Scots News Magazine October/November 2019 by Scots News Magazine

October/November 2019

SCOTS NEWS magazine

ST ANDREW’S EVENTS Honouring Scotland’s patron saint

GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY Heart-warming tale or myth?

Volume 9 Number 3

DR JAMES BARRY Scotland’s first ‘female’ doctor

WIN A CULLODEN CD courtesy of Brisbane band Gone Molly

FRONT COVER PHOTO

HIGHLAND Cattle (Heilan Coos) with their long horns and woolly coats originated in the Highlands and Outer Hebrides and were first mentioned in the 6th century AD. They are a hardy breed that can withstand the cold and windy conditions in the Scottish Highlands. The first Highland cattle registry (known as a herd book) which was established in 1885, described two distinct types of Highland cattle but, due to cross-breeding between the two, only one type now exists and is registered. While the familiar image is of long red hair, often falling in their eyes, the cattle can also be black, yellow, white or brindled. Originally, small farmers kept the animals as house cows to produce milk and meat. A group of Highland cattle is known as a fold, rather than a herd because in winter they were kept in open shelters made of stone called folds to protect them from the weather at night. The cattle were known as kyloes in old Scots. In 1954, Queen Elizabeth ordered Highland cattle to be kept at Balmoral Castle where they are still kept today. The Heilan Coos were first imported into Australia in the mid-19th century by Scottish immigrants including Chieftain Aeneas Ronaldson MacDonnell of Glengarry.

PUBLISHING AND CONTACTS SCOTS NEWS magazine is an independent publication for Scots in Queensland. The magazine is published bi-monthly and distributed on the first of the month. EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Carmel McMurdo Audsley. COPYRIGHT: All stories appearing in the magazine are written by the editor unless otherwise stated and are subject to copyright laws. Stories may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the editor. COMPETITIONS: See page 8 for competition prizes and entry details. CONTACT: We welcome emails and would love to hear your news and views. Advertising enquiries are also welcome. EMAIL: scotsnews@iinet.net.au DEADLINE FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY ISSUE: November 10.

FROM THE EDITOR

HISTORY is a fascinating subject and Scotland’s past is full of bloody battles and brave men, but it is the story of a wee dog that tugs at the heart strings. A monument to the skye terrier who became known as Greyfriar’s Bobby ws unveiled in Edinburgh on November 15, 1873 in recognition of the dog’s devotion to his master’s grave. Now an academic believes the tale was made up to attract tourists (see page 10). Next he’ll be telling us the Loch Ness Monster isnae real! Each year since the magazine began, we have been reporting on the Golden Spurtle competition held every year in the Highland village of Carrbridge to find the world’s champion porridge maker (see page 7). While the contestants come up with all manner of sweet and savoury recipes using humble oats as the base, the event also raises money for a Scottishbased charity known as Mary’s Meals. From their tin shed headquarters in Argyll, the charity arranges for a daily meal of maize-based porridge to be fed to children in 14 of the poorest countries on the planet. The meal may be the only food the children get all day and it also encourages them to go to school. What a worthwhile endeavour. Something to think about next time you tuck into your oats. It’s a bumper issue - enjoy! Best wishes,

CONTENTS

Carmel

St Andrew’s Events Highland Ball Sounds of Scotland in Brisbane Cannons and pipes at Open Day Tattoo Comes to Sydney Forby Sutherland Remembered Porridge-making Championships Give-away - Win one of 3 CDs Anniversary - St Andrew Anniversary - Greyfriar’s Bobby Anniversary - Dr James Barry Directory of Goods and Services Calendar of Events Signed Books for Christmas

3 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Congratulations to the prize winners in the AUGUST/SEPTEMBER GIVE-AWAY: Lauren Dale, Jim Foster, Phyllis MacKenzie

Scots News Magazine October/November, 2019

EVENTS

Tr i b ut e t o St A nd r ew i n Tow nsvi l l e

RSL Memorial Pipes and Drums Townsville will host a St Andrew’s Gala Event on Saturday November 30 at Rydges from 5.30pm. Gather your Clan members and book early to enjoy a three-course dinner, the Calling of the Clans, parade of Clan banners, tribute to St Andrew, Highland Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing and music from the pipe band. Tickets are $75 for adults and $29.50 for children 12 and under. Dress is Highland attire or smart casual. For further information visit www.facebook.com/ RSLPipesDrumsTsv.

