The Australian Women's Register

Dame Mary Hughes was awarded the Order of the British Empire – Dame Grand Cross – Civil, on 31 December 1921 for public services to Australia during World War I. It was the highest award a woman could obtain, and she was the first Australian to receive it. Mary Hughes was the wife of the 13th prime minister of Australia, William Morris (Billy) Hughes (1915-1923), one of Australia’s longest serving parliamentarians.

Alice Berry understood the problems of living in rural Australia and was committed to finding ways to improve the lives of women and children in rural areas. Through her work in the Country Women’s Association in Queensland, and in the Associated Country Women of the World, she made a lasting contribution to the provision of services in country areas. She was appointed to The Order of the British Empire – Dames Commander on 01 January 1960 for Service to country women.

Helen Blaxland spent much of her life working for charitable institutions, particularly the Australian Red Cross Society, for which she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1967. Her other interests included flower arrangement, on which she published two books. She was appointed as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 14 June 1975 for service to the community in recognition of her contribution to the National Trust (New South Wales) and the Parramatta Properties Committee.

Alice Chisholm, who was born in country New South Wales, was known for the provision of canteen services for soldiers in the middle east during World War I. On travelling to Egypt to be near her son who was wounded at Gallipoli, she was concerned at the inadequate amenities for soldiers in Cairo and subsequently, using mainly her own resources, established canteens in Heliopolis, an outer suburb of Cairo, and at Kantara, on the west bank of the Suez Canal. Ably assisted by Verania McPhillamy and Miss Rout, they developed Kantara into a soldiers’ club. Known as ‘Mother Chisholm’s’, it provided hot showers and competent, caring service to the thousands of soldiers who spent their leave there. At the end of the war the women insisted that the profits from the canteens be used to provide canteen facilities on the troop ships which were carrying the men home. In recognition of her work in Egypt, Alice Chisholm was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1918 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 3 March 1920 for organisation of canteens for the troops. Her later work included the presidency of the Cumberland branch of the Country Women’s Association from 1923-1927, and a commitment to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Dame Nellie Melba (née Helen Porter Mitchell) was an internationally renowned opera singer, celebrated for her magnificent coloratura (soprano) voice.

Ruby Foster was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1958 for social welfare services in Gippsland in Victoria. She was heavily involved with the Red Cross in Gippsland and Maffra, serving as president of the Maffra branch from 1941.

Joyce Stevens was a prominent member of the Sydney Women’s Liberation Movement, a socialist feminist member of the Communist Party of Australia, and a historian of the women’s movement.

In 1920 the Women’s Council was renamed the Sydney University Women Graduates’ Association. The newly-renamed Association became part of the Australian Federation of University Women, which was affiliated with the International Federation of University Women.

According to the University of Sydney Calendar of 1920, the ‘Association exists to further such interests as University women have in common, and to encourage its members to take an active interest in the University, and in such national and international affairs as may be considered of special important to all University women.’

The name of the Sydney University Women Graduates’ Assocation was changed to the N.S.W. Association of University Women Graduates in 1959.

The Sydney University Women’s Association was founded in May 1892 by Louisa MacDonald. The aim of the Association was to bring ‘all women Graduates and Undergraduates together from time to time for social and intellectual purposes, and of taking cognizance of all matters affecting their well-being.’

The New Hospital for Women was renamed the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women and Children when it was relocated to Redfern in 1925. The original hospital was co-founded by Dr Lucy Gullett and opened in January 1922. The Hospital was recognised as a public hospital in 1931.

In 1963 the name was changed to the Rachel Foster Hospital and four years later the first all-male ward was opened.

At a General Meeting on 9 July 1959, a motion was passed to change the name of the Sydney University Women Graduates’ Association to the the N.S.W. Association of University Women Graduates. The change of name was not reflected in the Sydney University Calendar until 1961.

According to the 1961 Calendar, the ‘N.S.W. Association of University Women Graduates exist[ed]… to co-operate, through the Australian Federation of University Women, with the International Federation of University Women’ as well as to ‘further such interests as university women in N.S.W. have in common and to encourage women graduates to take an active interest in the universities in N.S.W.’

At the General Meeting on 28 June 1974, a decision was made to change the name of the Association to the Australian Federation of University Women – New South Wales.

In mid-1974 the N.S.W. Association of University Women Graduates was renamed the Australian Federation of University Women – N.S.W.

Presumably, the New South Wales branch of the Australian Federation of University Women changed its name in 2009, at the same time the national body became the Australian Federation of Graduate Women (AFGW).

