Just a reminder that a 'Blessing of the Bonnets' event will be be held this weekend, in the Hawkesbury, Sunday 2nd August 2009 at 2pm at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Moses Street, Windsor followed by afternoon tea. To commemorate and pay tribute to the lives of all convict women sent to Australia. Interested persons are invited to attend. If you would like to create your own bonnet, a pattern is available to download from the internet from the website of Christina Henri http://www.christinahenri.com.au/downloads/pattern.pdf For more information about Christina Henri see http://www.christinahenri.com.au/ Everyone is welcome to attend the above event to pay tribute. To coincide with the above event, Vessels of hope by artist Christina Henri, will be held at the Hawkesbury Regional Art Gallery between 31 July - 13 September 2009. Hawkesbury Regional Gallery is located in the Deerubbin Centre at 300 George Street Windsor. Vessels of Hope, is a tribute to the convict women of Australia, developed by conceptual artist Christina Henri. Christina's dream is to have 25,566 bonnets made, one for every woman transported to Australia. If you have a convict ancestor, Christina invites you to share your information on that woman's life and to make a bonnet with her name on it. If you have no female convict ancestry she provides a list from which you can 'adopt' a convict woman to whom you feel drawn. Other "blessing" events are planned throughout the countryside, check the website for more details. Michelle Nichols

Hi Michelle, Thanks for the details of the 'Blessing of the Bonnets', but unfortunately I won't be able to get there. I belong to the Botany Bay FHS and we have had a project for some time, I have made a bonnet for each of my 3 female convicts. For people who are interested to have a look at what people are doing, The Central Coast FHS have a wonderful display if bonnets on their Website. http://www.centralcoastfhs.org.au/bonnets.html Regards, Norma McLean normabmc@bigpond.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michelle Nichols" <michelle_nichols@hotmail.com> To: <aus-nsw-hills-hawkesbury-hunter-valley@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 2:23 PM Subject: [HHHV] Blessing of the Bonnets event in the Hawkesbury Just a reminder that a 'Blessing of the Bonnets' event will be be held this weekend, in the Hawkesbury, Sunday 2nd August 2009 at 2pm at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Moses Street, Windsor followed by afternoon tea. To commemorate and pay tribute to the lives of all convict women sent to Australia. Interested persons are invited to attend. If you would like to create your own bonnet, a pattern is available to download from the internet from the website of Christina Henri http://www.christinahenri.com.au/downloads/pattern.pdf For more information about Christina Henri see http://www.christinahenri.com.au/ Everyone is welcome to attend the above event to pay tribute.