A WOMAN who had brushes with bushrangers, while advocating for education and building the foundations for the township of Canowindra will be recognised with a Blue Plaque.
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Known as 'the mother of Canowindra' Elizabeth Jane (Bessie) Robinson's contribution to Canowindra and NSW will be recognised by the plaque which is similar to those which mark historical sites of interest in the UK.
The plaque will be placed at Canowindra's Old Vic Inn, which now occupies the site of Bessie's Victoria Hotel, and owners of the current landmark Alison and Graeme Beasley said they were looking forward to it's installation in the next few months.
"She was a great a old girl," Alison Beasley said. "We're very proud to have her plaque at the Inn."
Bessie Robinson's blue plaque is one of 17 to be displayed on buildings honouring the contributions of NSW pioneers. Others to be recognised include aviatrix Nancy Bird Walton, writer Ethel Turner, author of Seven Little Australians, and artist Brett Whiteley.
President of the Canowindra Historical Society Jan Harrison was also delighted with Bessie's recognition.
"Back then Canowindra was sort of a frontier town and her efforts were quite extraordinary for a woman but maybe that was because women had to be like that back then," Mrs Harrison said.
Great great granddaughters Donna and Gemma Rygate nominated Bessie for the honour through Orange's state member Phil Donato, after the NSW Government announced the $5 million heritage initiative last year.
Donna Rygate, who lives in Canowindra, said they were surprised and delighted when informed the nomination had been successful.
"There are some pretty important people on that list," Ms Rygate said but added Bessie deserved her place.
"Our grandmother spoke very, very highly of her," Ms Rygate said. "We grew up knowing we had a very special link in Canowindra."
A member of the influential Robinson family which owned a number of pubs in Canowindra, Bessie became known for advocating for quality public education in the community.
Born on October 1, 1844, in Carcoar, her family moved to Canowindra when she was 8 and there her father became the inn keeper.
It's through that life she frequently came into contact with the bushrangers led by Ben Hall, and was reportedly 'doctor and nurse for the district' in those pioneer times.
Donna Rygate's recalls her grandmother's story of Bessie's family frequently attending its stables where one thoroughbred would be missing, replaced by another horse, only to have the original animal returned days later.
She was also believed to have been present when Ben Hall's gang 'took over' Canowindra in 1863.
Bessie was the prime mover for the establishment of Canowindra's first school. Inititally she engaged private tutors for children before she built a school and invited all the children in the surrounding district to attend, often footing the bill.
She went on to organise the 1872 application for Canowindra's first state school which was approved in 1875.
Bessie was married three times, folklore has it that despite owning the hotel and substantial property, a woman could not hold a hotel licence.
She later owned and developed much of the land on which the present town is built, and ran the Victoria Hotel from 1867 until its sale in the early 1900s.
Her first marriage was to John James Flanagan. After his death, Bessie married Thomas Clyburn, and when Thomas Clyburn died, Bessie married Jim Marshall.
Bessie died in Canowindra on February 7, 1922.
The text for her Blue Plague will read:
Elizabeth Jane (Bessie) Robinson
1844-1922
Community and education advocate
Owned this hotel
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