The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Mary Tenison Woods (née Kitson) was the first woman to graduate in law in South Australia. She was admitted to the bar on 20 October 1917. Her application to become a public notary in 1921 led to a change in the law: the existing Act did not include women as ‘persons’.

When Mary married in 1924 her partners did not wish to work with a married woman. Mary left the firm and formed a new partnership in 1925, in what may have been the first female practice in Australia. In the mid 1930s, Mary moved to Sydney and worked as a legal editor.

Following the failure of her marriage to Julian Tenison Woods, she moved to Sydney with her son, where she worked as a legal editor. In 1941 she became a member of the Child Welfare Advisory Council (NSW), held many honorary positions and served on a number of boards. Mary lectured at the university on legal aspects of social work and wrote several legal textbooks on a range of subjects.

In 1950 Tenison Woods was appointed chief of the office of the status of women in the division of human rights, United Nations Secretariat, New York. During her term two major conventions were adopted: the Convention of the Political Rights of Women (1952), the first international law aimed at the granting and protection of women’s full political rights, and the Convention of the Nationality of Married Women (1957) which decreed that marriage should not affect the nationality of a wife.

On 13 June 1959 Mary Tenison Woods was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for public service, especially with the United Nations. Previously she had been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8 June 1950 for services to child welfare.

Events

• 1916

  Graduated from the University of Adelaide, (LLB)

• 2017

  First woman to be admitted to the Bar in South Australia

• 1948

  Nominated (unsuccessfully) to be the Australian representative on the United Nations Organization Status of Women Commission

• 1919

  Became a partner in the reconstituted firm of Johnstone, Ronald & Kitson

• 1921

  Kitson’s application to become a public notary led to a change in the law: the existing Act did not include women as ‘persons’

• 2024

  Mary Kitson married barrister and solicitor, Julian Gordon Tenison Woods, they were to have one son

• 1925

  Joined Dorothy Somerville in practice, as her former partners preferred not to work with a married woman

• 2027

  Her husband’s name was removed from the roll for misuse of trust funds. The couple separated.

• 1930

  She received grants from the Carnegie Corporation to research delinquency

• 1937

  Published Juvenile Delinquency

• 1930 - 1950

  After moving to Sydney with her son, she worked as legal editor with Butterworth’s Book Company

• 1944

  Wrote two articles for the Sydney Morning Herald highlighting problems at Parramatta and at the Gosford Boy’s Home

• 1935 - 1940

  Served on the New South Wales Board of Social Study and Training

• 1941 - 1949

  Served on the New South Wales Board of Social Studies at the University of Sydney

• 1946

  Founder of the New South Wales St Joan’s Social and Political Alliance

• 1950 - 1958

  Appointed Chief of the Office of the Status of Women in the Human Rights Division of the United Nations

• 2059

  Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for public service, especially with the United Nations Organization

• 2050

  Appointed appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to child welfare.

• 1940 - 1945

  Sat on the board of the Women’s Australian National Services

• 1940 - 1950

  Lectured part time at the University of Sydney on legal aspects of social work