Maria 'Liney', nee Boothby was from Adelaide and married A. W. Howitt in 1864. Whilst Howitt is acknowledged for his anthropological, expeditionary and geological work, on top of his work as a public servant, Liney was responsible for the running of the household and farm, especially the hops production. In these roles she hired and met Aboriginal and Chinese men and women, engaging with them closely and on occasion having a number stay at the farm. Liney also helped Howitt with his anthropological work, his 'craze' as Liney called it. In a letter to his sister, Anna, Howitt noted that 'Liney tells me that my paper is very interesting and she says you will be most interested.' Liney listened, read and discussed Howitt and Fison's work with her husband- she typed many of his notes and Liney got her brothers in Adelaide to recruit correspondents for Howitt and Fison. She was important to their work and in an 1874 letter to Anna, Howitt stated that 'I mean to try and make Liney the Ethnological partner in the concern because she really has a true feminine talent in seeing how the relationships hang together.' In letters to Fison Howitt identified their partnership as a trio - Liney being the essential third member.
Liney died in 1903, before she could see the publication of Howitt's 1904 book, The Native Tribes of South East Australia. He dedicated the book to her, noting her 'unfailing sympathy' being the driving force behind the book's completion.
For Letters written by Liney Howitt describing her life in Omeo and Gippsland, see the State Library of Victoria's Howitt collection.
Maria 'Liney' Howitt
Found in Transcriptions
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Fison to Howitt 10 June 1884 -
Letter from Bulmer 11 January 1878Pages 2Registration Number XM77Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten, ink. Dated and signed. Single sheet, four pages. Good condition; fold marks. -
Letter from John Bulmer 10 October 1878Pages 6Registration Number XM78Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten, ink. Two sheets, eight pages. Condition: Fair; slight tear on main fold at bottom; centre crease fragile. -
Letter from John Bulmer 15 April 1880Pages 4Registration Number XM81Author —Physical Description Letter, possibly incomplete, handwritten in ink. Signed and with an associated date in A W Howitt's handwriting top of first page. One sheet, three pages. Good condition. -
Letter from Bulmer 20 April 1880Pages 8Registration Number XM82Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten in ink. Signed and dated. Three folded sheets, eleven pages. Vertical, red-pencil line through text on three pages. Condition: fair; small tears along central folds; slightly tattered upper edges. -
Letter from John Bulmer 26 October 1881Pages 2Registration Number XM88Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten in ink. Single folded sheet; three pages. Signed and dated. Condition: good. -
Information from John Bulmer, n.d.Pages 2Registration Number XM98Author Bulmer, Reverend JohnPhysical Description Notes and a table, handwritten, undated. One large sheet folded in half with an additional smaller sheet, six pages. Notes are possibly a letter. Fragile condition, insect damage upper edging. -
Bulmer to Howitt 4/12/1880Pages 1Registration Number hw0395Author —Physical Description Covering letter signed and dated with six additional pages referred to a as report of an interview by Rev Bulmer.
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From Cameron to Howitt 8/05/1885Registration Number hw0135Author —Physical Description — -
Cameron to Howitt 20/08/1884Registration Number hw0258Author —Physical Description — -
Bulmer to Howitt 22/October/1880Registration Number hw0393Author —Physical Description — -
Bulmer to Howitt 9/Nov/1880Registration Number hw0394Author —Physical Description — -
Bulmer to Howitt 1/July/1881Registration Number hw0396Author —Physical Description — -
Bulmer to Howitt 12/April/1899Registration Number hw0397Author —Physical Description — -
Bulmer to Howitt 29/July/1907Registration Number hw0399Author —Physical Description — -
Bulmer to Howitt 30 April 1880Registration Number XM83Author —Physical Description Letter including notes, handwritten in ink. Four sheets, seven pages. Faint annotation top left of first page of letter. Vertical, red-pencil line through text & underlining of some words. Notes may be incomplete. Condition: foxing in one place on front sheet. -
Bulmer to Howitt 1 October 1881Registration Number XM87Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten in ink. Single folded sheet; two pages. Provenance, and date (overwritten) top right. Condition: tear in paper at top left of first page. -
Letter from John Bulmer 13 February 1882Registration Number XM89Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten in ink. Single folded sheet; three pages. Edge of one page has been repaired. Condition: some foxing. -
Letter from John Bulmer 25 March 1882Registration Number XM90Author —Physical Description Letter, handwritten in ink. Single folded sheet; two pages. Condition: good.