Pioneer Women Hall of Fame

LACEY, Annie Florence

Born 28/10/1893, Died 1960

Also known as: née Rampton, Nance

Opened first hospital for people with Leprosy in Melbourne in early 1950s. Pioneering Bush Nurse in Northern Territory and Far North Queensland.1919 - Trained as nurse, Hobart General…

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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…

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LAM, Le

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LAMB, Elsie Regina

Born 1/2/1887

District midwife in Wingham, New South Wales.During World War I provided voluntary aid at Bullinmimbah Station.During World War II worked in the Department of the Air.

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LAMBERT, Roslyn Marjory

Born 2/4/1943

Believed to be the first woman in the banking industry to be granted male pay rate.

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LAMONT, Jill

Pioneer road train driver. Only female on construction site at Yulara - delivering freight.

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LANDER, Bertha Almerta

Born 21/9/1916, Died 16/5/2005

Also known as: Mertie, née Harrison

Central Australian pioneer.ca 1953 - While camped at Never Never, Northern Territory, the British dropped an atom bomb at Maralinga, South Australia, and the cloud engulfed the area.

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LANG, Nell Margaret

Born 22/4/1913, Died 31/3/2002

Also known as: née Barrow

One of the first nurses to be admitted to the Navy, during World War II. 1944-1945 - Navy nurse - Served in Milne Bay, New Guinea.

LANGTON, Marcia Lynne

Born 31/10/1951

1993 - Awarded Member of the Order of Australia, for service as an anthropologist and advocate of Aboriginal issues. 2000 - Inaugural Professor of Australian Indigenous Studies,…

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LARON, Eve

1983 - Founded Constructive Women Inc, the association of women architects, landscape architects, planners and women of the building industry.

LASCELLES, Patricia Elizabeth

Born 24/11/1926, Died 4/05/2018

Also known as: née Tuckwell, Bambi Shmith, Bambi Smith, Lady Harewood, Countess of Harewood, Dowager Countess of Harewood

Possibly first Australian to marry into British royalty. Australian musician (violin) and model (known as Bambi Smith).

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LATTY, Margaret Anne

1965 - First female police officer in Alice Springs - handled all offences concerning women and children.

LAVER, edith May

Also known as: née Parker

Edith May Parker married Jack Laver after World War I. They later took up the Stuart Arms Hotel licence, and with their son Robert (Bob), travelled on the train from South Australia to…

LAW, Nelle Isabel

Died 6/1990

Also known as: Nel Law, née Allan

1960–61 - As the wife of the scientist and explorer Phillip Law, she was the first Australian women to set foot in Antarctica when she travelled with her husband to the Mawson…

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LAWLER, Alma Rita

Born 19/9/1900, Died 13/9/1987

Also known as: née Kennedy

Married Herbert Thomas Lawler of 'Hilldyke,' Michelogo. Raised her family and helped on the property when required. Teacher, St Vincents College, Potts Point, New South…

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LAWRENCE, Carmen Mary

Born 1948

1990 - First female to head a state government when elected Premier of Western Australia, following the disposing of the Premier by the Labour Government. She was defeated at the next…

LAWRENCE, Marjorie Florence

Born 17/2/1907, Died 13/1/1979

1946 - Received the cross of the Légion d'honneur, France.
1976 - Appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Former singer who, after contracting…

LAWRIE, Alline Dawn

Born 3/11/1938

Also known as: Dawn

Northern Territory Independent for Nightcliff for 12 years focussing on human rights.

LAWSON, Louisa

Born 17/2/1848, Died 12/8/1920

Also known as: née Albury. Louisa also wrote under the pseudonyms “Archie Lawson”, “Dora Falconer” and “Mrs Appleby”.

Louisa Lawson was the first to found a school at the New South Wales gold digging fields. In 1887, Louisa Lawson bought the ailing newspaper, Republican, which she and her son Henry…

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LAWTON, Margaret Doreen

Born 18/4/1923, Died 18/5/2002

Also known as: Peg, Peggy, Peg Gooden

1998 - Awarded Order of Australia in Australia Day Honours List, community service to the Flinders Medical Centre Volunteer Service. 22 years volunteering at Flinders Medical Centre,…

LAXON, Sheila

First woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner.
2002 - Made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to racing.

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LE PLASTRIER, Georgia

Member of the first All Female Canoe Team to make the full descent of the Yukon River (USA)

LEARMONT, Jennifer Catherine

Head of Lookback Section, Red Cross, who discovered the reason some sufferers of non-virulent strain of AIDS virus did not develop into full blown AIDS. 1996 - She was appointed a…

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LEDITSCHKE, Fay

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LEE, Dorothy

LEE, Georgia

Born 1921, Died 23/4/2010

Also known as: Aunty Dulcie Rama Pitt, Dulcie Rama Pitt

Georgia Lee was the first Indigenous Australian artist to record Blues songs, a Blues album, and the first Indigenous woman to record an album. She also is credited as having the first…

LEE, Gloria Ouida

Born 14/07/1908, Died 13/04/1995

Also known as: née Hong, Siew Yoke Kwan

Gloria or Siew Yoke Kwan was born in the creek under a tree in Stuart in 1908, the daughter of a Western Arrernte woman Ranjika and Chinese market gardener, Ah Hong. But for her…

LEE, Mary

Born 14/2/1821, Died 18/9/1909

Also known as: née Walsh

1890 - Founder of the Working Women's Trade Union. In 1895 aged 74, she was nominated to stand for parliament for the United Labour Party but declined.
2001 - Inducted onto…

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LEE, Patsy

Born 1925, Died 20/6/2017

“Grand Old Dame of Fishing” in Gladstone, Queensland and possibly Australia's oldest and most experienced fisherwoman. Won Queensland titles.

