[Editor: This Christmas postcard, which incorporates a poem, as well as an illustration of an Australian flag and an emu, is estimated to have been published about 1901-1908. The postcard is undated.]
[Front of postcard]
To my dear boy —
A fond Christmas greeting
A link to bind, this Christmastide
Where circumstances part,
A chain of tender, loving thought
Stretched forth from heart to heart.
[Description: Drawings of some bush flowers, a bush home, an Australian flag, and an emu.]
[Reverse of postcard]
POST CARD
O & Co.
Printed in Australia
[Handwritten text, in italics]
Kind regards & compliments of season to folk at Kirkendra
Frae JH
Whinny Brae
Source:
Original document
Editor’s notes:
Dimensions (approximate): 141 mm. (width), 92 mm. (height).
The artwork on this postcard was apparently drawn by the same artist who did the illustrations for the following postcards:
1) My dear friend [patriotic postcard, circa 1901-1908]
2) With all kind thoughts for Christmas [patriotic postcard, circa 1901-1908]
It is estimated that this postcard was published about 1901-1908; this estimation is based upon the fact that the Australian flag depicted on the postcard incorporates the Federation Star with six points, which was used from 1901 to 1908. In 1909 the flag’s Federation Star received a seventh point, to represent Australia’s territories.
See: 1) “A brief history of Australian flags”, Ausflag
2) “Australian National Flag”, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
In the context of this postcard, seems likely that “Whinny Brae” is the name of a property; however, in general terms, a “whinny brae” is a hill or a hillside which has a significant amount of gorse growing on it
brae = (Scottish) the brow of a hill; a hill, a hillside; a hilly or mountainous area; high ground beside a river bank; a slope; a steep bank; a steep road (can also be spelt: bray, braye, brea)
See: “BRAE, Bray(e), Brea, n.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
frae = (Scottish) from (also spelt: fra, fri); (archaic) fro (from; away; back, backward)
See: “FRAE, prep., conj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
whinny = (Scottish) (also spelt: whinnie) the state of having whin (i.e. gorse, also known as furze or ulex: a genus of thorny evergreen shrubs), especially regarding a lot of whin, or being significantly covered with whin (e.g. a whinny brae, whinny field, whinny glen, whinnie park) (whin can also be spelt: whind, whine, whun)
See: 1) “WHIN, n.2”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
2) “Gorse”, Highland Titles
3) “Gorse”, Wikipedia
Dear Ed.
Another small emendation proposal.
You have this being sent to “Jack”.
Instead, I read it as being sent to “folk”.
The place-name: I wonder if it might end in “…ra “.
Thanks once more.
Hi Raymond,
Good call on the word “folk”. That makes sense. Have now changed it.
You could be right re “Kirkendra”; so have changed the ending from “aa” to “ra”.
That place name, or property name, was a real brain teaser.
Have tried several spellings on Google, Google Maps, and Trove, with poor results:
Kirkendaa: found a citation regarding an author, DT Kirkendaa, published in Porto Alegre (Brazil).
Kirkendra: found someone called Kirkendra Smith; also Kirkendra’s Frozen Food Products (Philippines)
Kukendra: found the Indian names of Kukendra and Kukendrarajah
Kirkindra: no matches
It could be a reference to a Kirk (Scottish for “church”), but as part of a longer word, there are no results. Am stumped on that one.
Thank you again for your help.