Mary Dallas was a force of nature, loved by her colleagues, friends and clients, and by many of the Aboriginal people that she worked with throughout her many years as a consultant archaeologist. She was well known for her sense of humour, her colourful language, and her quick to-love and to-loathe disposition.
From shadowy Scottish origins, Mary found her home in Australia and her passion in its archaeology. She played a major role in the development and progression of professional archaeological consulting in Australia and is probably still arguing stratigraphy, (with the Bureaucrats) wherever she is now.
Many archaeologists benefitted from Mary’s generosity as she gave advice, time and assistance often and freely; nurturing and encouraging young archaeologists in their early careers. For many of us, Mary was a mentor and an inspiration, and was a part of our lives during our careers. For our Director, Kerry, it all started in Mary’s Balmain living room at a meeting of the Australia Association of Consulting Archaeologist’s (AACAI). Kerry’s first paid job was with Mary, and she would become a treasured friend.
In the case of our Associate Director Susan, her connection with Mary started as an undergraduate when Mary was her tutor at Sydney University. We all remember those events in the early years of AACAI - exuberant gatherings where the food was incredible, the wine flowed, ideas percolated, and all within the smallest living room, in the smallest house in Balmain. Like Dr Who’s Tardis, the interior capacity of her little home defied the apparent size of the exterior, and managed to accommodate the crowd!
Mary could turn any field project into an adventure. She worked hard and expected the same from those she worked with, but she also took time to enjoy the project setting, including the local scenery, local produce and local people. She believed that life was too short not to enjoy a delicious lunch. Indeed, her field lunches were famous and when it came time to spread out that picnic blanket it was all tools down!
Mary had a way of letting you know when someone displeased her, this often-involved colourful expletives, and of course you knew you were on the right side of friendship line when you received that coveted invitation to the annual January birthday soiree.
Mary enjoyed life, and life enjoyed her. We miss her passion, her generosity, intellect, art, wit, idiosyncrasies, and of course her legendary field lunches.
We will remember Mary as she would have wanted, with a wry grin, sipping champagne, picking at selected morsels, and talking to her cats under the table.
