National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame presents the
HerStory Archive
This is a collection of stories which tell of the achievements of over 1,500 pioneering women in various fields. We are proud that our HerStory Archive brings Australian women and their achievements to light, and we hope that you enjoy discovering these inspiring women.
This archive contains more information about some women than others. As a small, not-for-profit museum, our limited resources often prevent us from collecting as much information as we would like. The information we do have, however, brings Australian women and their achievements to light. If you have additional information on any woman who features in our Herstory Archive, please contribute it here.
HerStory Home
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GOLDER, Hazel Clarence
Born 29 March 1894, Died 1984
1930s - Ran one of the first guest houses in Alice Springs, named “The Bushman's Rest.” It was in an area situated between Shell Todd and Murray Neck's Video Shop. Hazel…
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CARNEY, Jodeen
Born 9/12/1965
2005 - First female Leader of the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party
First Centralian to be Leader of the Country Liberal Party. -
MELBA, Nellie
Born 19/05/1861, Died 23/02/1931
Also known as: née Helen Porter Mitchell, Nellie, Dame Nellie Melba
Australia's greatest opera singer.
1911 - First Australian opera super star.
First Australian singer to be recorded on cylinder.
First performer in the world to have an opera… -
GOREY, Nathalie Gladwyn
Died 11/11/1951
Also known as: née Lacey, Nat
1947 - Founded first free kindergarten in Alice Springs. First President of Alice Springs Kindergarten Inc. Author of The Alice, The Story of Alice Springs and a book of…
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KEATS, Margaret Gwendoline
Born 1895, Died 6/4/1970
Australia's first woman to qualify as a veterinarian with university training, she was also the first and only woman to graduate from Australia's first veterinary faculty…
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PRIOR, Ruby Dawn
Born 1925
Also known as: née Vivian, Dawn
1998 - Had been a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service for 44 years.
1992 - She was awarded the Order of Australia, for services to the Royal Flying Doctor Service Auxilliary… -
KENNY, Elizabeth
Born 20/9/1880, Died 30/11/1952
Also known as: Sister Elizabeth Kenny
1911 - First person to implement an effective method of treatment for Infantile Paralysis (Poliomyelitis).
1927 - Designed and patented the “Sylvia”ambulance stretcher which reduced… -
FINLAYSON, Janet Catherine
Also known as: Jean
In 1915, John Flynn asked Sister Jean Finlayson to do a one-year trial as nursing sister in Stuart (now known as Alice Springs). 1915-1916 - First official Nursing Sister in Stuart…
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TAYLOR, Doris Irene
Born 25/07/1901, Died 23/05/1968
1953 - Founder of first Meals on Wheels organisation in Australia (South Australia). 1959 - Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire.
The South Australian Electoral district… -
MCCAFFERY, Effie Gwyneth
Also known as: née Downie, Billie
1935- The first female hairdresser in Northern Territory. Apprenticed to a Miss Jockel, who ran a hairdressing salon in Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria.In Alice Springs, as hostess…
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MACK, Frances
Born 1922
Also known as: née Rowe
Pioneer of Victoria and New South Wales during The Depression and war years.
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SMITH, Frances
Died 16/02/2003
Also known as: née Thomas
Long time Alice Springs' volunteer at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens. She fought for the preservation of a green belt when 'New Eastside' was being planned. In 1974…
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PITCHER, Julia
Also known as: Dr Julia Pitcher
Neurophysiologist. She and her team's research was named among the top 10 health and medical research projects in Australia.
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LONGMORE, Lydia
Born 15/7/1874, Died 30/10/1967
1917 - First female Inspector of Schools (Lower Grades).
1957 - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil), “Mother's Clubs in South Australia.” 1918 - Founded… -
NOONUCCAL, Oodgeroo
Born 3/11/1920, Died 16/9/1993
Also known as: Kath Walker, born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska
Self-educated from the age of 13, through her employers' libraries when a domestic servant, this Noonuccal woman from Queensland's Stradbroke Island wrote the anthology of…
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BALLARD, Kareena
From 1996-1998, Kareena Ballard was the first female president of both the Real Estate Institute of WA and the Real Estate Institute of Australia. She was awarded the REIWA Kevin…
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GILLEN, Amelia Maud
Born 26/05/1869, Died 16/11/1928
Also known as: née Besley, Minnie, Amelia Maude
Amelia “Minnie” Gillen was an accomplished singer and pianist. As a twenty-two-year-old bride, she travelled from Mount Gambier to her new home at Alice Springs in 1891.The wife of…
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JACKSON, Frances
Also known as: nee Hyatt
1930 - First Tasmanian woman to become a pilot.
First woman to fly from Goulburn to Mascot and return. Born in 1908, as a teenager, Frances Hyatt lived with her family at Dunalley and… -
WARD, Susannah Matilda
Died 4/06/1862
Also known as: née Baldwin
1820 - Pioneer of early New South Wales.
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LAHY, Mary Patricia
Born 24/5/1928, Died 11/5/2004
1979 - Became Sydney University's first woman Dean of Arts.
1992 - She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, services to higher education. 1963 - Graduated with… -
BUCHANAN, Susan
Born 1946
Susan Buchanan was the first woman head of New South Wales' pre-eminent dental hospital, the United Dental Hospital, Sydney (Director of Dental Services: 1999). Susan graduated…
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O'REILLY, Anna Maria
1825 - One of first women to own and operate a hat shop in their Castlereagh Street residence, Sydney, New South Wales.
