Pearl Shell Postcard

Correspondence

Love in a shell

Broome, Xmas Day 1911. A registered postcard, this shell was engraved and posted to ‘Miss Winnie Knapp, Northlands Boyup Brook, WA, with love from Roger”. The lustre of pearl shell had a wider appeal than just to make beautiful buttons. This shell is thought to have been a gift sent from James William Tilly (‘Roger’ was his nickname), to his future bride (and first cousin) Julia Winnifred Knapp who was then aged 27 years. The pair married in 1913 and had four children in Broome.

Available at:

Broome Museum

Broome stories

The Broome Historical Museum reveals the character and history of the unique, multicultural town of Broome, dubbed 'the pearling capital of the world.' Originally housed in the Old Broome Lockup the...

Address:

67 Robinson Street
Broome WA 6725
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9192 2075

Email:

admin@broomemuseum.org.au

Open Hours

May to September Mon to Fri 10am-4pm, & Sat to Sun 10am-1pm; October to April 7 days 10am-1pm; Check the website for closing dates between late December and early February

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Pearling Lugger Shell, by Butcher Joe Nangan (dec)

Story shell

In this exquisitely carved ‘story shell’, Butcher Joe Nangan depicts Marala, an ancestral figure from Bugarrigarra, alert and watching the arrival of the first pearlers to Broome. It is a record that...

Passport

A document of life

This passport was in Sara Koen’s pocket when she dived overboard to save herself and her family during the Japanese air raid on Broome on 3rd March in 1942. They were passengers on the X1 Dornier...