Death
Gertrude Johnson died on 28 March 1973 at Malvern. Her estate, valued at $117,000, was put towards scholarships for students at the National Theatre schools and continues today. From 2008 a new opera school opened in Melbourne (the Opera Studio) under Linda Thomson with the aims of continuing Miss Johnson's works (her own National Opera School merged with the Victorian College of the Arts in 1980). From 2009 a Scholarship called "The Gertrude Johnson Scholarship" has been awarded to a student at the studio continuing her legacy.
She was such a charismatic and inspirational character that she has become the central character in a novel. Vissi d'arte was written by Joanna Stephen-Ward and the character Harriet Sahw is based on Gerturde Johnson, although Gertrude was a far kinder person than Harriet Shaw. The rest of the characters are fictional. Vissi d'arte is set in Melbourne and many of the scenes take place in The National Theatre in St Kilda.
Read more about this topic: Gertrude Johnson
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