The mystery that still fascinates Australia reimagined as a musical

THREE sisters are bringing their original musical about the mysterious disappearance of Gippsland woman Margaret Clement to Queenscliff’s Vue Hotel.

Gabrielle Murphy, Jacqueline Boell and Patricia Freeman have spent the past two years developing The Lady of the Swamp, inspired by one of Victoria’s most enduring unsolved mysteries.

“It’s one of these great unsolved mysteries,” Murphy said. “We are just fascinated by the story.”

Popularly known as the Lady of the Swamp, Margaret Clement was a Victorian socialite whose disappearance in Gippsland has intrigued Australians for decades.

Born into wealth, Margaret and her sister Jeanie bought Tullaree, a property in Buffalo.

With little understanding of farm management or economics, the property fell into disrepair and the sisters became destitute.

Jeanie passed away in 1952, two years before Margaret’s disappearance.

Though many theories still exist, Margaret was presumed dead by the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1954.

The one-act musical begins with Margaret and Jeanie’s purchase of Tullaree and follows the sisters’ lives through to Margaret’s disappearance.

Murphy said the story of the two sisters demonstrates the poor reception they received when buying Tullaree, and how quickly their naivety was taken advantage of.

“It was just a real testament to how society treated them,” Murphy said.

With music performed by Graeme Murphy, the story takes on a new dynamic with a collection of original songs featuring the three sisters’ harmonic vocals.

Murphy said the Vue Hotel felt like somewhere Margaret and Jeanie themselves might once have visited.

“I walked in thinking this would be really perfect to try and do The Lady of the Swamp,” she said.

“It just seemed like someplace that they would fit in perfectly.”

The Lady of the Swamp will be performed at the Vue Hotel in Queenscliff on 25 July.

Tickets available at trybooking.com/DLZQQ