Mary Poppins
The historic city of Maryborough in Queensland, Australia,
has a unique connection to the world’s most famous nanny that no other place can claim, and is about to celebrate it’s annual Mary Poppins Festival beginning June 26th to July 3rd.
Fun and games for the whole week!
Mary Poppins’ author P.L. Travers was born in the historic town of Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, in 1899. Pamela Travers was born Helen Lyndon Goff in the residence above a bank, where her father was the bank manager.
In 1924 she moved to England seeking literary fame and fortune, using the name Pamela Travers for her writing, and it was in 1934 that the first ‘Mary Poppins’ novel about the magical nanny was published.
The city of Maryborough is very proud of it’s link with Mary, and so honors her annually with a spectacular week long festival in the streets. One of the local ladies plays the part of Mary in appropriate attire and walks around the streets talking to enthralled children who gaze at her with wide open eyes! Of course, she carries the obligatory umbrella and bag!
Bagpipes, parades & Mary with her bag and umbrella dressed for the occasion!
Lots of fun!
There are games, competitions, food stalls, music, pipe bands, horses and carriages, chimney sweep competitions, pram races (locals dressed up as nannies pushing their charges down the street, and the highlight would be sharing ’high tea’ with Mary on the last day of the festival!
These are some photographs I took at last year’s festival.
My hubby entered the chimney sweep competition and won a prize for his dancing efforts whilst pretending to sweep a chimney – I didn’t know he could dance!
My 'chimney sweep' hub with Mary
Best View. The whole town turned out!
We are looking forward to this years event which starts this Saturday with free rides on a miniature steam train round the park for children (big kids too!), school bands competing, dog shows, art shows – and of course food stalls everywhere you look!
Click here if you would like to see more photographs and information.
Barb,
I just landed here to ask you if everything’s alright. Really missed seeing you around … and then I read your reply to previous comment. Very relieving
hugs
Thanks Rebekah – will be posting soon!
Barb, long time since you posted… are you OK?
I’m fine Denise, and am touched by your concern.
We’ve been away for the past week, had to go to a wedding down the coast and we just got back home yesterday. Will be posting soon!
I have to say that growing up Mary Poppins was one of my favorite tv shows. I want to get the book now too. It’s nice that you shared these photo’s too. Loved them.
Thanks for stopping by Jackie!
How lovely that an entire event is centered around an AUTHOR! Yea for her hometown paying her tribute. And how fun that your husband turns out to be a dancing chimney sweep just like the character Dick VanDyke portrayed. Beverly Cleary, a very well-known American author of children’s stories (She created the characters Beezus, Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby, whose stories garnered her a Newberry Honors Book Award and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award among others.) was born here in little old Yamhill. When we learned we were moving here, a friend told me to read the autobiography Cleary wrote for the youth audience, “A Girl From Yamhill.” It was a perfect introduction to the area I now call home. Every once in awhile I sneak in a drive past the house where she grew up. I would love to be a Mary Poppins’ participant! Have fun.
Yes, it’s interesting that a yearly event like this has been centered round an author, I guess the town is very proud of her – and rightly so … it’s their claim to fame!
The hub certainly surprised me with his twinkle toes!
Sad to say, I’ve never heard of Beverly Cleary or her books, but fancy you ending up in the town where she was born! It’s good to know her house is still there. I must Google her to find out more and perhaps see photos of Yamhill.
Barb, that was one fun event. I remember Mary Poppins starred by Julie Andrews when I was still a boy. It was magical. Imagination and music were simple back then . congrats for your hubby’s winning the dance sweep contest. Hey, our spouses always bring a surprise or two every now and then. It’s a very enjoyable post. thanks for making us experience a festivity that most of us may never physically witness.
Your son would love it – there are all sorts of exciting things for kids to do there! Yeah, my hubby surprised me with his ‘dancing’ technique!
Chim-chim-cher-eeeeeee!
I love your photo’s!
Haha, thanks Charly!
What a novel idea!
It has become very popular over the years, people come from all over the state to enjoy it!
Sounds like so much fun!
It’s great fun Shell – and we will be going back again this year to do it all again!
Oh, I’m glad Mary saw the movie then before she passed. I hope she loved it as much as I did. Of course I read the book long before the movie came out, but as a connoisseur of all thing Mary Poppinsish I thought the movie makers did a great job. And Julie Andrews was practically perfect for the title role.
As with everyone else, I thought she was English. Natural assumption, since the story was placed in London. How brave of her to travel all the way to England to “find her fortune.”
