Quilt No.550PD - Phyllis Dowling

Phyllis Dowling
Owner: 
Phyllis Dowling
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Harriet Harris?
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
Hand pieced cot quilt made from small rectangular shapes of a great variety of materials including cottons, silks, wools and velvets. The backing is cotton sateen in 3 colours and is brought to the front to form a border of pink, cream and yellow.
1170 x 920mm
History: 

The exact history of the quilt is not known but it is thought to have been made by Harriet Harris at either Kiandra or 'Glory Hole' in the 1860s. It is now owned by her great grand-daughter, Phyllis Dowling.

Story: 

"Harriet Harris was born c.1825-1830 in Pedwell, Somerset, England. She was the daughter of John Chapple, a builder, and Mary Sandy. She married Henry Josiah Harris on 2 January 1853 at Trinity Church, Newington, London.
Henry Harris was a butcher and had several trips to Australia as a Ships Butcher before deciding to remain here c.1857.
They had 3 children born in London, Annie, Emma Harriet and Henry George. Harriet and her 3 children arrived in Sydney on the ship 'Herald of the Morning' on 25 June 1858. The family were in Newtown, Sydney when the 4th child, Robert, was born 6th June 1859.
In 1860, following the discovery of gold the family moved to Kiandra, travelling to Twofold Bay by boat and then to Kiandra by bullock dray.
The next child, Catherine Louisa was born there 9 May 1860 followed by Rose Elizabeth 12 September 1864 and finally Oliver John 9 February 1866.
Henry Harris continued with his butchering business in Kiandra but because of the harsh winters had to have somewhere other than Kiandra for his stock in winter so besides the home in Kiandra he purchased a 40 acre block below what is now Yarrangobilly Caves. This property was called 'Glory Hole' and members of the family lived there until 1910.
Although small and primitive in the beginning the 'Glory Hole' home eventually had 5 bedrooms, lounge, dining room, kitchen. hallway and verandah. The house was built of timber split on site.
Both Henry and Harriet are buried in the family grave at 'Glory Hole'. Henry died 17 August 1898 and Harriet 1 August 1904."
[Phyllis Dowling, Tumut 1998]

Harriet Harris with g.daughter Alice West, Glory Hole 1902
Harriet Harris with g.daughter Alice West, Glory Hole 1902

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (WA)
Quilt of pale yellow cotton sateen with a centre star motif with 8 points in pink cotton sateen. A border of pink cotton sateen has pink triangles on each side. The quilt is machine sewn and elaborately hand quilted with designs including fleur-de-lys shape, feathers, vine pattern, clam shells, 8 petalled flower and cable pattern with the main ground cross hatched. The backing is pale yellow cotton sateen.
2235 x 2065mm
Annette Gero
Hand pieced log cabin quilt in silks, satins and velvets. There is a silk backing machined on, possiby a later addition. The quilt has over 5000 pieced.
1820 x 1680mm
Name withheld
Quilt top in postage stamp pattern typical of military quilts. 5 x 5 blocks each 280 x 280mm. Colours are predominantly red, black and cream. Thought to have been made using uniform material from the Crimean war
1350 x 1350mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Quilt top of plain, floral and printed cotton hexagons in a diamond pattern, separated by plain white hexagons. Hand written letters have been used as templates and some are still in position but the ink is faded and the writing now illegible. Tacking stitches are still in place.
3048 x 2210mm
Jeanette Marchant
Quilt of hand stitched cotton hexagon patches, the hexagons are in groups of 7 to form flowers, with white or cream 'paths'. The quilt centre has 19 flowers grouped within a single hexagon border of brown and red patches. In each corner of the quilt there are 6 flowers grouped around a larger flower within a single border of darker print hexagon patches. Backing is cream cotton, machine stitched to the top. There is no padding or quilting. Some fabric patches have deteriorated.
National Parks & Wildlife Service of SA
Patchwork quilt of hexagon patches (3.5cm sides approx), handsewn, in cotton fabrics in sprig prints, stripes, checks, florals and plains. Colours are pre-aniline dyes, in lavender, green, red, beige and purple. Centre of quilt is pastel colours with a central patch embroidered in red: 'Elsey Rowbotham her work May 1 1869'. Quilt has a wide border of squares and triangles.Padding is thin cotton. Backing is off white calico. Quilted in parallel lines.
2693 x 2490mm