand-daughter, "Memories of my Mother" 1990 The Pioneer Women's Hut]