60th Year Stories - Nance Houen

Nance Houen knows her stuff. She is one of the dynamos along with Libby Howcroft, Deborah Bannister and Betty Spangaro who source the amazing clothes sold annually at the Trust's Vintage Clothing Sale. That's a $200,000 story.

This is Nance’s story.

After a professional career in television and marketing, Nance joined the Trust in 1975 and started volunteering in 1991 in marketing and later with the Costume Collection. She now spends most of her time working on the annual Vintage Clothing Sale sourcing clothes, preparing items for sale, managing the event and promoting the sale.

A key moment in volunteering

I remember shifting the Costume Collection from the Shop of Shops in Collins Street to the servants quarters of Labassa where they remain. Unfortunately, the space there is inadequate, and the Collection needs a new home now where garments can be worked on and displayed.

One particular memory

The moment when Iris Norton daughter of Nellie Van Rijsoort, a close friend at ATV Channel 0 Television gave me Nellie’s superb scrapbooks of her beading examples for the National Trust.

People I Remember

Carol Barnard the National Trust Marketing Manager, Peter Sweeney, CEO, Lizzie Anya-Petrivna, Collections Curator and Katie Potter on the Collections team.

My greatest achievement with the Trust (so far)

Suggesting an exhibition of gowns beaded and created by Nellie Van Rijsoort. This was initially going to be a small display, but management decided to use the whole of Como for the exhibition and asked me to find the gowns which I did with the help of Libby Howscroft. We sourced all the gowns which took some considerable time. The exhibition in 2005 was a huge success.

The role of the Trust in my life

It has been a very exciting role after joining Lizzie Anya – Petrivna working on the Costume Collection and now the Vintage Clothing Sale which Libby Howcroft and I began seven years ago in my garage in Canterbury.

Why the Trust has been important to me

It comes from the desire tor preserve our heritage for future generations and the result of our vintage clothing sales having enabled us to make around $200,000 for the Costume Collection in 7 years.