St Andrew’s Dinner at Fox and Hounds Inn

BRISBANE City Pipe Band will perform at a St Andrew’s Dinner to be held at the Fox and Hounds Country Inn, in the Gold Coast hinterland, on Saturday November 30 from 6pm. Enjoy a three-course dinner including haggis, vegetarian haggis, roast beef and pork, lemon pepper cod and trifle for dessert and the sound of over 20 pipers and drummers celebrating Scotland’s patron saint. Tickets are $59 for adults and $40 for under-18s. For further information visit www.foxandhounds.net.au or phone 07 5665 7582.

College pipes calling

to Warwick

TALENTED pipers and drummers from Scots PGC College will perform at Warwick Town Hall on Saturday November 9 from 4pm. The band, with members ranging from age nine, is highly regarded as a training ground for young players at both state and national level, and also plays an important role at College functions. Scots PGC College competes each year at the Queensland Solo and Pipe Band Championships and performs at civic occasions in the Southern Downs. Tickets start at $10. For further information visit www.facebook.com/pg/ scotspgc/events.

St Andrew’s Night ceilidh in Toowoomba AFTER the success of their most recent Ceilidh in August, Toowoomba Caledonian Society is gearing up for another packed event at Drayton Hall with St Andrew’s Night celebrations to be held on Saturday November 30 from 7pm. Enjoy a night of Scottish entertainment with the Society’s pipe band and Highland Dancing.

A prize for the best tartan outfit will be awarded on the night. A licensed bar, raffles and supper will be available. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for school-aged children over 13 and under-13s are admitted free. Get in early and book a table or go by yourself as you will soon meet new friends. Enquiries to Marg on 0429 700 217.

FINDING IT HARD TO GET SOMEONE TO PRODUCE YOUR CLUB OR SOCIETY NEWSLETTER? Scots News Magazine is offering a new service, at community rates, for Scottish organisations.

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Email Carmel at scotsnews@iinet.net.au for details. Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

EVENTS

ANNIVERSARIES IN SCOTTISH HISTORY October

Highland Ball BBC Old Collegians Pipe Band will host its annual Highland Ball at the Grand Chelsea Ballroom in the Mercure Brisbane Hotel at North Quay on Saturday November 2 from 6.30pm. A fun-filled evening of Scottish food, music and dancing is assured as members of the band play toetapping tunes. There will also be dancing displays and the ever-popular Address to the Haggis. Ticket price of $135 includes a three-course meal and selected beer, wine and soft drinks. Dress is Highland regalia or black tie. Visit http://www.mercurebrisbane.com.au

Sounds of Scotland

Amazing Grace

October 1/5, 1263 - Battle of Largs - Scots defeated the Vikings who were attempting to invade. October 1, 1568 - The Bannatyne Manuscript, the most extensive collection of early Scottish poetry in existence, was published by Edinburgh merchantGeorge Bannatyne. October 3, 1706 - Last Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh before the Union with Westminster. October 9, 1506 - King James IV ratified the Charter incorporating the Surgeons and Barbers. October 11, 1797 - The British fleet, under the command of Admiral Adam Duncan (born in Forfar in 1731), defeated the Dutch off the village of Camperdown, Holland October 14, 1318 - Edward Bruce, brother of Robert the Bruce, killed in a battle near Dundalk, Ireland. October 23, 1295 - Treaty between King John Balliol of Scotland and King Philippe IV of France which promised mutual help against the English - the start of the “Auld Alliance”. October 28, 1880 - Dr Henry Faulds, a Scots medical missionary working in Japan, published a letter in Nature which gave the first evidence that fingerprints could be used as proof of guilt or innocence in legal cases.

