{"id":562,"date":"2021-10-21T00:47:20","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T00:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stark.gen.nz\/wordpress\/?page_id=562"},"modified":"2025-03-28T08:03:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T19:03:35","slug":"grace-frances-robertson","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.stark.gen.nz\/wordpress\/robertson\/fleming-robertson\/grace-frances-robertson\/","title":{"rendered":"Grace Frances Robertson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

L.R.S.M. – my Nana<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nana was born on the 12 June 1902 at Waianakarua in North Otago, New Zealand. She was the first born into a family that until that point had consisted of her father as a farmer and her mother as a teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grace taken in 1904 at Mahan and Muir’s studio at Oamaru. Although a little indistinct, Grace has named herself in the frame at the top of the page.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Grace and her brother Noel around 1906<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Grace’s life can be divided up into a number of chunks in terms of time and threads, in terms of her experiences. There was schooling, a life in Wellington, a life at Lincoln College and her later life in Wanganui and Nelson. Her experiences were music in both piano and voice, motherhood, marriage, art and family. In the coming sections, I will endeavour to cover all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schooling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Grace attended Waianakarua School along with many cousins and siblings and did well. in 1912 she received 2nd place in Proficiency for her year and was noted also for growing Flowers at the school garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1914 in Standard IV, Grace was best at her school in both Spelling and mentioned in Sewing too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grace is second in from left in front row. Waianakarua School 1910. Index to kids, click here<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Through her life, Grace was very musical and as a young person, obviously had a strong inclination towards music as evidenced by her winning the music prize in 1917 at Waitaki Girls High School. Clearly the giver of the prize felt there were great things ahead of Grace, given the title. And perhaps interestingly, Grace was only 15 when she won the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace also sat practical examinations in 1917 passing her junior qualification and again in 1920 as senior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Waitaki Girls High School 1910s. Photo from Culture Waitaki.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Daisy HUTTON on left, Grace on Right – cousins.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n