Madame Juliette HenryPrint Page

The monument erected over the grave commemorates Madame Juliette Henry, founder of the Cercle Litteraire Française.

Madame Henry was the founder of the Cercle Litteraire Française, (French Literary Circle), a group dedicated to the study of French literature and culture which convened at Tattersall’s chambers in Hunter Street, Sydney. Before founding the Cercle, Mme Henry was listed in the Sand’s directory variously as a teacher of French, a professor of languages and an artist.

Madame Henry was the wife of the French Australian artist, Lucien Henry. Both were deported to New Caledonia following their involvement in 1871 Paris Commune. They later settled in Sydney where Lucien Henry became an influential artist and teacher. 

The monument which has recently been erected to the memory of the late Madame Juliette Henry in the Waverley Cemetery was formally unveiled on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a large and representative gathering of the relatives and immediate personal friends of the deceased lady. The movement in connection with the raising of the monument was initiated at a meeting of subscribers held at the Australia Hotel in April last, at which it was decided that the memory of the deceased lady should be perpetuated by a memorial, and a sub committee was formed, consisting of Dr. R. E. Roth and Messrs T. E Roseby, G.M'Intosh, and A. P. Cooper, who carried the matter to a successful issue. Madame Henry was well known in Sydney as the directress of the Cercle Litteraire Francais, in connection with which club she had done good work by her deliverances upon French literature, &c.

The memorial, which is in the form of a Celtic cross, is composed of Sicilian marble, and is mounted on a pedestal and base of marble, with a sub-base of Pyrmont freestone. The upper portion of the monument is enriched by a handsome specimen of the monumental mason's art and is surmounted by a beautifully polished marble sphere. It is erected on an enclosure 9ft x 8ft, surrounded by a Pyrmont freestone kerbing standing 2ft high from the pathway, the surface of the enclosure being laid with concrete and tastefully set out with black and white marble chips. The memorial which is the immediate vicinity of the Duff memorial, presents an imposing appearance as viewed from the central pathway, and is in keeping with the many fine monuments in that portion of the cemetery. The memorial was erected by Mr J Cunningham monumental mason, of Margaret street, Wynyard-square.
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 7 November 1898.

 

Location

Address:	St Thomas & Trafalgar Streets, Waverley Cemetery, Bronte, 2024
State:	NSW
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -33.907222 Long: 151.264167 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Grave
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Education
Monument Manufacturer:	Mr. J. Cunningham (Sydney, NSW)

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:	Saturday 5th November, 1898

Source: MA