The pride and joy the townsfolk have in the fact that she was born there reminds me of the same feelings the people of Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada have for L.M. Montgomery, the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series…a small place with a huge tradition.
Funny you should mention how PL Travers felt about the film Sandra, because by many reports, she was so unimpressed with what Disney had done with her creation – with some material claiming that she sat in the audience and cried at the premiere. Very sad.
She initially didn’t want the movie made but Walt Disney had his heart set on turning her book into film. He first approached Travers for the movie rights in the late 1940’s – she finally relented in 1961 and signed the contract after an offer she couldn’t refuse.
The movie won five Oscars and became one of the most successful movies of all times.
Oh that looks like fun! I never read the book but it definitely was one of my favorite movies! I bought it on DVD to share with my children when they were younger but every now and then we watch it again to re-live the magic it holds! Thanks for sharing!~ Thea
I think it’s one of those classic movies that will never die Thea, I love it too!
That looks like so much fun! I love Mary Poppins. I got the DVD. I think I may need to replace it soon…:)
Fun and games – and for a whole week!
Just as well you identified him in the photo because I wouldn’t have recognised Paul. I can just imagine him dancing with a broom!
Haha – it put him out, all that dancing around, glad he had his inhaler with him! It was a great day though!
Hi,
It is great that this is held, a bit of Aussie history that not too many are aware of, a great post.
I love history and it’s great that the city of Maryborough has this annual festival to remember the author; they are quite proud of the fact that she was born in their town!
That sounds like fun and very interesting. I love bagpipes…wish I could be there and hear them. Hugs
I will think of you when I hear the pipes!
Like Ms. Poppins . . . this post is practically perfect in every way! Have fun!
Teehee – thanks Nancy!
How fun. Enjoy yourselves!
Thanks Stacey!
what a lovely celebration. I had no idea the author was from Australia – just assumed she was from England.
I assumed the same thing Joss – till we ended up living in the very town where she was born, here in Oz!
The Mary Poppins Festival sounds awesome. Love the photos. There’s something about the sound of bagpipes that gets to me. It must be the Scotch in me wanting to come out and do a little jig.
I know what you mean about hearing the bagpipes – gets my heart stirring too. My dad was a piper in the Black Watch, so I was brought up with it when we lived in Scotland.
What fun!! I love this post and the photos! I’d be going to that festival every year too – I love that the whole town is into it!! What a wonderful place you live in. Congrats to your hub on his victory – terrific photo of him and Mary!
This post started my day off with a big smile and warmed my heart.
Glad to hear it started your day off with a smile RD!
What a wonderful post! I’ve devoured every Mary Poppins book she wrote —
Was delighted to discover that Mary P. was born the same year I was
But like everyone else I thought she was quintessentially English.
Thank you, Barb, for the fun, info and photos.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I was always inspired with Mary Poppins, I too thought she was English. This is a great post- and thanks for a little history on our all time favorite lady. Your event sounds like lots of fun-and many activities.
Apparently she loved England, and never ever returned to Australia. A lot of Aussie actors and singers do that.
Looks lots of fun! I didn’t know it was a book first but it’s a great feel good film depsite the Dick’s accent in it
Yeah – his accent leaves a lot to be desired!
What fun!!! I had no idea … I’d always thought this was English. Now I know
Blogging is great … you learn something all the time.
Sometimes you see actors on TV from Australia, that have so totally managed to rid themselves of their accent so you wouldn’t have a clue that they originally came from there!
Your husband had a hidden talent! LOL good for him..
Hugs!
I always thought she was English too – till we ended up living in the town where she was born, and found out! Apparently she loved England and never ever returned to Australia.
A lot of Aussie actors and singers go to England or the US to get ‘discovered’, they seem to struggle here to get known. Look at Kylie Minogue, the Bee Gees, etc.
He looked the part too! I give him 100% for authentic gear! … I laughed at your line that you didn’t know he could dance.
I do love Mary Poppins; still a favorite.
Haha! Yes, he surprised me – he was right into it!
Well, you learn something new every day! I thought she was English.
Thanks for this most interesting post, and well done your hub!
I always thought she was English too, till we came here and ended up living in the very town where she was born! I was as shocked as you. She never came back to Australia, and died in England in 1996.
Hey Tilly – don’t suppose you noticed, but the hub is wearing his Man United cap!
I didn’t notice…and now I’m averting my eyes