Amateur woodcarver who was born in Auckland, New Zealand to George Francis a Welsh sea captain and his wife Catharine Isabella Tait of the Shetland Isles. George Francis was working on ships plying between New Zealand and Mauritius for many years and three daughters Pansy, Catherine Isabella (known as Lily) and Ivy were born in New Zealand. Three more children were born when the family were living in Wales (Myrtle, Hazel and Richard). Pansy was educated at boarding school at Longford in Gloucester. The three girls were accomplished musicians. Pansy played the banjo; others played the harp, piano or sang.
The family came to Australia during the gold boom. Their home was “Hazelmere”, 79 South Street, Fremantle, Western Australia. It was and is a large and gracious home. Pansy as the eldest daughter lived with her parents at this address until her death in 1973. She helped run the household and was a good cook and keen gardener. The garden was typical of the time, figs, grapevines and citrus fruit with a fowl yard. Pansy also spent a few years with her father in Broome where he had pearling luggers.
In 1908 she passed a woodcarving exam at Fremantle Technical School. She may have been studying with George Stirzaker at Fremantle Technical School for some time before sitting the exam as seemed to be the case with many woodcarvers or she may have been inspired to take up the discipline after seeing examples in the 1906 Industries Exhibition or the 1907 Exhibition of Women’s Work where examples of such industry were displayed. There were a number of good professional woodcarvers in Perth at this time. The most famous being William Howitt who won medals at many international exhibitions. There were also very many amateur carvers who exhibited with the Western Australian Society of Arts in the first decade of the century and even more who attended classes and made purely for their own homes. Pansy was one of these.
Over the years Pansy carved a very considerable number of pieces of furniture. The first works were panels carved in the classes that were then applied to furniture built to take them. Two examples of this type of work are the music cupboard in the West Australian Museum carved with Pan playing his pipes on the upper section and the inset panel of Pan’s face on the door. A more ornate version is still held by the family. This is a china cabinet deeply carved with almost three-dimensional dolphins and scallop shell on the pediment and lower definition panels of the Loch Ness monster and foliage on the frames of the glass doors.
Pansy carved for herself and other members of her family. For Catharine, called Lily, she carved a harpist’s seat that featured arum lilies. For her cello playing niece, Iris Francis, she carved an elegant chest 'glory box’ with a large panel of irises and a two-door music cupboard with inset panels of irises. For her father she carved a holder for his telescope which is carved with “so far and yet so near”, and a scallop shell while three-dimensional dolphins protrude to form a cradle to hold the telescope. A small coffee table is carved on the top with the seated figure of Iris as a muse. Bellows for the fire feature the Greek god of the winds, Boreas and another a dolphin motif. An oval hall mirror is deeply carved with what appear to be tiger lilies. A turn-of- the-century settle has pansies carved on it. The chair and chest are particularly attractive.
The Western Australian Museum’s (Ch 82.187) jarrah stand is carved with kangaroo paws and other wildflowers. There are other pieces: a bath stand, and a small table, a third bellows in oak, a small coffee table, another music cabinet and glory box.
- Writers:
- Dr Dorothy Erickson
- Date written:
- 2010
- Last updated:
- 2011