BRISBANE Boys College Pipe Bands join with local musicians and dancers to present their annual Sounds of Scotland variety concert, Amazing Grace, on Saturday October 26 from 6pm at Toowong in Brisbane. Food, drinks, barbecue and Scottish stall will open at 4.30pm. Ticket prices range from $15 to $20. Enquiries to Stevie Stanley on 0400 953 126 or email sstanley@bbc.qld.edu.au.

Hornpipes and Piping QUEENSLAND Highland Pipers’ Society Inc will present the Julie Appleton-Seymour Memorial Contest Hornpipe and Jig competition on Saturday October 26 at Emmanuel College St Lucia in Brisbane. The Society will host the Jack McCandlish Memorial Contest for juniors and seniors also at the Walrus Club on Monday November 25 from 7pm. For further information visit www.qhps.org

November November 1, 1695 - Bank of Scotland founded by an Act of the Scottish Parliament. November 8, 1736 - First regular public theatre in Scotland opened in Carrubber’s Close, Edinburgh. November 9, 1847 - In Edinburgh, Sir James Young Simpson delivered Wilhelmina Carstairs while chloroform was administered to the mother, the first child to be born with the aid of anaesthesia. November 12, 1869 - Edinburgh University became the first in Britain to allow women to study medicine (though not graduate). But a woman, masquerading as Dr James Barry, actually took a medical degree at Edinburgh University in 1812 and became an army surgeon. November 15, 1824 - Edinburgh’s Great Fire began - and lasted until 17th November. It destroyed the High Street, Parliament Square and the Tron Kirk. November 15, 1873 - Statue to Greyfriar’s Bobby, who stayed by his master’s grave for 14 years was unveiled. November 30, St Andrew’s Day - patron saint of Scotland.

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

EVENTS

Larg est t at t oo ever m arches int o Syd ney

OVER 1,500 of the world’s finest pipers, drummers, dancers, military musicians and performers, set against the backdrop of a full-size replica of Edinburgh Castle, will thrill audiences for four shows only at ANZ Stadium in Sydney from Thursday October 17 to Saturday 19. Billed as the ‘largest tattoo ever’, the moving and memorable event will feature the sights and sounds of 320 Pipes and Drums, 100 Highland Dancers, 13 Military Bands with 865 military performers, 40 Scottish fiddlers and a 100-strong Australian Federation Guard. Traditional classics such as Auld Lang Syne and Scotland The Brave will be played as well as a wide range of contemporary music. The word ‘tattoo’ comes from the closing-time cry in the inns in the Low Countries during the 17th and 18th centuries - ‘Doe den tap toe’ (‘Turn off the taps’). The first Edinburgh Tattoo was held in

1950 with eight items on the program. The first lone piper was Pipe Major George Stoddart who played in every performance for the first eleven years. His son, Major Gavin Stoddart, followed his father as lone piper and became Director of Army Bagpipe Music at the Tattoo for 12 years. The Tattoo is set up and run for charitable purposes. Over the years it has gifted around £8 million to service and civilian

organisations. Visitors to the Tattoo in Edinburgh have contributed an estimated £77 million to the Scottish economy. Around 100 million people see the Tattoo each year on international television. The Australian show is new and has been produced specifically for the Sydney 2019 Tattoo. Tickets and travel and hospitality packages are still available, but selling fast. Visit www.edinburghtattoosydney.com.au

Cannons, pipes and drums lead the charge on Open Day THE big guns will be out at Fort Lytton National Park in Brisbane on Sunday October 13 as the power of big brass, bagpipes and cannon firings come together. Leading the charge at 10am will be the Queensland Irish Association Pipe Band, with South Brisbane Federal Band playing between cannon firings. This free event will be run in conjunction with the Brisbane Open House program which started in the river city in 2010 and has since grown throughout Queensland. Dozens of historical landmarks, public and privately owned galleries, places of worship, bridges and buildings, including the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, will be open for a behind-thescenes look at Brisbane’s architecture. For further information visit wwwbrisbaneopenhouse.com.au. SEND DETAILS ABOUT

YOUR BURNS NIGHT EVENT to scotsnews@iinet.net.au by November 10 to be publicised in the December/ January issue.

