Secrets of Georgiana's Sewing Box
In June 2015, a beautiful sewing box once owned by Georgiana McCrae of McCrae Homestead, was generously donated to the National Trust by Georgiana’s great, great, great granddaughter.
Born in London in 1804, Georgiana was the illegitimate daughter of George Gordon, 5th Duke of Huntley and Jane Graham. From a young age Georgiana was a talented musician and artist. She studied painting and drawing under artists such as English water colour painter, John Varley and English born Australian artist, John Glover. At 15 she aspired to become a professional portrait painter, however unbeknown to Georgiana at the time, her life would lead her down a very different path when she married Andrew McCrae in 1830. In 1840, she followed her husband to Melbourne to start a new life, where she continued to pursue her passion for painting and drawing as a hobby for years to come.