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SHEARER, Daisy
Also known as: née Swan
Written on the back of the drawing: Excellent cook. Husband in government service. Mrs Shearer was a former sister at the hospital.Came to Alice Springs after war to wok as…
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ANDERSON, Clara Victoria Elizabeth
Born 21/2/1872, Died 6/4/1975
Also known as: Vic Campbell (maiden name)
Pioneer of Theodore, Queensland. As a child, Clara lived with her family at several different stations before settling at their property, “Claravale”, in Queensland. In her married…
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RANKIN, Annabelle Jane Mary
Born 28/07/1908, Died 30/08/1986
Also known as: née Rankin
The first woman to head an Australian diplomatic mission, she was the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand from 1971-1974. Prior to her diplomatic career she had been in…
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BARNARD, Marjorie Faith
Born 16/08/1897, Died 8/05/1987
Also known as: Marjory
1928 the Bulletin Prize 1981 Officer of the Order of Australia AO 1983 Patrick White Award 1984 NSW Premier's Special Award 1986 Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of…
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LEVAI, Amy
Born 1930, Died 29/3/2013
Also known as: née O’Donoghue
First Indigenous teacher in South Australia.
1989 - Awarded NAIDOC Aboriginal of the Year; 1998 NAIDOC Aboriginal Elder of the Year.
2010 – Received award for Outstanding Service… -
MCKAY, Heather Pamela
Born 31/07/1941
Also known as: née Blundell
1977 - First woman to win the major International Squash Championship - 16 years in succession.
1999 - Became first player admitted as a member of the Women's International Squash… -
BALUCH, Joy
Born 10/10/1932, Died 14/05/2013
Also known as: Nancy Joy Copley, Nancy Joy Baluch
Joy Baluch was the first woman mayor of Port Augusta, South Australia. She presided as mayor for 29 years over 3 terms; 15 years on the Local Government Association executive and…
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REYNELL, Gladys
Born 4/09/1881, Died 16/11/1956
Also known as: née Reynell, Gladys Osborne
Gladys Reynell was South Australia's first studio potter and the first Australian artist to apply modernist principles to the crafts. She was also an accomplished painter and…
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KARTINYERI, Doreen Maude
Born 1935, Died 2/12/2007
Doreen Kartinyeri was a prominent Aboriginal activist and historian. She was a child of the stolen generation, worked as a domestic servant from the age of thirteen, had eight children…
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ANDREW, Elizabeth
Born 1948, Died 12/4/1993
Also known as: Elizabeth Andrew-Oates
Northern Territory's first woman to hold an executive and Cabinet position. At first, she was the Executive Member for Education and Consumer Services, then for Education and Law…
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LITTLEJOHN, Patricia Kathleen
Born 23/6/1913, Died 9/1998
Also known as: Patricia Abbott
Pat Littlejohn was the second woman to enrol in the Sydney University faculty of Veterinary Science, in 1931, but the first to graduate, in 1935 (Ann Flashman was the first to enrol in…
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PROBIN, Bridget
Born 30/10/1918, Died 18 June 2007
Also known as: née Fitzsimons, Betty
Recipient of French Star, German Star, Burma Star, 1939 to 1945 Star, Civil Defence Work Medal, Normandy Landing Medal, Diploma of Honour from France, 2000, and the French…
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FIELD, Michelle
“In September 1988, three trailblazing women - Michelle Field, Jacqui Segger and Virginia Forbes (née Bell) - graduated alongside twenty men from the Victoria Street Training College…
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BRONHILL, June Mary
Born 26/06/1929, Died 24/01/2005
Also known as: née Gough
Australian National Opera and Sadler's Wells Opera Company Singer. Winner of Sydney Eisteddfod and Sun Aria Prize. 1949 came third in Sydney Eisteddfod behind Joan…
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JENKINS, Elsie May
Born 1889, Died 9/9/1974
Also known as: née Goodrich, Ma
Pioneer opal miner (with husband) at Lightning Ridge (NSW) and Coober Pedy (SA). Known as the “Opal Queen.”
1915 - “A wonderful horsewoman and the Best Hack and Hunter [equestrian show… -
WALKER, Robyn Margaret
Born 1/07/1959
2011 - Robyn Walker became the first female in the Royal Australian Navy to attain the rank of Rear Admiral. This made her the first Australian woman to reach “two-star” rank in the…
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WESTWOOD, Chris
First Executive Producer of Innovative State Theatre of South Australia. Initiated the first Women Directors' Workshops, Women and Theatre Projects, and the Women and Arts…
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KING, Georgina
Born 6/6/1845, Died 7/6/1932
Australia's first female geologist. Georgina came from a family who held the natural sciences in high regard. As she was growing up, she did not lack for mentors among the…
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GOLDING, Annie Mackenzie
Born 10/03/1857, Died 28/12/1934
Lobbied for equal pay, female education, removal of sex barrier in employment (e.g., appointment of women as JPs and police officers). In 1909, wrote a paper entitled “The Industrial…
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SPENCE, Catherine Helen
Born 31/10/1825, Died 3/4/1910
The first female member of a public board when appointed to the East Adelaide School Board of Advice in 1877, she was also the first woman in Australia to participate in an official…
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JOHNSON, Stella Annette
Born 14/2/1925
Also known as: nee Dunn
Despite her handicap, she was a community worker and taught handicraft on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Community worker - Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
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MILLS, Jennifer
Born 1977
Australian novelist, short story writer and poet. Won 1st and 2nd prizes in the Alice Springs News Short Story Competition, 2007.
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ANDREWS, Shirley Aldythea
Born 6/11/1915, Died 15/9/2001
Shirley graduated in Science when women were barely tolerated as students. She went on to work for six years at the Veterinary School of the University of Melbourne. In 1947, she…
