The bonnet pays tribute to Irish convict Bridget Connor, who was buried next to her husband James Dalton at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery next door.  

The bonnet was created and presented by Melbourne resident Jill Murphy, a descendant of Ms Connor.  

Ms Murphy travelled to Deloraine after discovering her bonnet had been selected to be part of a historical collection by heritage artist Christina Henri.

She said it was a relief to discover that Ms Connor and her husband were buried at the cemetery. 

“It wasn’t until I met Christina...who worked closely with Mary [the principal], who was able to fill us in of the details and it was extraordinary joyous surprise to find they weren’t buried under asphalt,” she said. 

Ms Henri said the garment is part of a wider project of bonnets across the world relevant to the female convict story.  

“Basically they were buried under the grass just outside this building so it was so relevant to bring the bonnet as the permanent remembrance of [Bridget’s] her life,” she said. 

Ms Connor died in Westbury, she said, but was buried in Deloraine. 

Our Lady of Mercy pupil Myra Sullivan, 12, said she’d learned about Australia’s history. 

Principal Mary Wall said the bonnet provided students with a piece of colonial history.