The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Educated at the University of Sydney, (she received her B.A. in 1891) Theodosia Wallace tried teaching before she swiftly moved into journalism. Coming from a family of journalists, perhaps this was hardly surprising.

At the age of 20 she wrote a social column for the Melbourne Argus and Australasian as ‘Biddy B.A.’ She also contributed to the Sydney Morning Herald and later joined its staff, writing mainly on temperance and feminist subjects, such as the passing of the Married Women’s Property Act, free kindergartens and changes to the laws on prostitution. The Herald started a weekly feature, ‘A Page for Women’, in September 1905 and Theodosia was appointed editor for the page.

Theodosia Wallace also established a presence in regional newspapers. She wrote syndicated letters for the Orange Leader and a Dubbo newspaper. In the Newcastle Herald, under the pseudonym ‘INO’, her weekly column ‘An Idle Woman’s Diary’ ran from 1920. She was the first head of the Country Press Association’s press-cutting service, working there for about thirty years. She was a founding member of the Society of Women Writers.

Events

• 1970 - 1930