{"id":4255,"date":"2020-07-29T14:25:48","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T04:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bassstraitmaritimecentre.com.au\/?p=4255"},"modified":"2022-12-15T12:13:26","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T01:13:26","slug":"annie-cocker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bassstraitmaritimecentre.com.au\/news\/annie-cocker\/","title":{"rendered":"Annie Cocker"},"content":{"rendered":"
Born in\u00a0<\/span>1857<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>to David and Clara Cocker,\u00a0<\/span>Annie was one of eight daughters, two of whom died in infancy, and five sons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>David Cocker was one of the pioneers of the North West Coast. He and his brothers owned a fleet of vessels which sailed between the Mersey River and Port Phillip in Victor<\/span>ia, and he\u00a0<\/span>was also Master Warden of the Mersey Marine Board and Chairman of the Town Board of Formby. In 1890 Annie\u2019s mother died<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0According to the inquest\u00a0<\/span>held\u00a0<\/span>at the time,\u00a0<\/span>she<\/span>\u00a0took her own life while of unsound mind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When she was eighteen Annie was living with her sister Clara in their aunt Catherine’s home at 13 Thomas Street<\/span> Torquay<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0w<\/span>hen her aunt was approached to relocate the Torquay post office to her house<\/span>. Her aunt<\/span>\u00a0agreed,\u00a0<\/span>which resulted in<\/span>\u00a0Annie\u00a0<\/span>working<\/span>\u00a0in the post office.<\/span>\u00a0Later she was put in charge of the Burnie Post Office, a position she held until 1883<\/span>\u00a0when<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0aged 26<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>she\u00a0<\/span>left Tasmania on the\u00a0<\/span>Ormuz<\/span><\/i>\u00a0bound for London. Having developed her reputation as an artist<\/span>\u00a0in Tasmania<\/span>, she intended to visit some of the well-known artistic centres in Europe and to work as a student under\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>best teachers she could find.<\/span>\u00a0She\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0known to have studied both oil and watercolour painting\u00a0<\/span>while\u00a0<\/span>overseas.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n