MacKIllop Banner & the 'Shepherd Broadcaster'
Geoff Speirs
There are two corrections to the MacKillop Banner entry:
1. The banner was made by Sister Teresa MacDonald in 1868, not by Mary MacKillop. Sister Teresa was one of the first two novices recruited to teach at the school house.
2. The banner therefore did not appear before the school house was built, as claimed in para 2. The school was built in 1867.
The corrections undercut the significance of the banner somewhat, but it is still highly significant as a founding Josephite object. It is still associated with Mary MacKillop, who was very much aware of its existence – Sister Agnes Smith, the other novice from 1868, wrote a note to her in November 1868 saying ‘Sister Teresa is busy working at the banner. It looks so nice – two lilies in raised work’.
Geoff Speirs has worked with community museums across Australia for 35 years. His career began in 1976 as an extension officer with the South Australian Museum, a position transferred to the History Trust of South Australia upon its establishment in 1981. He published magazines and journals, ran training programs and workshops, and was a key figure in setting up the Trust’s Museums Accreditation and Grants Program. For three years he was Project Director of the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide. In 2001 he left the History Trust (now History SA) to set up his own historical consultancy. He joined PHA(SA) in 2006 and became President in 2009.
Tags:
Mary MacKillop,
Schinkle Ted,
Shepherd Bill,
Shepherd broadcaster,
Sisters of St Joseph,
superphosphate
https://discoversouthaustraliashistory.org.au/state-treasures/mackillop-banner-the-shepherd-broadcaster.shtml
