Marginal Notes 16: Remembering Muriel Rose Craddock
April 13 marks the anniversary of my mother Muriel Craddock’s birth, the day before the Titanic’s fateful collision with an iceberg. She grew up in Wallaroo, on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, and her first experience in the workforce was as a manual exchange telephonist at the Wallaroo Post Office.
Muriel's second experience in the workforce was forty-seven years after her job at the Wallaroo Post Office. At the age of 53 she went into business with her husband, Les Craddock and one of her three daughters, Kay (me). Together we opened 'The Essendon Treasure Chest" on May 28, 1965, selling a combination of secondhand books, bric-a-brac, old furniture, and handicrafts we made. Les died two months later, and Muriel and I continued on our journey from secondhand dealers to antiquarian booksellers which, in 1990, led us to our current address at The Assembly Hall Building, 156 Collins Street, Melbourne.
On her 90th birthday in 2002, Muriel was made a Life Member of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers. The citation included the following:
The decision was unanimously agreed in recognition of your long years in the trade, the magnificent premises that you have established, your delightful attitude towards customers and in general your acceptance of the code of ethics that the Association holds dear.
In 2006 Muriel was a Gold recipient in the Lord Mayor's Commendations program,
which recognises longevity amongst Melbourne's small business community.
On her 100th birthday, when she was still a business partner in the bookshop, she received
the congratulations and best wishes of Queen Elizabeth II, Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Federal Member for Goldstein Andrew Robb AO, Victorian Governor Alex Chernov AC, Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu, and Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, along with the best wishes of the 180 guests attending her birthday party at the bookshop.
In July 2012 Muriel was a guest of honour at the fourth Graeme Clark Oration. The Oration, Forever Young? was delivered by Professor Dame Linda Partridge, Weldon Professor of Biometry and Director of the Institute of Health Aging, University College London. The highlight of the Oration dinner, attended by 410 guests, was a video interview with Muriel on being 100.
Muriel Rose Craddock died on 6 December 2017, aged 105 years and 8 months.
