Helga was still excited about the Lorne ladies bowls pennant win and no wonder …. a first in 30 years.
She also happens to be president of midweek pennant and loves the camaraderie that the club offers. Her accounting skills acquired as bookkeeper for their family business, a Non-Ferrous Foundry, made her an obvious choice as treasurer of the Lorne Bowls Club.
Helga migrated with her family from Austria in 1954, first settling in Geelong then later in Melbourne. Being the eldest of seven she was expected to help provide for the family.
When Helga married she and her husband moved to a farmlet at Toolern Vale where they trained pacers. At age 40 and on top of her farm work and rearing four children, she began to teach porcelain doll making, an art she was inspired to try from attending a doll show in Ballarat years earlier. “I looked at the dolls and thought I could do that. I took quite a few classes in Melbourne then decided I could teach it”. She ran classes of 50 students, many of whom went on to win major awards at doll shows. She visited the US and Europe to attend lectures and classes and became highly regarded in her field.
In 1995 the Lewis’s built a holiday house in Lorne as a retreat. Eventually when the farm and her teaching proved too much for them, they sold that house and built a permanent home and retired here.
I interviewed Helga in her large Lorne studio amongst shelves of porcelain dolls she has made from liquid porcelain to fully clothed characters with delicate finishes. She estimates she has made over 300 dolls. She hopes some of her 12 grandchildren will share her passion and carry the art on.
“Nowadays I am enjoying my new hobby.” Set up on an easel is her latest painting. Watch for her work at future local art shows… she’s a natural.
She has travelled overseas in recent years but is currently discovering Australia. Next she has her eyes set on a European river trip.
You can see Helga walking her little dog, Maggie, daily along the beach in an environment she loves.
