Boronia Lucy Giles (1909 - 1978) (Titania's Palace At Bon Marche 1935).
This blog post is a continuation of the blog post "Boronia Giles (1909 - 1978) Part One". This continues on about her love of fairies and the fairy world.
This blog post is about a column published by Boronia Giles as Peg Peggotty in the Daily News newspaper about an exhibition called Titania's Palace that was on view at Bon Marche during the schools holidays. She wrote a wonderful description of the exhibition and included a photograph which are copied below.
Boronia Lucy (Bonnie) Giles was born on 25 August 1909 at Collie in Western Australia. Boronia and her family moved around due to her father's employment. As a consequence she was educated at various state schools including Subiaco State School. In 1922 Boronia won a scholarship to Perth Modern School where studied for four years.
In 1927 Boronia enrolled part time at the University of Western Australia while working for a motorcar company. The following year she obtained a cadetship at the Daily News newspaper and began at Diploma of Journalism in 1929. On the 30 December 1932 she married Robert Giles, also a journalist. Together they had five children. Due to family commitments and work she failed to complete her diploma.
Boronia used several pseudonyms while working at the Daily News newspaper. These included 'Peg Peggotty' and 'Mary Ferber'. She wrote a range of regular columns on various subjects. During the 1930s Boronia edited the children's section and included her own poems, short stories and drawings in the column.
During her life Boronia worked for a number charitable causes. These included being appointed to the State's Health Education Council and for ten years she edited 'Our Children' the magazine of the Slow Learning Children's Group. She was also a member of the Investigating Committee on Left-School Youth which considered the problems and future of young people. She addressed women's clubs on a range of topics.
Boronia Giles retired from journalism in 1969. She died on 2 May 1978.
References
Ryan, J. 1996, Giles, Boronia Lucy (Bonnie) (1908 - 1978) Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
The Australian Women's Register Giles, Boronia Lucy (Bonnie) (1909 - 1978).
Daily News, 20 April 1935.
PEG'S LETTER
TITANIA'S PALACE IN PERTH
Dear Boys and Girls, — Have you been to see the famous Titania's Palace on view at Bon Marche's yet?
None of you should miss it, because it is the most wonderful fairy palace ever made. I am sure Queen Titania could not wish for a more beautiful home.
Do you all know how it came to be built? Sir Neville Wilkinson's daughter Guendolen, when she was three years old, was watching her father painting near their home in Dublin. Suddenly she said that she had seen a fairy disappear into the mossy roots of an old sycamore tree close by.
Her father agreed with her that it was very disappointing that all the fairy treasures should be hidden beneath the roots of an old sycamore tree, so they decided that if a fitting palace could be made, the fairy queen might be induced to transfer her affections and belongings to the new abode.
This all happened a long time before any, of you were born, but in 1907 Sir Neville started to build the Palace which was to house the fairy queen and her court. In 1922, still before quite a lot of you were born, it was finished at last, and opened by Queen Mary.
Since then it has travelled over quite a lot of the world, and has been the means of raising a lot of money to help poor little crippled children. The Palace is 27 inches high, and contains 16 rooms, including a Chapel, and a State Hall for important State functions — you know even fairy queens have State duties to perform — and, of course the Royal Bedchamber, which is the most charming and inviting bedchamber that even a fairy queen could wish for, and many other wonderful rooms.
The Throne Room contains two diamond peacocks, one of which was originally made for the Empress Eugene in 1856. Every piece of workmanship is copied from some famous work of art. Each room is beautifully furnished and fitted, and the Palace is lighted and heated throughout by electricity.
Whatever you do, kiddies, don't miss seeing this wonderful Palace. And I'll tell you what I'll do. I will give a special prize for the best essay on the Palace. Entries will close a fortnight from today.
So those of you who have not seen it already had better run along as soon as possible, and those who have seen it had better have another look so that they will miss nothing. Till next week, 'Shiners. Cheerio Peg Peggotty.