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

NEWS/EVENTS

Forby Sutherland

The Gathering yields economic and social

benefits for Queensland

remembered 250 years on 'Last night departed this life

Forby Sutherland, seaman, who died of consumption, and in the A.M. his body was entard ashore at the watering place. The circumstance occasioned my calling the south point of this bay Sutherland's Point.' ~An entry from Capt Cook’s private log.

SUTHERLAND Shire Council will commemorate the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s arrival aboard the Endeavour, on April 29, 2020. As well as acknowledging the importance of Cook’s landing at Kurnell in Botany Bay for both the British and the Indigenous people of Australia, the event remembers Scottish farmer and sailor Forbes (Forby) Sutherland. Born in Scotland in 1736, Sutherland joined the crew of the Endeavour on May 30, 1768, but died from tuberculosis the day after Cook’s arrival. He was buried ashore ‘at the watering place’ on the southern headland on May 1, 1770. The putative location of his remains was identified by the Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS) in 1932, based on the oral histories of Aboriginal elders and early settlers. A memorial to Forby Sutherland was raised by the RAHS in the following year. Clan Sutherland Society of Australia, in conjunction with the Scottish Australian Heritage Council, will remember Forby Sutherland through a range of events including a wreath-laying ceremony at his memorial, a Ceilidh, and a Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan at the Sutherland Uniting Church. For further information email Duncan Sutherland at dasuther@gmail.com.

GATHERED FOR A GOOD CAUSE: One of the many participants in the inaugural The Gathering, Little Warrior Shields demonstrated how to make custom foam shields for sick children in hospital to make a tough time more enjoyable.

More Scottish food outlets needed THE economic and social impact of the inaugural The Gathering event held in Ipswich Queensland in June has been substantial, according to information gathered after the event. Nick Tomkins from Ipswich City Pipe Band which hosted the event, said The Gathering brought people to Ipswich specifically to attend the event. The average visitor whose primary purpose was to attend the event, stayed overnight in Queensland then stayed a further 2.3 nights in the sunshine state. The demographic profile showed that, of the 4,358 attendees, perhaps predictably 41 per cent were aged over 50 with no children at home, however 28 per cent were people with children over five years and nine per cent with children under five years, which shows a growing interest in Scottish culture and traditions from a younger population. “The event was a great success

and we will be working to make plenty of improvements to next year’s event, based on the feedback we have received,” Mr Tomkins said. “People loved the wide range of activities and the engaging nature of things. Some of the feedback was asking for more Scottish food to be available, which we are working on, but unfortunately there are not many Scottish food trucks out there.” Mr Tomkins said increased parking and more disabled access were priority areas the team would be working on for next year’s event, with dedicated area managers to be appointed to oversee traffic flow and ensure easier access and more parking spaces available. The Gathering in 2020 will be held on Sunday May 24 while the solo championships and a few other events will occur in the Ipswich CBD on the Saturday. A venue will be announced soon.

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

EVENTS

STIRRING FOR GOLD: The Golden Spurtle trophy is awarded to the World Champion Porridge Maker.

FUNDRAISING FOR CHARITY: The Golden Spurtle competition raises funds for Scotland-based charity Mary’s Meals which provides food and education for children across the globe.

