Janet Mathews facts for kids

Janet Elizabeth Mathews (born Janet Elizabeth Russell, 1914–1992) was an Australian musician and teacher. She is best known for her important work. Janet recorded and saved many stories, songs, and languages of Aboriginal people in New South Wales.

Her work helped build a large collection at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS). This institute is now called AIATSIS. She also wrote several books about Aboriginal culture, including three for children.

Early Life and Learning

Janet Elizabeth Russell was born on 18 January 1914. Her birthplace was Wollongong, Australia. She was the only child of James Wilson Russell and Mary Irene Russell. Her mother was a talented pianist and taught Janet music at home.

When Janet was 12, she went on a trip to Britain and Europe. She saw many concerts there. On the way home, she met composer Alfred Francis Hill. His music and talks inspired her greatly.

Janet went to Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney from 1927 to 1928. Then she studied at Frensham School in Mittagong until 1930. She focused on playing the piano. In 1931, she joined the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. There, she learned piano from Laurence Godfrey Smith. Alfred Hill taught her about music theory.

Music Career and Family Life

Janet was a very busy musician. She performed with her mother and the Sydney String Quartet. Because of these performances, she did not finish her music diploma.

In 1935, Janet traveled to London and Paris. She continued to play music at private events. After returning to Australia, she married Francis Mackenzie Mathews (Frank). He was an engineer. They married on 3 December 1936 in Wollongong. Janet and Frank had three children together.

After getting married, Janet focused on her family. She stopped performing in public. In 1954, she began teaching piano from her home. One of her students was the famous pianist Gerard Willems.

Recording Aboriginal Culture

In 1964, a new group called the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) was created. A friend, Bill Wentworth, encouraged Janet to join. She started as a freelance sound recorder. This meant she worked independently. She used a large tape recorder to interview many people.

Janet began with little knowledge of Aboriginal cultures. But she soon became an expert. Her main goal was to record Aboriginal music and languages. She focused on the Aboriginal people of New South Wales. Many of these people had mixed backgrounds. Her recordings showed that Aboriginal culture continued strongly after colonisation.

She first worked with speakers of the Dharawal and Dhurga languages. These languages are from the NSW South Coast. She recorded the father of singer Jimmy Little playing the gum leaf. She also recorded an elder from Wallaga Lake. This elder spoke Dhurga fluently.

Sometimes, people were unsure about her work. But then they learned about her family connection. Her husband Frank's grandfather was anthropologist R. H. Mathews. He had also worked with Dharawal people. After this, more people were happy to help her.

Janet was always known as "Mrs Mathews." She was very formal and respectful. This helped her gain trust from both Aboriginal people and officials. Later, she worked with famous linguists Luise Hercus and Lynette Oates. This helped her record more than just music. She also collected important language and history information.

Later Years and Legacy

After her husband Frank retired in 1968, they moved to Sydney. Janet then wrote three children's books about Aboriginal themes. Frank passed away in 1982. Janet then gave R. H. Mathews' old papers to the National Library of Australia.

Janet Mathews died on 1 January 1992 in Neutral Bay. Luise Hercus, her colleague, helped write a tribute to her.

Janet Mathews' recordings are very valuable today. She made 180 hours of recordings. These recordings came from over 80 Aboriginal people. They are now kept safe in the AIATSIS archives.

Her work with Luise Hercus was very important. It helped prove the existence of Aboriginal sacred sites on Mumbulla Mountain in the late 1970s. Her work is still often used and studied today.

Selected Books

• The two worlds of Jimmie Barker: the life of an Australian Aboriginal, 1900-1972, as told to Janet Mathews (1977) – This book tells the story of Jimmie Barker. Janet encouraged him to record his own language and stories.
• Wurley & Wommera: Aboriginal Life and Craft (1979)
• The Opal that Turned into Fire; and Other Stories from the Wangkumara (1994)