Born

28 December 1857
Bristol, United Kingdom

Died

1940
Wales

Occupation

Headmistress

Summary

Eliza Fewings was appointed Headmistress of the Brisbane Girls' Grammar School in 1896. Her dismissal from the position in 1899 after accusations of incompetence by the second mistress, Maud Sellers, led to a great deal of public protest. Fewings opened her own school, the Brisbane State High School for Girls (Somerville House), in October 1899. By 1903 it was the largest girls' school in Queensland.

Sources used to compile this entry: Clarke, E., 'Fewings, Eliza Ann (1857-1941)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, Australian National University, 2006, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080517b.htm.