Unearthed: The audacious story of Fanny Finch, pioneer and rule-breaker
Hold on to your hats as we unearth the audacious story of Fanny Finch, an English emigrant who journeyed to Australia in the 1830s. Finch, a woman of colour, dodged open mine shafts and drunken men to succeed as a businesswoman and a trailblazer for women's rights in her efforts to survive as a single mother. We also bring to light how her life inspired an award-winning stage play, which clinched the Victorian Community History Award for innovative historical interpretation in 2021.
Our special guests, historian Kasey Sinclair from La Trobe University and Fanny Finch's descendants, Bill and Alice Garner, offer their unique perspectives in tracing the life of this tenacious woman.
Note: In this episode the host describes Finding Fanny Finch as a 2022 Victorian Community History Award-winning project. Finding Fanny Finch actually won in 2021 and performed at the 2022 award ceremony. See photos of their 2022 performance here.
This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria the archive of the state government of Victoria. To view the podcast homepage and all episodes, and to view records related to this episode go to https://prov.vic.gov.au/look-history-eye-podcast