The Australian Women's Register

Jan Fullerton was the Director General of the National Library of Australia (NLA) from 9 August 1999 until June 2010. She was the first woman to hold this position and had been part of the NLA since she began working in the film department in March 1967.

Under Jan’s leadership, the NLA collection became much more accessible to students, researchers and the general public. Both the Picture Australia website and the digitisation of Australian newspapers occurred during her time as Director General.

In 2005 Jan Fullerton was awarded an AO ‘for service to librarianship through the facilitation of wider community access to the collections of the National Library of Australia, the preservation of cultural heritage in digital forms, and collaboration with other collecting agencies nationally and internationally’. Jan was also made an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities in 2006, awarded the HCL Anderson Award in March 2010 and a Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of Queensland in December 2010.

Christobel Mattingley has published 45 children’s books, five biographical or history books for adults, as well as short stories, poems, articles and film scripts.

For her writing, Christobel has received numerous awards, including the Children’s Book Council of the Year Award, Younger Readers (1982), and Children’s Christian Book of the Year (1986). In 2017 her book Maralinga’s Long Shadow: Yvonne’s Story, was awarded the Young People’s History Prize in the NSW Premier’s History Awards.

In addition, Christobel has received two Honorary Doctorates; one from the University of South Australia in 1995 and the other an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Tasmania in 2015.

Christobel Mattingley has also been awarded an AM for service to literature, particularly children’s literature, and for community service through her commitment to social and cultural issues.

Kerry White was a student at the University of Wollongong, as well as a tutor and lecturer at the institution in Australian literature and children’s books. In 1989 she left the university to focus on bibliography and writing.

During her career, Kerry has served on the board of the Poetry Australia Foundation and has been a judge for a number of literary awards, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Children’s Book of the Year Awards. She has also published widely for Australian and international journals.

In addition to the resources listed below, Kerry White donated a significant number of Australian children’s books to the National Library of Australia (see NLA Bib ID 6193099).

Theresa (Terry) Moore married ecologist and scientist Raymond Milton Moore in 1940. She was involved with the Canberra Repertory Society and kept very thorough diaries, which are now held by the National Library of Australia.

Vivienne Rae-Ellis was born in Tasmania, however lived in England from 1987. She published books in many genres including children’s fiction, biography and adult fiction and she also conducted oral history interviews for the National Library of Australia.

Prior to her writing career, Vivienne worked as an actress, a newspaper columnist, a scriptwriter and a public relations officer.

Brenda Niall is a distinguished academic and biographer who has won many literary awards.

In 2001 Brenda was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of Australian literature, and in 2004 she was named an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for service to Australian literature as an academic, biographer and literary critic.

In 1931, aviatrix Maude ‘Lores’ Bonney broke the Australian record for the longest one-day flight by a woman and the following year she became the first woman to circumnavigate Australia by air. She was also the first person to fly from Australia to England and the first person to undertake a solo flight from Australia to South Africa.

Ninette Dutton published a number of books on the Australian landscape and gardening which she often illustrated with her own botanical drawings. Ninette also studied art in both Europe and America, establishing herself as an enamellist and often holding exhibitions of her work.

Judy Horacek majored in fine arts and English literature at the University of Melbourne. After travelling, Judy returned to university to complete an honours degree, followed by a Diploma of Museum Studies. As she was unable to secure employment as a museum curator, Judy decided to become a cartoonist. Over the years she has created illustrations for Meanjin, the Age, the Australian, plus many others.

Win Olive was heavily impacted by the events of the Second World War, particularly as most of her male friends were deployed overseas to fight. This experience motivated Win’s later anti-war activities, as well as her defence of the environment, her concern for Indigenous people and their fight for justice, and her decision to embark on the journey of the Pacific Peacemaker.

The Pacific Peacemaker sailed around the Pacific in protest of nuclear weapons, specifically the launch of the Trident nuclear submarines in North America. Setting sail in December 1981, the journey took the yacht’s eleven crew members nine months. The voyage was documented in the film The Land My Mother by David Roberts and Win also published a book about their journey, titled Voyage of the Pacific Peacemaker.

Bronwyn Thomas was an artist, art teacher and gallery director who had a particular interest in Chinese culture.

JoAnne Page is a dance notator who has primarily worked in contemporary dance.

Bene Gibson Smyth was an Australian composer of songs for children.

Poet and publisher Marjorie Pizer founded the Pinchgut Press with her husband in 1947.

Marjorie was also a psychotherapist for more than 50 years.

Veronica Condon is the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Syme, who was the managing editor of the Age and the Leader newspapers from 1908 to 1942.

Lynne Segal worked for the publishing company Harper & Rowe (now HarperCollins) from 1985 to 1987 and as a freelance editor from 1992 to 1995.

Eleanor Cullis-Hill was a pioneer Australian female architect who worked in Sydney after the Second World War. She received her initial architecture training at the University of Sydney during the 1930s.