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

World Porridge-making championships in Scotland now held over two days THE 26th annual Golded Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships will be held in the Highland village of Carrbridge on October 11 and 12. World Porridge Day is celebrated on October 10 every year and the championship is held as close to that date as possible. This year, for the first time, the competition will spread over two days. In 2018 two Swedes were jointly crowned World Porridge Making Champions and awarded the Golden Spurtle trophy. The founder of the event was owner of the Fairwinds Hotel and secretary of the Carrbridge Community Council Roger Reed, whose idea was to raise the profile of the village and porridge. At the time of the first event, Roger was quoted as saying ‘porridge is a very healthy food and we should make more people aware of this’. Roger and his team sent out more than 700 invitations to B&Bs, guest houses and restaurants throughout Scotland, and the competition is still open to amateur and professional porridge makers. The first sponsors of the event were Hamlyns of Scotland, The Oatmeal of Alford and Border

Oats. Today, Hamlyns remains the main sponsor. While initial entrants in the competition came from throughout Scotland, the field now includes Sweden, Ireland, Canada and the USA. As well as for traditional porridge making, there is also a trophy for the best specialty porridge where competitors add a choice of ingredients to their porridge base. To further promote the event, in 2009 the Golden Spurtle organisers chose Mary’s Meals as a charity to support. The charity operates its international headquarters from a tin shed in the Argyll area of the Scottish Highlands and provides a daily meal of maize-based porridge in a place of education to hungry children in 14 of the poorest countries across the globe. One year after the introduction of Mary’s Meals into these schools, one hundred per cent of teachers interviewed said children in their class found it easier to learn because they started the day with nutritious food. For further information visit https://goldenspurtle.com or https://www.marysmeals.org.uk

NEWS/EVENTS

Brisbane Celtic folk trio releases

haunting Culloden album The title track Culloden was written in response to the proposed development of land around the Culloden battle site

BRISBANE-based multi-award winning Anglo-Celtic Folk trio Gone Molly recently released their second album Culloden with haunting tunes and breathtaking harmonies. Singer songwriter Sally Harris has built a repertoire of songs that bring together her love of history, mythology, traditional song tunes and sessions. Together with one of Australia’s most well-known and respected folk musicians, Rebecca Wright, and multiinstrumentalist Lachlan Baldwin, their stories are brought to life with exquisite cello lines and a love of the theatrical. Affectionately known as ‘The Mollies’ the group were winners at the 2018 Celtic Music Awards. The trio takes audiences roaring through the grimy streets of London, over ghostly battlefields and down into the faerie dells of Anglo-Celtic history in their ener-

GIVE-AWAY

getic and lively performances. Gone Molly’s debut album was released in December 2018 and has received radio rotation in Australia, the UK, Canada and the USA, resulting in many requests from other folk musicians to cover their songs. The latest EP Culloden was released in May this year. The title track was written in response to the proposed development of land around the Culloden battle site (see some of the lyrics, right). The group is planning a tour of the UK in 2020. Gone Molly will be performing at the Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival in New South Wales from October 18 to 20. To win a copy of Culloden see our Give-Aways below. To keep up-to-date with Gone Molly, book tickets to performances or buy their albums, visit www.gonemolly.com or www.facebook.com/gonemolly.

Through the bitter rain of dawn The memories of the past are calling Hear the clansmen roar their song We stood upon Culloden for you Rebels of the Forty-Five Lay buried here beneath the moorland Reds left not one man alive We stood upon Culloden for you Highland brethren, strong and young Stay faithful to your kin and custom Kingdoms cannot take our tongue We stood upon Culloden for you Now centuries have gone around The heather grows where we have fallen As you stand on hallowed ground We stood upon Culloden for you

WIN a copy of Gone Molly’s Culloden CD All you have to do is email scotsnews@iinet.net.au by Friday October 11 with ‘competition’ in the subject line, to go into the draw.

We have three copies to give away! 8

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

ANNVERSARY

As we celebrate St Andrew’s Day on November 30, here are some things you may not know about Scotland’s patron saint.

