The Sum of Our Decisions? The extraordinary life of an ordinary woman

Here is a tale of the surprising life of a middle class English woman who sailed to South Australia not once but twice in the colonies first three years. Illustrated from the woman’s own scrapbook, this story has all the elements of a Victorian melodrama and gives us an insight into the precarious fortunes of the earliest European female.

Presented as part of South Australia’s History Festival 2025.

About the Speaker

Dr Jo Vandepeer is a South Australian historian whose research focuses on the decorative arts, colonial artists and the Adelaide School of Design. She is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide.

Ticket includes one beverage on arrival. No entry to Nature Revealed: Rosa Fiveash & Ellis Rowan or Fermoy House.

Limited parking available on-site.

Wheelchair accessible.

Banner image: Daguerrotype c. 1840s, Private collection, Adelaide.