Proud Marys

The Proud Marys is an international association for women whose name contains Mary or a derivative. The Association was formed in Maryborough in 1999 with a small band of volunteers determined to raise the profile of Maryborough as the birthplace of P L Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins.

The Proud Marys have a long history of fostering the idea of Mary Poppins and the connection of P L Travers to the Maryborough community.  Part of our activities centred around the celebration of a Mary Poppins Market Day, the forerunner of the Mary Poppins Festival.

Proud Marys members were the driving force behind the Mary Poppins statue, erected in Richmond Street in 2005 outside the author’s birthplace. 

The group conducts the annual Mary Poppins Literary and Art Competition, which provides an avenue for budding writers and artists to express their creativity and also celebrates Maryborough's connection with Pamela Travers.
The competition has become an important event in the cultural and creative fabric of Maryborough and is financially supported  by the Cherry Tree Foundation in London, which administers the Travers estate.