Mary Finnin

Mary Finnin (1906 – 6 December 1992) was an Australian artist, art teacher and poet.

Mary Finnin
Finnin in 1941
Finnin in 1941
Born1906
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Died6 December 1992[1]
OccupationPoet, artist and arts and crafts teacher
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne

Finnin was born at Geelong in 1906.[2] She was educated locally, before attending the University of Melbourne, where she trained in art and became an art teacher. She was employed at Geelong Grammar School in the 1930s where she taught art and all kinds of craft.[2][3] She also designed stage sets and costumes for the school's performances. At the same time she held a solo exhibition of her work in Adelaide.[4][5]

Many of Finnin's poems appeared first in The Bulletin[6][7] and Australian literary journals, such as Meanjin,[8] Southerly[9] and Quadrant,[10][11] prior to publication in books. She also contributed to Walkabout, including "Down the Murray in a Kayak", the story of an adventure she undertook with her husband when newly-weds.[12]

Hazel de Berg recorded Finnin reading two of her poems in April 1959[13] and in July 1973 interviewed her for the National Library of Australia, where the recordings are held. In the interview Finnin spoke of her work as an artist, arts and craft teacher, trade unionist and Red Cross worker.[14]

Works
  • Finnin, Mary (1938), A beggar's opera: Poems, W.A. Hamer
  • Finnin, Mary (1939), Look down Olympians: Poems, W.A. Hamer
  • Finnin, Mary (1940), Poems (Limited edition 50 copies ed.), W.A. Hamer
  • Finnin, Mary (1941), Royal, W.A. Hamer
  • Finnin, Mary (1945), The book of Bauble, W.A. Hamer
  • Finnin, Mary (1947), Alms for oblivion, W. A. Hamer
  • Finnin, Mary (1957), The shield of place, Angus and Robertson
  • Finnin, Mary (January 1979), Off shears (1958–1978), Hawthorn Press (published 1979), ISBN 978-0-7256-0254-3

References
  1. Death Notice showing date of death as 6 Dec 1992, including crossreference to married name Mary Connellan, The Age, published 7 Dec 1992, via Ryerson Index
  2. Adelaide, Debra (1988). Australian women writers: a bibliographic guide. Pandora. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-86358-148-9.
  3. "Mary Finnin". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  4. "Modern Art By Mary Finnin". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 31 August 1937. p. 12. Retrieved 30 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Out-of-doors Pageantry At Boys' School". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 31 August 1937. p. 8. Retrieved 30 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. Finnin, Mary (5 August 1942), "An Honor Bestowed", The Bulletin, John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 63 (3260): 4, ISSN 0007-4039
  7. Finnin, Mary (10 October 1956), "The Death of Winter", The Bulletin, John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 77 (4000): 12, ISSN 0007-4039
  8. Finnin, Mary (1953), "Fourteen Lines from a Russian Folk-tale", Meanjin, 12 (2): 208, ISSN 1324-1745
  9. Finnin, Mary (July 1940), "To earth", Southerly, 1 (3): 22–23, ISSN 0038-3732
  10. Finnin, Mary (1958), "The man from Strathbogie", Quadrant, 2 (4): 45, ISSN 0033-5002
  11. Finnin, Mary (1965), "Half caste drover", Quadrant, 9 (4): 19, ISSN 0033-5002
  12. Finnin, Mary (1956), "Down the Murray in a Kayak", Walkabout, 22 (5): 39, 41–42, ISSN 0043-0064
  13. Finnin, Mary; De Berg, Hazel (10 April 1959), Mary Finnin reading her poetry in the Hazel de Berg collection, retrieved 30 September 2021
  14. Finnin, Mary; De Berg, Hazel (14 July 1973), Mary Finnin interviewed by Hazel de Berg in the Hazel de Berg collection, retrieved 30 September 2021


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