Nanna Jessie, whose traditional name was Gumbri, was born in 1921 to Martha and Claude Nevin on Coranderrk Mission and was one of eight children. She was the last girl to be born on Coranderrk, a government reserve for Aboriginal people in the state of Victoria from 1863 to 1924, located about 50km north-east of Melbourne near Healesville.
My Nan was forced to run with her family to Koondrook to escape being taken by the government and they went into hiding. At this time she was brought up to believe she was white, only learning about her culture when she went back to visit her grandparents at Coranderrk.
She married my Poppy, Colin, and had 5 sons together, one of whom is my grandfather. I don’t have many memories of her unfortunately as she passed when I was 4 however she left a lasting impression not only on myself but my whole family.
She was an amazing baker and always had cakes in the tin ready for when people came over. She was a kind, welcoming woman and loved to sit and yarn with people over a cuppa.
She had a dream of releasing a book on Wurundjeri bush foods and medicines, something she never got the opportunity to do before she passed. She instilled a pride in her children regarding their culture and identity which has been passed down to their children and to their grandchildren.
My nanna Jessie was a beautiful, strong matriarch and instilled a love of cooking in our family, especially my grandfather, Norm which in turn was passed down to me as well. She reminds me to always be kind and always make sure there’s a cake or a biscuit ready for someone who might need a chat.