Grand Shirl's Museum - a passion for dolls of the past

Grand Shirl in her museum. She is holding the Three Faced Trudy Doll she restored with clothes similar to those she originally wore in the 1940's.

When Grand Shirl is asked about how she came to collect her toys and dolls she talks about her young life. She was born on the 15th May, 1932 in Gympie and was the first child for her father and the second for her mother.

"My mother must have been very determined and brave to keep her first child, as this was very unusual at this time. She met my father whilst employed as a housekeeper, after being made to leave her family home, “she ponders.

Her grandfather Hosier Glen Percival was allotted land when he came from England. The land had Widgee Creek meandering through it and Mary River as a boundary on one side. When she was very young, around two years of age, her Father and family moved to this land and started paying it off.

Times were tough and the Big Depression made it tougher.  She grew up on this beautiful land and attended Lower Wonga School. Grand Shirl remembers, “I walked the three and half miles to and from the school for years. Then as times improved on the farm we were able to afford horses which we rode to school, although we were often late because we had to milk the cows in the morning.""We did not go to school every day," she adds.

 She left school at fourteen years after grade six and worked at home until she was old enough to go nursing. “I loved nursing and worked in that field until I was 68 years old" she said.

After she retired she decided to set up a doll and toy museum. “In my childhood I had few toys or dolls. My museum collection has emerged from a craving for these toys that was left unfulfilled because of our poverty," she claims.  A lot of her Australian dolls are from the era of her childhood. “Doll making took off during the war years in Australia as dolls could not be imported and some doll factories overseas were bombed,” she reflected.

Do you know anything about local dolls from this time?

Grand Shirl's oldest doll was made in 1825





The Stump doll was made out of a stump of wood. 

"I was given some direction by Peter and Noreen Wright from the Gold Coast who were a great help” she says “They sold antique dolls and toys and were very knowledgeable. “

A lot of her collection and knowledge has been gained over years from going to auctions and reading. A particular auction was a highlight “Desley Maitland’s of Maryborough was one of the best auctions I attended,” she enthuses, “ I brought some very interesting toys there including the Mickey and Minnie Hand Car which is one of the outstanding toys in my museum. It was made in 1926, when Micky was first created.”

Do you have any old Mickey Mouse toys?

She has dolls from the local area. Her number one Australian doll is the stump doll made in 1825. It is made out of a piece of wood.  Her second favourite doll is the Australian Three Faced Trudy whose registered design was granted on the18th September, 1947. She is made of Phenyl formaldehyde (Bakelite) and Grand Shirl made her clothes to replicate how she was originally dressed in 1940’s.

Grand Shirl's Museum is opened by appointment only from 9am to 4pm. Appointments made by calling (07) 41212051.

Grand Shirl’s information is from Fainges, M. (1986). Australian Doll Makers: A History. Sydney: Kangaroo Press.

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