Collated Biography for Win Bristow.

Winifred Mary Bristow (nee Peterson) was born in London but sailed to Australia with her mother and three siblings John, Fred and Margery at the age of 6. Arriving in Maryborough, Queensland on ‘The Perthshire’ in 1913 they met up with Win’s father who had already purchased land at Boyne Crossing in the Mundubbera district. Despite the threat of prickly pear, one of the great rural disasters for Australian farmers, they built up a successful dairy farm.

While living and working on the property Win won a scholarship to St Margaret’s School where she studied for and attained her Junior Certificate and teachers training. Once qualified she taught at small country schools such as Tansy (a two-teacher school) and North Baffle Creek (a one-teacher school). It was through a fellow teacher, Edwin Bristow, that she met Joseph Francis Bristow, Edwin’s brother. They were married on the 21st of June 1931 at All Saint’s Church in Boynewood, Mundenberra.

After moving into their first home at 38 Jolimont Street, Sherwood they embarked on a week’s holiday to Southport. When they returned Joe found a letter informing him that he had been fired from his job as a draftsman in the Brisbane City Council’s Water and Sewerage Department. He went in to bid goodbye to his work colleagues who then all refused to accept his being sacked and all agreed to go on half time. This meant that Win and Joe were on half wages for four years and consequently often short of money. With her love of sewing and gardening Win grew most of the family’s vegetables and made most of their clothes and the couple even hand made many household items to save money.

During the Second World War Win volunteered for many war work organisations as many women (and some men) did, making netting, field hospital equipment and comforts for the soldiers. In her volunteer work, for groups that included the Australian Red Cross and the Australian Comforts Fund, she would make a variety of papier mache items, which had the advantage of being easily sterilisable. Groups members would also assist in fundraising for these organisations by making papier mache items for their own home and family and then buying them back for themselves, thereby meeting shortages for items in their own lives and giving money to war work. This doll is one such item, along with a papier mache hat, also made by Win Birstow and purchased from the … for her daughter Carole

Joe Bristow stayed with the Water and Sewerage Department, eventually becoming an engineer of projects such as the Water Treatment Plant at Mt Crosby, until his death in a work accident in 1951. As a widow Win went back to teaching to support her two children, John and Carole. As a retiree she focused on her interests in the busy, botany, gardening, photography and public speaking. She joined groups such as the Queensland Naturalists Club, Society fro Growing Australian Plants, Royal Horticultural Society of Queensland, National Parks Association and the Toastmasters Club. Such groups kept her an active and busy member of Brisbane society until her death at the age of 99 (c. 2006).