1861 - 1940

Mary Card

Advocacy

Arts & Culture

Disability Pride

Mary Card, Ballantyne, B., & Welch, B. (2022). Mary Card’s legacy of crochet lace.

Mary Card was a ground breaking Australian crochet designer who transformed personal adversity into creative triumph and global success. Born in Castlemaine, Victoria in 1861 to Irish watchmaker and jeweller David Card, and Welsh daughter of an actress Harriet Card. She attended Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) in Richmond, and later studied at the National Gallery School of Design in 1880.

She founded a school in Hawthorn where she taught lip-reading and helped people with speech defects. However, after losing her hearing, she left teaching and taught herself Irish crochet, eventually revolutionising the craft with her “giant” chart-based patterns making them easier to follow and accessible to those with poor eyesight.

Her designs, often featuring Australian flora and fauna, were published internationally in Ladies’ Home Journal (USA), New Idea (Australia), and UK magazines. Her patterns were worked by women in remote locations across Australia, fostering community and creativity.

Mary published multiple books, starting with Mary Card’s Crochet Book No. 1 in 1914. Mary supported WWI relief efforts by designing patterns for fundraising purposes and later founded The Mary Card Co. in New York. She built a lucrative business at a time when there were few such opportunities for women.

She moved abroad to England, living in a studio cottage in Berkshire before returning to Olinda, Victoria in 1940, where she lived with her sister Harriet. She passed away on 13 October 1940.

A role model for women and people with disabilities, Mary Card left a legacy of innovation and artistry. Today, her legacy lives on through her books, designs, and the Mary Card Coach House BnB in Olinda. Her patterns remain beloved by vintage crafters and collectors today.

Acknowledgement

This Biography was provided to Her Place Women’s Museum by Yarra Ranges Council. Mary Card is one of 11 women featured in the Badass Women of the Yarra Ranges Women’s History tour created by Yarra Ranges Council in Collaboration with She Shapes History.

Commemoration

Cards Lane in Olinda is named for the eight Card sisters, including Mary, who purchased several cottages on the lane for her sisters. Mary Card’s Coach House, a heritage-listed bluestone building in Olinda, is now a B&B (private). In 1999, a street was named after her in Gungahlin, a suburb of Canberra, reflecting recognition of her work beyond Victoria.

VISIt

More Information

References

Australian Dictionary of Biography. (n.d.). Mary Card (1861–1940). Retrieved December 11, 2021, from http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/card-mary-5500

Ballantyne, B. (2004). The technique of filet crochet with Mary Card designs and methods. Drummoyne, NSW, Australia: Barbara Ballantyne.

The Australian Home Beautiful. (1931, December 1).

Ballantyne, B., & Welch, B. (2022). Mary Card’s legacy of crochet lace .https://www.crochethistory.com/product/mary-cards-legacy-of-crochet-lace/

Photo: Mary Card (Source: Ballantyne, B., & Welch, B. (2022). Mary Card’s legacy of crochet lace)