Tessa and Jean Dowsett - Stockton Institutions

Tessa is a well known and loved part of Stockton history.

Tessa, the Golden Guide Dog 

Tessa, the guide dog was the working companion of Mrs Jean Dowsett. Mrs Dowsett lost her sight in 1959 as the result of an accident[1]. After loosing her sight she became one of the most active and successful fund raisers for the Royal Blind Society as well Publicity Officer for the Guide Dog for the Blind Auxilary. During the 11 years she worked with Tessa, they raised over $45,000 a world record for the time. It's also been said that Tessa was the first guide dog in Newcastle?

Jean Dowsett and Guide dog, Ava with the statue in the lounge room of Norm Bassan (far left with ? on his lap). The gentlemen in the middle is Ferdinand Johann (Dick) Kaaden (Lions Club member). I'd love to identify the rest of the people in the image!

Mrs Dowsett was born Jean Padget in Newcastle. She married Reginald Dowsett who was killed in an accident in 1950 [a]. On 30 June 1957 when Jean was driving back with friend from Wollongong:

“She was sitting in the back seat of a car nursing an eight-month-old baby belonging to the couple who were passengers in the front of the car. Jean saw a lorry come around a corner on the wrong side and plunge towards the car. She pushed the baby between her knees and crouched forward over it. The lorry crashed into the car, killing the driver and seriously injuring Jean. The baby was covered in blood – Jean’s blood – but was unharmed.”[b]

As a result of the accident Jean was in a coma for days and spent much of the next three years in hospital recovering, and coming to terms with the loss of her sight. Once out of hospital she was accepted into the Guide Dog for the Blind Centre in Perth to train to be allocated a dog, Tessa. And thus began her long career as an educator, and fundraiser. 

Mrs Jean Dowsett, and Ava, her guide dog with the statue of Tessa. 
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate (Newcastle, N.S.W), 1 Sep 1971.

It was at the request of Mrs Dowsett that a campaign was begun to raise money to craft and install a memorial to her beloved guide dog, Tessa who died on 20 February 1971[2]. The campaign was spearheaded by the Lions Club of Stockton. They raised the money and organised for the statue to be installed in a prominent position at Lynn Oval.The cost of casting the statue and installing it on its granite base cost approximately $1000 [3]. The actual production of the bronze statue was undertaken by Laurie Ware[4], who was a sculptor/artist and Principal of the Newcastle Art School at the Newcastle College of Advanced Education. The statue was sculpted by the firm of Vittorio and Fernando Foundry in Melbourne[5]. The sandstone and granite plinth was crafted by local Lionel Edstein of JJ Edstein and Sons.

The statue was opened by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Douglas McDougall and Jean Dowsett on the 4th December, 1971. 

Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Douglas McDougall and Jean Dowsett with her new dog, Ava inspecting the Tessa statue

Unfortunately, within a month, the statue was vandalised at the exact same time of year as the recent theft – just before Christmas[6]. As the pieces of the smashed handle were scattered over the grass nearby, it was done purely for the destruction and not monetary gain. Lions Club past president, Norm Bassan called on the Council to place a light over the statue to deter further vandalism. Members of the community were able to repair the broken harness and put it back on the statue[7]

Mrs Dowsett inspecting the damage to Tessa's statue. 
Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, N.S.W), 5 Jan 1972.

Image courtesy of Ron Hancock

In 1972 Jean was recognised for the many years she had worked on behalf of the blind community when she was given the British Empire Medal for services to the blind[3].  After Tessa’s death, Jean went to Melbourne to train at the Melbourne Guide Dog centre and it was here that she was paired with her new dog, Ava. They were together as a team of 22 months. She again trained in Melbourne where Dino became her last guide dog companion. In 1977 Mrs Dowsett was still active with her educational and fundraising activities with her new companion, Dino. When Dino died, Jean was over 70 years of age and decided not to apply for a new guide dog.

Jean Dowsett and her guide dog, Dino. He is standing on a jumper because there were prickles in the grass. The jumper was donated by a teacher. 
Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, January 3 1977

On Christmas Eve 2022 Tessa was reported as being stolen. It’s likely she was taken for the scrap value of the statue. Efforts were made to find her but these were unsuccessful. In April 2023 City of Newcastle Council announced that they were having a new statue designed and crafted to replace the one that had been stolen.

Image courtesy of Ron Hancock

Tessa The Guide Dog Memorial At Stockton, Newcastle, On The 31st Of July, 2020 
by Newcastle & The Hunter Valley, Now And Then On Film

Consider donating to Guide Dogs NSW

References

"Guide Dog Remembered in Bronze." Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, N.S.W), 26 Nov 1971.

"Light Need for Tessa." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate (Newcastle, N.S.W), 6 Jan 1972.

"Memorial to Tessa - 'She Did Her Duty'." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate (Newcastle, N.S.W), 1 Sep 1971.

Scanlon, Mike. "Guide Dog Memorial Smashed by Vandals." Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, N.S.W), 5 Jan 1972.

Stellmaker, Mary. "A Skeleton." Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, January 3 1977, 16. https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19770103-V82-01.pdf.

University of Newcastle (N.S.W.), University News, Vol.7, No.1, February19, 1981, [Archives Serial 24]. Living Histories, accessed 16/04/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/59488

Acknowledgements

Thanks to:

• Mark Rigby for the additional article with lots of new details
• Jennifer Edstein-Boyes for info about Lionel Edstein of JJ Edstein and Sons
• Kim Kaaden for the info about Ferdinand Johann (Dick) Kaaden

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[a] Mary Stellmaker, "After Many Years," Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, June 2 June 2, 1980, https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19800602-V85-22.pdf.

[b] Mary Stellmaker, "After Many Years," Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, June 2 June 2, 1980, https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19800602-V85-22.pdf.

[1] Mary Stellmaker, "A Skeleton," Australasian Record and Advent World Survey, January 3 1977, https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19770103-V82-01.pdf.

[2]"Memorial to Tessa - 'She did her duty'," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate (Newcastle, N.S.W), 1 Sep 1971.

[3]"Tessa's Monument Unveiled Soon." Newcastle Sun, 12 Nov 1971.

[4] Laurie Ware was also the creator of award given for the 1980 Convocation Newton-John Award given to Colin Anderson. University of Newcastle (N.S.W.), University News, Vol.7, No.1, February19, 1981, [Archives Serial 24]. Living Histories, accessed 16/04/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/59488

[5]"Guide Dog Remembered In Bronze," Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, N.S.W), 26 Nov 1971.

[6]Mike Scanlon, "Guide Dog Memorial Smashed by Vandals," Newcastle Sun (Newcastle, N.S.W), 5 Jan 1972.

[7]"Light Need For Tessa," Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate (Newcastle, N.S.W), 6 Jan 1972.

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_New_Year_Honours

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