Born Charlotte Waring in London in 1796, Charlotte sailed for Sydney in 1826 employed to teach the children of Hannibal Macarthur. On the voyage she became engaged to James Atkinson who was returning to his property at Oldbury, Sutton Forest; they married on 29 September 1827 and had four children. When the youngest, Louisa, was only two months old James Atkinson died aged 34, leaving Charlotte to manage a large holding, run far-flung outstations and control convict labour in a district beset by bushranging gangs. In need of male protection, she married the Oldbury superintendent, George Bruce Barton, who turned out to be violent, unpredictable, a drunkard and mentally disturbed, from whom she made a daring escape with her children. Fiercely independent, Charlotte succeeded in challenging the male-dominated legal system and retaining custody of her children. In 1841 while receiving no money from the Atkinson estate, she wrote A Mother’s Offering to Her Children, the first children’s book published in Australia. Charlotte died at Oldbury on 10 October 1867.

Janet Cosh was the only child of Dr John and Louise Cosh (née Calvert). Janet attended the University of Sydney, where she studied English, History and the Classics. She moved to the Southern Highlands in 1934, where she took a keen interest in local history and the natural environment. In her late sixties, Janet devoted her life to the study of the native flora of the Southern Highlands, New South Wales and became a highly respected amateur botanist. After Janet’s death, her bequest to the University of Wollongong provided funds and botanical resources which were used to establish the Janet Cosh Herbarium.

Pat Lahy trained in physical education and established the first formal training course in counselling for people with disabilities in Australia. She was the first woman to hold the position of Dean of Arts at the University of Sydney.

St Catherine’s School is the oldest independent Anglican girls’ school in Australia. The school was established by Mrs Jane Barker in 1856 as a means of educating the daughters of the clergy.

The Sydney University Women’s Union was founded in 1914 to ‘manage the affairs of University women’. Their constitution was adopted by the Senate in 1915, but the Union did not start its work until March 1917.

This was the second group with the name ‘Sydney University Women’s Union’ at the University. The first Women’s Union was founded in c.1891 as the Sydney University Women’s Association. The Association was renamed in c.1910 to the Sydney University Women’s Union and again in 1915, to the Sydney University Women’s Council. This decision was made ‘in order to leave the latter name free for adoption by the new women’s organisation to be formed within the University.’

Formed in June 1903, the New South Wales Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) was made up of 20 clubs by 1910. The LGU changed its name to Women’s Gold NSW in 1996.

Alison Turtle was the first person to write detailed historiographies of Australian psychology.

Kathleen Commins completed a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University in 1931 and a Bachelor of Economics in 1934. During her time at university she was very active in the community. Kathleen was both secretary and president of the Women Evening Students’ Association, a member of the students’ representative council and director of the University Women’s Union. In 1931 she was appointed the first female editor of Sydney University’s magazine Hermes.

Kathleen began her freelance career in journalism in 1934 as a reporter of women’s sport, and in 1948 she was appointed assistant to the chief of staff. Kathleen retired from this position in 1969, having been employed by The Sydney Morning Herald for 35 years.

In addition, Kathleen was also an incredible sportswoman. She captained and managed the New South Wales women’s cricket team and also represented the state ‘in the junior division of the Australian lawn tennis championships at Kooyong.’

Ethel Anna Stephens was the first female member of the Council of the Art Society of New South Wales and also the preisdent of the Society of Women Painters.

Frensham, an independent boarding and day school for girls, was established by Winifred West and Phyllis Clubbe in 1913. Winifred was the head of the school from the time it opened until 1938.

The first New South Wales Branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was formed by Isabel Swann and Amy Wilkins in Newcastle in 1920.

After ceasing operations in 1939, WILPF NSW was revived by Margaret Holmes in Sydney in 1959.

Anita Walters (née Osmond) compiled the first Australian nutritional content of foods table. Called Tables of composition of Australian foods, Special Report Series 2, the report was published by the National Health and Medical Research Council in 1946.

After working in nutrition, Anita became Australia’s first female supervising examiner of patents in the early 1970s.

The Sydney Church of England Girls’ Grammar School was opened on 17 July 1895 at 65 (now 55) Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. In 1901, with 100 students now enrolled, the school moved to its current location in Forbes Street, Darlinghurst.

In 1995 the schools name was officially changed to SCEGGS Darlinghurst.

In 1995 the Sydney Church of England Girls’ Grammar School changed its name to SCEGGS Darlinghurst.