1. Andrew was a Galilean fisherman before he and his brother Simon Peter became disciples of Jesus Christ. 2. He was crucified by the Romans on an X-shaped cross at Patras in Greece and, hundreds of years later, his remains were moved to Constantinople and then, in the 13th century, to Amalfi in southern Italy where they are kept to this day. 3. Legend has it that a Greek monk known as St Rule or St Regulus was ordered in a vision to take a few relics of Andrew to the ‘ends of the earth’ for safe keeping. He set off on a sea journey to eventually come ashore on the coast of Fife at a settlement which is now the modern town of St Andrews. 4. In 832 AD Andrew is said to have appeared in a vision to a Pictish king the night before a battle against the Northumbrians in what is now the village of Athelstaneford in East Lothian. On the day of the battle a Saltire, an X-shaped cross, appeared in the sky above the battlefield and the Picts were victorious. 5. The Saltire, or Saint Andrew’s Cross, was subsequently adopted as the national emblem and flag of the Scots. 6. Andrew was first recognised as an official patron saint of Scotland in 1320 at the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath an appeal to the Pope by Scottish noblemen asserting Scotland’s independence from England. 7. The presence of Andrew’s relics in Scotland – a tooth, a kneecap, arm and finger bones – meant that St Andrews became a popular medieval pilgrimage site although they were destroyed in the 16th century during the Scottish Reformation. 8. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi gifted Andrew’s shoulder blade to St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh. Pope Paul VI donated further relics in 1969. 9. Andrew is also the patron saint of Greece, Romania, Russia and Barbados. Remnants of the cross he was crucified on remain in the St Andrew's Cathedral Patras in Greece. Saint Andrew was the first bishop there and then crucified by the Romans. 10. His patronage extends to fishmongers, gout, singers, sore throats, spinsters, maidens, old maids and women wishing to become mothers. Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

ANNIVERSARY

November 15, 1873

WE have read the books, seen the films and visited the fountain near the main entrance to Greyfriar’s Kirk in Edinburgh to see the lifesize statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby created by William Brodie and unveiled on November 15, 1873. While there have been several versions of the story, the most popular tells of a gardener called John Gray who arrived in Edinburgh from places unknown (some say he was a shepherd). He was unable to find work as a gardener and, to avoid having to go to the workhouse, he joined the Edinburgh Police Force as a night watchman. A little Skye Terrier which he named Bobby became his constant companion as he patrolled the cobbled streets of Edinburgh for many years. Long winter nights took their toll on John’s health and he was treated by the Police Surgeon for tuberculosis. He died on February 15, 1858 and was buried in Greyfriar’s Kirkyard. His faithful companion Bobby refused to leave his master’s grave. Through rain, sleet and snow, the little dog kept his vigil and, despite many attempts to move him on, the kirkyard’s caretaker eventually placed sacking beneath two tablestones at the side of John Gray’s grave to give the little dog some shelter. Bobby’s faithfulness touched the hearts of local residents and his fame spread throughout Edinburgh. It is reported that crowds would gather at the entrance to the kirkyard on a daily basis, waiting for the one o’clock gun when Bobby would leave the grave to have his midday meal, by following local joiner and cabinetmaker William Dow to the same coffee house that he had frequented with his master. People fussed over him, and the coffee house owner always gave him a meal before he trotted off back to the kirkyard.

Greyfriar’s Bobby Romantic tale or publicity stunt? There is nothing more heartwarming than the devotion of a dog to its owner. The tale of the wee Skye Terrier known as Bobby who kept watch over his master’s grave in Greyfriar’s kirkyard in Edinburgh, has captivated locals and tourists for over 160 years. Now a historian and professor from Cardiff University claims that Bobby was two dogs. He maintains that locals recruited a new one when the original dog died because the publicity was good for business. As the story has become so much a part of folklore, has the good professor wasted five years of research on a tale no one will believe?

