Neilma Gantner

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Neilma Gantner
Born
Neilma Baillieu Myer

(1922-11-07)7 November 1922
San Francisco, California
Died15 June 2015(2015-06-15) (aged 92)
Bermagui, New South Wales, Australia
Other namesNeilma Sidney
Occupation(s)Writer and philanthropist
ChildrenVallejo and Carrillo Gantner
FamilySidney Myer (father) Merlyn Myer (mother)

Neilma Bailieu Gantner (7 November 1922 – 15 June 2015) was an Australian philanthropist and author who wrote as Neilma Sidney.

Early life and education[edit]

Born in San Francisco, California on 7 November 1922, Neilma Baillieu Myer was the elder daughter of Merlyn (née Baillieu) and Sidney Myer.[1] The family moved back to Melbourne, Australia in 1929.[2] In 1952, following her divorce, she studied for a Bachelor of Arts in English literature[3] and creative writing at Stanford University.[2][4]

Career[edit]

Gantner returned to Melbourne with her two sons in 1954.[2] In 1955 she was a member of the Victorian board of the International Social Service.[5] In mid-1955 she was responsible for signing up hundreds of subscribers to Meanjin, prior to its 15th anniversary.[6] In the same year she self-published her first collection of short stories. Twelve more books followed.

Her elder son, Vallejo, aged 19, was killed in a shooting accident. Gantner subsequently was granted permission to build a hut for bushwalkers in his memory. The Vallejo Gantner Hut is in the Alpine National Park.[2]

In 1991 she founded the biennial Four Winds Festival at Bermagui, bringing classical music performers to the far south coast of New South Wales.[7]

Gantner was a member of The Myer Foundation and other Myer family philanthropic funds.[8]

Works[edit]

  • Sidney, Neilma (1955), AB initio but ne illegitimi haec legant, N. Sidney
  • — (1959), Saturday afternoon and other stories, F. W. Cheshire
  • —; Williams, Margaret; Western Australian Teaching and Curriculum Collection (1964), Beaches, Oxford University Press
  • — (1966), Beyond the bay (1st ed.), F. W. Cheshire
  • — (1970), The eye of the needle, Lloyd O'Neil, ISBN 978-0-85550-021-4
  • — (1970), November in India, Community Aid Abroad
  • — (1976), The return, Thomas Nelson (Australia), ISBN 978-0-17-005082-1
  • — (1986), Journey to Mourilyan: A coastal pilgrimage, J.M. Dent, ISBN 978-0-86770-044-2
  • — (1988), Sunday evening : stories, McPhee Gribble/Penguin, ISBN 978-0-14-011547-5
  • — (1993), The sweet cool south wind, Barragga Books, ISBN 978-0-646-13402-4
  • — (1994), Isola, N. Sidney
  • —; Yi, A. (illustrator) (2009), The tale of Henrietta the hen and Pepe, a sea cat, Black Jack Press, ISBN 978-0-9806069-1-1
  • —; Yi, Ann (illustrator) (2015), My travelling life, St Kilda, [Victoria] Oryx Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9924865-1-8

Legacy[edit]

Two awards have been established and named in her honour, the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize[9] and the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund, supported by The Myer Foundation.[10][11]

Personal[edit]

At 18 Gantner married Vallejo Gantner, an apparel manufacturer in San Francisco on 8 August 1941 at St John's Church, Toorak. Her younger sister, Marigold Myer (later Lady Southey) was bridesmaid.[12]

The couple made their home in San Francisco, where Gantner gave birth to two sons, Vallejo junior in 1942 and Carrillo in 1944. In July 1949 she was granted a divorce from her husband on the grounds of cruelty and, although given physical custody of her sons, was prevented from bringing them to Australia for their education.[13]

Gantner died on 15 June 2015 in Bermagui, New South Wales. She was survived by her son, Carrillo, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[8][2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Gantner, Neilma". The Australian Women's Register. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hall, Rodney (3 July 2015). "In the giant footsteps of her father, Myer's daughter worked quietly for a better world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  3. ^ "SHE SAYS WE ARE TOO SLOW". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 33, 200. Victoria, Australia. 29 January 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Aussie 'gang' at American university". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 19, no. 39. Australia. 27 February 1952. p. 17. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "PERSONALITY WELCOME". The Argus (Melbourne). Victoria, Australia. 26 March 1955. p. 11. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "ROUND and ABOUT Double celebration held at University". The Argus (Melbourne). Victoria, Australia. 1 October 1955. p. 9. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "OBITUARY: Neilma Gantner, founder of Four Winds Festival". Bega District News. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Vale Mrs Neilma Gantner". The Myer Foundation. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize ($6500) | Overland literary journal". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Writers Victoria announces $300,000 literary travel fund". Books+Publishing. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund now open for applications". Books+Publishing. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  12. ^ "WEDDINGS OF THE WEEK". The Australasian. Vol. CLI, no. 4, 833. Victoria, Australia. 16 August 1941. p. 34. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "MRS GANTNER GETS US DIVORCE". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 32, 108. Victoria, Australia. 30 July 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
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