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The Catalysts' Society (1910 - )

From
1910
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupations
Membership organisation

Summary

The Catalysts' Society developed out of the meetings of nineteen women with intellectual interests who planned to establish a Lyceum Club in Melbourne in 1910. The meetings proved so enjoyable that the women decided to meet on a regular basis while waiting for the Lyceum Club to be established. The nineteen original Catalysts held their first dinner meeting on 24 September 1910 at Sargent's Café. At that meeting they elected Ethel Osborne as president and Alice Michaelis and Jessie Webb as joint secretaries. They adopted the name of 'The Catalysts'. At their second meeting they chose their motto 'Changing but Unchanged'. Enid Derham presented the first paper on 'The works of Thomas Hardy', which was followed by discussion. This format for the monthly meetings continues today.

Details

The original Catalysts were:
Dr Ethel Osborne, Dr Janet Lindsay Greig, Miss Jessie Webb, Miss Enid Derham, Dr Constance Ellis, Dr Georgina Sweet, Dr Jane Greig, Flos Greig, Mrs Ray Phillips, Miss Alice Michaelis, Mrs Mary Barden, Miss Dora de Beer, Miss Stella Deakin, Miss Elizabeth Lothian, Mrs Ida Latham, Mrs Eleanor Latham, Miss Mona McBurney, Miss Mary Baldwin and Mrs Jessie Nott.

The meetings of the Catalysts are held on the second Monday of the month at the Lyceum Club.

Sources used to compile this entry: The catalysts: changing but unchanged Melbourne, 2001, pp1-2.

Related entries

Member

Secretary

Related Organisations

Archival resources

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

  • The Catalysts, 1910 - 2000, MS 11233; The Catalysts' Society (1910 - ); State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details
  • Lyceum Club (Melbourne) Records, 1912 - 1970, MS 11270; State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

Online Resources

See also

  • Gillison, Joan M, A History of the Lyceum Club Melbourne, The Lyceum Club, Melbourne, 1975, 118 pp. Details
  • Ridley, Ronald T, Jessie Webb, a memoir, University of Melbourne, Department of History, Parkville, Vic., 1994, 208 pp. Details

Rosemary Francis and Jane Carey

Created: 17 September 2003, Last modified: 2 July 2006

Site-wide information and acknowledgements

National Foundation for Australian Women The University of Melbourne, eScholarship Research Centre

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0550b.htm