My sister, Merelyn Pearce, was born in Gerringong in 1951 and has lived almost all her life in the district.
She attended Gerringong PS, Kiama HS and spent a couple of years at MLC Burwood.
I have fond memories of reading her collection of Phantom magazines and listening to ‘Abigail Beecher, my history teacher’, a great hit by Freddy Canon.
Her greatest early-life achievement was being awarded a Queen’s Guide badge with other girls such as Lynn Prosser and Astrid Medenis from the Gerringong Girl Guides.
Merelyn and Bob on their wedding day.
Merelyn showed early on that she was a gifted artist. After high school she went to Sydney University to study English and Fine Arts.
She completed a Dip. Ed. the following year and became an art teacher. During this time, she met Bob Pearce, an Industrial Arts teacher. They married, moved to Gerroa where they still reside.
They raised three children, Emma, Cassie and Ben while Bob set up a business designing homes.
Merelyn gave up teaching to concentrate on her art full time. For many years she created outstanding pieces from pottery.
In 1989 she changed tack and took up quilting. She never imagined her work could become part of a national collection.
Recently she was approached by “The Australian Quilt and Textile Collection” to acquire one of her works for conservation.
The Collection is focused on preserving the diversity of Australian quilts and their stories, as well as digitally and visually recording the quilt artists and makers.
It describes Australia’s quilt history and provenance, as well as introducing unique Australian quilt artists.
It also enables the experience of viewing these works through exhibitions and study groups.
Quilts are housed in a specially designed container which has a humidifier and air conditioner to keep them in gallery standard condition.
Merelyn agreed to relinquish her favourite quilt to the collection.
This work, entitled “Wheelflower Medallion” is part of her celebration of the woodblock prints of Australian artist Margaret Preston.
It measures 245cm2 and is hand appliqued (hand stitched) and embroidered with a massive display of Australian flora and fauna.
It won Best of Show and the Hangers’ prize at Sydney Quilt Show 2008 and went on to be awarded Best of Australia in 2008.
Merelyn said it was gratifying to know her work would go on for future generations to enjoy.
One of Merelyn’s wall hangings is being raffled by the Gerringong Historical Society to raise funds for this outstanding organisation, similarly dedicated to the preservation of our past.
Raffle tickets are available through the Society’s website.