HART, Eady

Eady Hart made a break through in dye technique when she experimented with dye from Australian native plants. She established Hart’s Royal Dyes.

Eady Booth was born November 28, 1848 in Horsleyfields. Wolverhampton. England. In 1876 she married William Hart and had eight children before William deserted her. In her kitchen Eady was inventive in many areas. She created a porridge like break-fast food from potatoes, fire lighters from Grass Trees (xanthorrhoea australis) and dyes from local vegetation. Her dyes could be used on wool, cotton, silk and other materials. When she applied for a Patent on 8 May, 1919 she listed her colours and the vegetation used. For example – Brown dye stuffs- Native Cherry and Brigalow. pink and fawn dye stuffs – She Oak and flesh and other pink dye stuffs – Pink Honey-suckle. There are many more listed. On Thursday July 27, 1922 a gathering at was held at Canadian to witness Eady demonstrating her method of dyeing. At the end of the exhibition it was stated that the range of colours resembled many that could be seen in a garden. Eady received two bronze medals, one from the Commonwealth and the other from the Great Wembley Exhibition. She mortgaged her home to set up Hart”s Australian Dye Company but the business failed.

Eady died 28 February 1931 aged 82 years and was buried with her mother and twin sister Harriet on 2nd March 1931.

Ballarat New Cemetery, Church of England F Section 11 Grave 51