A Blue Plaque has been unveiled in Wentworth Falls to celebrate the remarkable life of Beryl Mary McLaughlin and recognise her legacy as an architect and enthusiastic amateur historian.
Beryl Mary McLaughlin was born in 1888, and in 1922 became one of the first women to receive a Bachelor of Architecture from the newly established School of Architecture at the University of Sydney.
McLaughlin later became a prominent member of the Blue Mountains community. During the Second World War, she became heavily involved in local civil defence activities at Wentworth Falls, where she supervised the making of camouflage nets. She also served with the local volunteer Air Observers Corps that provided a 24-hour plane spotting service during the war.
She was a generous supporter of the Blue Mountains Historical Society, which nominated her to be recognised by Heritage NSW. McLaughlin passed away in 1988, at the grand age of 100.
NSW Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe and Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle gathered with members of the Blue Mountains Historical Society to unveil the Blue Plaque in her honour on March 24.
"Blue Plaques are permanent reminders of the women and men who have come before us, and of their contribution to the NSW we know today," said Ms Sharpe.
Beryl McLaughlin's plaque graces the gates leading to 'Tarella', a historic cottage which McLaughlin designed and called home. The buildings and land were bequeathed to the society by McLaughlin as part of her commitment to preserving the area's history. The cottage on Blaxland Road is now home to the offices of the Blue Mountains Historical Society.
Society vice president and publicity officers, Robyne Ridge, said they are "thrilled" to have a blue plaque honouring Beryl.
"We were so happy that the minister herself unveiled it and we are grateful to Trish Doyle and her office for their support of our application," she said.
"We have been told we are the only blue plaque in the Mountains."
Trish Doyle said the Blue Plaque "allows our community to reflect on the life of an outstanding woman who left her mark on not just the history of the Blue Mountains, but also our state".
"She was a woman of great accomplishment, as well as a cherished member of the Wentworth Falls community who dedicated her life to the service of others and the preservation of our shared history."
Beryl McLoughlin is one of eight women recognised in the latest round of the Blue Plaques program, a NSW Government initiative which celebrates and shares the stories of people and events which have shaped NSW.
The other women recognised are Aboriginal midwife, activist and nurse Emma Jane Callaghan; Aboriginal rights movement activist Pearl Mary Gibbs; Sydney Harbour Bridge project officer Kathleen Butler; Grace Emily Munro, co-founder and first president of the Country Women's Association, writer and essayist Charmian Clift; philanthropist and founder of Royal Rehab Susan Schardt; and one of Australia's first female war correspondents, Dorothy Drain.
Beryl McLaughlin's full story and the stories of more than 30 other plaque recipients can be found on the Blue Plaques website: https://blueplaques.nsw.gov.au/.