In 1867 a by-law was passed that required all dogs to be licensed in the city or they would be destroyed. The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers, decided to pay Bobby’s licence and presented him with a collar with a brass inscription ‘Greyfriars Bobby from the Lord Provost 1867 licensed’. The collar can be seen at the Museum of Edinburgh. Bobby was much-loved and taken care of by the good people of Edinburgh, but no one could replace his beloved John Gray. After fourteen years spent at the grave of his master, Bobby died in 1872. Dr Jan Bonderson from Cardiff

University says the story was fabricated by the curator of the cemetery, James Brown, and the owner of a nearby restaurant, John Traill to keep the tourists flocking into Edinburgh. Brown profited from donations to care for the dog and the visitors all ate at Traill’s restaurant. The original story deeply moved a lot of people and the then president of the Ladies Committee of the RSPCA asked for a statue ot be erected in his name. Bobby’s headstone reads ‘Greyfriars Bobby - died 14th January 1872 - aged 16 years - Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all’. ~Carmel Audsley

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

ANNIVERSARY

NOVEMBER 12, 1869

WHEN I set out to write the second novel in The Undertaker series, I started to research women students at Edinburgh University in the 1860s and found there weren’t any. During the course of this research, I chanced upon the story of Dr James Barry who had lived and worked as a doctor and become a renowned military surgeon. It was only upon Dr Barry’s death it was discovered that the celebrated doctor was in fact a woman who had disguised herself as a man in order to get a medical education at Edinburgh University. Dr Barry had been born Margaret Ann Bulky around 1789 in County Cork, Ireland. Her interest in pursuing an education and a career set her apart from other women of the time. When her family fell on hard times, the teenage Margaret moved with her mother to London to stay with her wellto-do uncle James Barry who introduced them to people from all walks of life. When James Barry died in 1806, he left Margaret and her mother enough money to look after themselves, and it was then that they hatched a plan for the young girl’s education. Three years later, Margaret Bulky no longer existed. She took her uncle’s name, started wearing an overcoat and shoe inserts to make her look more masculine and moved to Edinburgh to enrol in the School of Medicine. Despite the protestations of many that he appeared too young to be a student at the prestigious university, the new James Barry received a degree in medicine at the age of 22 and promptly enlisted in that most masculine of organisations, the British Army, as an assistant surgeon. More than 50 years before women were allowed to practise medicine, a young Irish girl fooled Edinburgh University, the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Army to become the first female doctor in the United Kingdom. It was not until November 12, 1869

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

A woman masquerading as a man fooled the good men at Edinburgh University Despite the University of Edinburgh’s reluctance to admit women to its School of Medicine, a woman posing as a man slipped through the net and gained a medical degree in 1812, and a group of women known as The Edinburgh Seven suffered insult and injury to be allowed entry the university in 1869. It was not until 1889 that an Act of Parliament sanctioned degrees for women. that Edinburgh University became the first in Britain to allow women to study medicine, but not graduate. I took up this story in the third instalment in The Undertaker series. They became known as The Edinburgh Seven - a group of women in 1869, led by the formidable Sophia Jex-Blake, who forced the esteemed university to open its doors to female students. Jex-Blake had been refused entry to Harvard because of her gender and moved to Scotland where a more enlightened view on education was happening, but her application to Edinburgh University was refused on the grounds that they could not make the necessary arrangements in the interests of one woman. She knew there had to be other women who shared her thirst for education and got The Scotsman newspaper on side to run a story calling on more women to join her. In November 1869, the Edinburgh Seven passed the matriculation exam and were admitted to the university medical school. They were charged higher fees than male students and forced to arrange lectures for themselves. A year later tensions turned to hostility with the Surgeon’s Hall riot where a mob of more than 200 people pelted the women with mud and rubbish as they made their way to sit an anatomy exam. Despite excellent results in their exams, the university was unwilling to furnish them with degrees. Jex-Blake went to Switzerland where she was awarded an MD, and many of the Ediburgh Seven were forced to go to Europe to pursue their studies. Eventually Jex-Blake returned to Edinburgh to become Scotland’s first practising female doctor. She went on to found the Edinburgh School of

Medicine for Women and the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women and Children (later known as Bruntsfield Hospital. In 1889, due largely to her struggles, an Act of Parliament sanctioned degrees for women at Edinburgh University. ~Carmel Audsley

A fictionalised account of a woman masquerading as a man to be allowed to study at Edinburgh University is told in The Undertaker:Masquerade. Download a copy now at https://www.amazon.com.au/UndertakerMasquerade-Carmel-McMurdo-Audsleyebook/dp/B01MUPBM2L

