The Australian Women's Register

Ester Baylis was a prize-winning Pictorialist photographer and an active member of the Adelaide Camera Club. Baylis’ focus was primarily architectural photography, having previously trained in architecture. Baylis initially used a Box Brownie camera, and with prize money purchased a Thornton Pickard enlarger and an Adams Minex camera. Baylis was the first woman photographer to be included in an Australian public collection.

Joyce Waterhouse was an amateur Pictorialist landscape photographer. She travelled widely, taking photographs in India, Indonesia, New Zealand and North Africa, as well as of locations throughout Australia. She enlarged and printed her own photographs and was able to support herself financially with the sale of her travel photography. She exhibited her work in South Australia and Victoria.

Doris Barnes was an award winning amateur photographer who practised photography throughout her life, active from the 1910s to the 1990s. Her photographs were predominantly created in the Pictorialist style. She was a life member of the Adelaide Camera Club, exhibited in Adelaide and interstate, as well as in London. The Art Gallery of South Australia acquired some of her portraits as early as 1940.

Gwendolyn Morris was known for the photographs she created in the Pictorialist style, as well as for her architectural photographs.

Lily Kingsborough was an amateur photographer who is best known for her studies of flowers.

Marie Anne Tuck is mainly known for her paintings. Tuck was the first Australian woman to win honours at the Paris Salon. She worked as an artist, teacher and at a photography studio, in Western Australia. She exhibited in Paris, Western Australia, Adelaide, South Australia and New South Wales.

Helen Ferber’s lifelong engagement with public affairs and social welfare, both in Australia and Europe, reflected her commitment to the common good. She began her working life in World War II, monitoring and translating enemy radio broadcasts for the Australian Short Wave Listening Post. After the war, her language skills, love of other cultures and strong sense of social justice led her to work with United Nations refugee agencies in Europe.

In 1948, Helen married David Ferber, US Vice Consul in Melbourne, and took up the work of a ‘diplomatic wife’. In the mid 1950s the family returned to Australia and Helen spent much of her time caring for their disabled son. During this period she undertook volunteer work with women’s organisations in Melbourne, and rose rapidly to positions of authority.

In 1965 she took a part-time position with the Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne. Initially employed to interview non-English-speaking households, she soon progressed to writing and editing reports, becoming the editor of the institute’s publications and a respected writer on social policy. Throughout her life she developed and cherished many deep friendships and was both an inspiration and support to other women as they developed their skills and careers.

Ellen Ryan held licences for hotels in the Northern Territory from 1878, becoming a wealthy and successful business woman in her own right. She had a reputation as one of the Northern Territory’s best hostesses, organising a variety of entertainment for her hotel patrons and local residents.

Ellen was one of the 82 Territory women who enrolled to vote after the franchise was granted to South Australian and Territory women in 1894.

Rosalie McCutcheon was Head of the Junior School of the Frensham School in New South Wales from 1941 to 1947 and 1953 to 1955. She was also Australian Secretary for the World Students Relief (1949-1953) and the Resident Secretary of the Australian Student Christian Movement, Universities of Sydney and New South Wales (1958-1964).

Rosalie was the first Deputy Director of International House, University of Sydney, from 1966 to 1972. Affectionately known as Mrs Mac, she devoted herself to the well-being of all residents.

The International House at the University of Sydney awards the Rosalie McCutcheon Scholarship to assist a resident either with academic or professional development, or to attend a conference, seminar or workshop in their area of study or on international issues.

The Scholarship was set up after the International House Alumni Association (SUIHAA) received a bequest from her estate, which subsequently became the Rosalie McCutcheon Scholarship Fund.

Miriam Hyde was one of the Australia’s leading pianists and composers of the twentieth century.

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.

Barbara Ross was a historian and a former staff member of the National Library of Australia (NLA). Prior to the NLA Barbara worked as a County Record Office archivist in England and as an archivist with the Commonwealth Archives Office in Canberra. For a time she also worked as a valuer under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme.

Lady Elizabeth Wilson, wife of Sir Keith Cameron Wilson, was very active in the Adelaide community and involved in many local organisations. She was divisional commandant of the South Australian division of the Red Cross during the Second World War and chairman of the branch from 1969 to 1972. In 1946 Elizabeth was approached to become a member of the board of governors of the Burnside War Memorial Hospital and she remained a member for the duration of her life.

For seven years Elizabeth was president of the Mothers’ and Babies’ Health Association (MBHA), in addition to being chairman of the Saint Peter’s College Mission and a patron of the Cornish Association of South Australia. Elizabeth was a member of the Pan-Pacific South East Asian Women’s Association for a number of decades, and at the time of her oral history interview with Amy McGrath, she was also president of the Association.

In 1946 Elizabeth was appointed an MBE for her work with charities, followed by a CBE in 1959 for her work in social welfare.

Christobel Mattingley 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 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 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 was also awarded an AM for service to literature, particularly children’s literature, and for community service through her commitment to social and cultural issues in 1996.

Throughout her career artist Leeanne Crisp has held numerous solo exhibitions and been a part of over 60 group exhibitions. She has taught at the Canberra Institute of the Arts, Australian National University, since 1975 and has also been employed at the National Gallery of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery. For her work Leeanne has received the Canberra Institute of Arts Drawing prize (1989), the Tuggeranong Art Prize (2003) and the John Copes Watercolour Prize (2011), in addition to many other awards.

For a short time Nancy Elizabeth Flannery worked as a journalist and broadcaster, before establishing a small publishing company called Nadjuri, where she was the executive editor. In 1971 she published her first book, Change on change: a history of the northern highlands of South Australia.

Nancy also worked as a radio journalist, a tutor in communication skills, as a consultant for the National Film and Sound Archive and as a valuer for the Tax Incentives for the Arts scheme. Nancy developed a particular interest in Antarctica after she was invited to value the Mawson Collection at the University of Adelaide. She became a member of the Friends of Mawson at their inaugural meeting in 2000 and later became their official consultant. Nancy was granted a life membership of in 2006.

The Honourable Dame Roma Mitchell was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 1 January 2000. During her life Dame Roma achieved a number of firsts. She was the first woman Governor of an Australian State (South Australia, 1991-1996), the first woman Chancellor of a university in Australia (University of Adelaide, 1983-1990) and the first Australian woman Queen’s Counsel (1962).

Judith Anderson was the first Australian-born actress to be conferred with the title of Dame. On 01 January 1960 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire – Dames Commander, for services as an actress.

In 1955, Nancy Buttfield became the first South Australian woman member of an Australian Parliament. She was appointed the Order of the British Empire (Dames Commander) on 1 January 1972 for political and public services.

On the 31 December 1977, Mary Durack was appointed to the Order of the British Empire, Dames Commander, for her services to literature. In acknowledgment of her accomplishments she was also honoured with an AC (1989) and OBE in 1966. Dame Mary Durack is remembered as being the author of publications that includes Kings in Grass Castles, To Ride a Fine Horse, Sons in the Saddle and Swan River Saga: Life of Early Pioneer Eliza Shaw.

Sesca Zelling was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1960 in recognition of her service to women and the community of South Australia.

Martha Sarah Bidmead was the first South Australian and one of three Australian nurses who were awarded the Royal Red Cross (RRC) medal for service during the Boer War. After her war service she continued her nursing career in South Australia and assumed the position of superintendent of the District Trained Nursing Society of South Australia from 1912 until her retirement in 1926.