About half an hour ago, I finished reading the book, The Mayne Inheritance, written by historian, Rosamon Siemon. When I first stumbled across it at the library, I was reminded of the book’s substantial popularity when it was first published by the excessively large number of available copies that remained on the shelf.
The Mayne Inheritance is a short book and is extremely well written. The chillingly factual book details the tragic tale of the Mayne Family, whose members rose to significant power over the city of Brisbane in the middle of difficult times and is the main reason the University of Queensland sits on its magnificent piece of land today. Its blurb “A gothic tale of murder, madness and scandal across the generations” is about as succinct and as accurate as you could get, with the many references to many local names of people and places only adding realism to the book’s factual basis.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that has spent any significant time in Brisbane or anyone that is an alumnus of UQ.
We also highly recommend this book.
We are called “Hoozatt?” Entertainers, and we do a short play directed at school age children Gr. 5-9. (And even to grade 12 if required), called “THE MAYNE SUSPECT”. It was commissioned by Brisbane City Libraries for their “One Book, One Brisbane”, of which “Mayne Inheritance” was the winner. We toured it through many schools in Brisbane (about 40).
It is a 2 person play (1 male , 1 female), sharing 13 parts in full-view-quick-change, examining the characters, murder & legacy on the Mayne Family, which helped build the University of QLD, and several other Brisbane landmarks.
Changing on stage also allows the audience to see a little stage craft, and they are also involved as cast members in some parts.
It is also presented in a comic fashion, (a way to bring a fairly grizzly & historic content to a childrens’ audience). We fully enjoyed researching for the play & visited every site mentioned, even finding all the families grave sites, (even the nun at Nundah) and the now re-named James & Amelia Mayne Gallery at UQ, which up till Rosamonds book, had been only dubiuosly and tenuously attributed to its’ founders, the Maynes.
We are interested in touring this play again to schools or groups who may now be studying it as their chosen novel for upper Primary or high school as part of English or SOSE. We are trying to let Teachers aware that this is available as a resource.
Unfortunately, we have no live showing of the play for you to review! It is however on video tape, and you could also contact Sabina O’Callaghan, ccl2@brisbane.qld.gov.au
at Brisbane City Libraries for their comments on the production.
Many thanks
Deb Bowen-Saunders