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LEE, Phoebe Doreen

Born 14/6/1904, Died 11/2/2000

Also known as: née Budarick

2001 - Phoebe was nominated to the Centenary of Federation Peoplescape project which saw a figure representing her become part of an estimated 5000 figures displayed on the lawn of…

LEE, Suzanne

1992 - First Alice Springs' Miss Australia.

LEEBOLD, Nancy Lorna

Born 2/11/1915, Died 13/7/1982

Also known as: née Ellis

October 1952 - First Australian woman to fly a Lockheed Lodestar aircraft. 1959 - She flew a jet aircraft in the USA, the first Australian woman to do so.
Awarded Officer of the Order…

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LEEMBRUGEN, Heather

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LEHMANN, Caroline Wilhelmina

Born 15/3/1873, Died 8/5/1955

Also known as: Minnie, Caroline Dux

Pioneer of Parnaroo and Clare districts of South Australia.Charity worker.

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LESTER, Nellie

1938 - Nellie Lester was the first Aborigine to attend High School at Quorn, South Australia.
First Aboriginal, triple certified, nursing sister. First Matron of Aboriginal descent,…

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LETHAM, Isabel Ramsay

Born 23/5/1899, Died 11/3/1995

Also known as: Isabel Latham

January 1915 - The first Australian to ride in Australian surf in the Hawaiian style — - the first Australian surfer, Freshwater Beach, New South Wales.
1940s - Brought water ballet to…

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LETT, Phyllis Burgh

Born 1884, Died 1/6/1962

Also known as: née Lett, Phyllis Burgh Ker, Charlie, Pat, Mick, Pete

Lived on Wyaldra Station (Julia Creek) and Tweedsmuir (at Richmond, North Queensland).World famous Contralto.

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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…

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LEVETT, Robin

Born 4/10/1925, Died 14/8/2008

Also known as: née Walker

First woman elected president of a major turf club (Kilmore).
1990s - “First Lady of Australian [horse] Racing,” breeding and racing thoroughbreds. Author, horse…

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LEVY, Anne

1986-1989 - First woman to be President of Legislative Council of South Australia's State Parliament
1975 - First ALP (Australian Labor Party) woman elected to South Australian…

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LEWIS, Ann

Born 1926

1948 - First woman commercial pilot in Western Australia. Awarded the Coronation Medal for representing the women's flying branch of the R.A.F.
First female pilot to fly for the…

LEWIS, Elizabeth Ann

Elizabeth is a highly respected neurosurgeon with a special interest in medico-legal work, paediatric neurosurgery and spinal neurosurgery. 1958 - Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of…

LEWIS, Hayley Jane

Born 2/3/1974

1990 - Gold Medalist, Auckland Commonwealth Games - Swimming - 200m and 400m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, 4 x 200m Relay.
1992 - Bronze Medalist, Barcelona Olympic Games - Swimming -…

LEWORTHY, Jean Margaret

Born 22/7/1921, Died 15/4/2008

Also known as: née Fairbairn, Jean Piaggio

First civilian doctor to use Penicillin in Australia.
1954 - She was the first woman in full-time practice; Bundaberg, Queensland.
1995 - Order of Australia, services to medicine and…

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LICHTENBERG, Anna

Lecturer in Information Technology (IT) (now PhD and consultant at Curtin University. First woman involved in the IT department at the Community College in Alice Springs, Northern…

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LIDDLE, Leanne

1988 - Became South Australia's first Indigenous Police Woman
First Aboriginal Legal Practitioner in Central Australia

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LIDDLE, Lorraine

1986 - The Northern Territory's first Aboriginal legal practitioner.

LIEBLER, Johanna Maria Luise

Also known as: née Kuffner, Luise

Johanna Maria Luise Liebler came to Hermannsburg more than thirty years after Dorothee and Wilhelmine. She arrived on 1 May 1910 with her husband who was a newly graduated…

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LIGHTFOOT, Louise Mary

Born 22/5/1902, Died 18/5/1979

Also known as: Louisa Mary

1923 - She became the first woman to pass final subjects in the diploma of architecture.
1930s - Co-founded the Lightfoot-Burlakov Classic Dance School, which by 1931 had become the…

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LILLECRAPP, Patricia Mary

Born 30/3/1919, Died 5/10/2003

Also known as: née Kempe

1947 - First kindergarten teacher in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Teacher training, Adelaide, diploma in early childhood teaching.Depression years – taught at Kings College,…