Members of the Canowindra Historical Society were saddened to hear of the recent death of Frances Robinson. Although she had lived in Sydney for many years, she joined the Society in the early 1970s when a teacher at Cowra High School. She was a great granddaughter of William Robinson II, licensee of the Canowindra Inn when bushrangers, Ben Hall and gang held it up in 1863.
Frances recorded the story of the bushranger raids in a small booklet launched in 1979. After it sold out she agreed to expand it for a reprint. The result was the attractive orange covered book, Canowindra and the Bushrangers and the Robinson Connection, which was launched in 1996 during Canowindra Show weekend.
Throughout the years Frances also carried out much research and was awarded a Certificate of Achievement by the Royal Australian Historical Society for her work with Canowindra Historical Society. In 2001 she was invited to open The Pre 1901 Pioneers Wall at the entrance to the Historical Museum.