A fictionalised account of the struggles of The Edinburgh Seven is told in The Undertaker:Hallowed Halls. Download a copy now at https://www.amazon.com.au/UndertakerHallowed-Carmel-McMurdo-Audsley-ebook/ dp/B07HL2BQZK

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Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

WHAT’S ON in OCTOBER and NOVEMBER

October 5 - Clan Campbell presents a Braw Scot’s Night at New Farm in Brisbane. Tickets $95 from Peter on 0403 370 332 or Margaret on 3350 2876. CANCELLED October 13 - Bands in Parks:Big Bang will feature the Queensland Irish Association Pipe Band and South Brisbane Federal Band at Fort Lytton. www.facebook.com/pg/QIAPB/events October 26 - Sounds of Scotland Amazing Grace variety concert presented by Brisbane Boys College Pipe Bands at Toowong in Brisbane. Phone 0400 953 126 or sstanley@bbc.qld.edu.au. November 2 - BBC Old Collegians Highland Ball to be held at the Mercure Brisbane Hotel at North Quay. All-inclusive tickets are $135pp. Visit www.mercurebrisbane.com.au November 9 - Scots PGC College Pipes and Drums in concert at the Warwick Town Hall from 4pm. Tickets $10 to $20 November 25 - Queensland Highland Pipers’ Society Inc presents the Jack McCandlish Memorial Contest from 7pm at the Walrus Club at Toowong. Visit www.qhps.org. November 30 - St Andrew’s Night hosted by Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Pipe Band Inc. Phone 0429 700 217.

WHAT’S COMING UP December 31 - Hogmanay

2020 January 25 - Burns Supper at the Fox and Hounds Country Inn at Wongawallan from 6pm. Visit www.foxandhounds.net.au. February 1 - Burns at Carlyle in Townsville. February 1 - Burns Supper hosted by Toowoomba Caledonian Society and Pipe Band Inc. April 11 and 12 - South Queensland Regional Committee of Highland Dancing Inc Championships of Australia at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre at Carrara. Visit www.sqrchdi.com

INTERSTATE IN 2019 NEW SOUTH WALES October 17 to 19 - Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Sydney.

October 18 to 20 - Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival featuring Gone Molly in a three-day celebration of music, poetry and dance facebook.com/kangaroovalleyfolkfestival VICTORIA

November 30 - St Andrew’s Dinner hosted by RSL Memorial Pipes and Drums at Rydges Southbank Ballroom in Townsville

December 7 - Daylesford Highland Gathering at Victoria Park. www.daylesfordhighland.com.

November 30 - St Andrew’s Dinner at the Fox and Hounds Country Inn at Wongawallan. Visit www.foxandhounds.net.au. Small Pipe learning and playing held at Milton on the first Tuesday of each month from 7pm. Contact Malcolm on 3820 2902 or Ken on 3279 4093. Gaelic classes are held each month in Brisbane. Visit www.facebook.com/BrisbaneGaelic for details.

INTERSTATE IN 2020 Apr il 4 and 5 - Austral ian P ipe Band Championshi ps to be held at Princes Park Maryborough Victoria.

SCOTTISH TUNES AND CONVERSATION ON THE RADIO Join Ron Tannock every Thursday night from 7pm to 9.30pm and every second Saturday from 9am to noon for the Sounds of Ireland (and Scotland), on Burnett River Radio 91.5FM broadcasting to Gayndah and Central Burnett region. Colin Nightingale hosts Acoustic Harvest every second Thursday night at 8pm on bayFM100.3. Enjoy ‘A wee bit o’ Scotland on Thursday’ on 4EBFM98.1 from 2.15pm to 4.30pm. Scottish Program on Global Digital Radio (4EB) each Sunday from 2pm to 3pm. Triple T 103.9 Townsville Community Radio’s Scottish Program each Sunday from 3pm to 5pm with Don MacDonald.

Scots News Magazine October/November 2019

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