RHSV Women’s Biographical Dictionary - Royal Historical Society of Victoria

There is a perception that from its beginnings in 1909, the Royal Historical Society has been the domain of men. Yet from the outset women have played an active role in the Society in many capacities – as members, councillors, fellows, employees, volunteers, patrons, benefactors.

The RHSV Women’s Biographical Dictionary has been established to honour the contributions made by women to the Society, particularly those who do not appear in the Australian Dictionary of Biography or Women Australia or The Australian Women’s Register.

Where the life of a featured woman has been documented elsewhere, her entry here will highlight her contribution to the RHSV.

Agar, Elizabeth

Early Member

Agnew, M.E.

Early Member.

Anderson, Margaret

Councillor November 2015 to present.

Agnew, Emmeline Landles

Early Member.

Ahmed, Farzana

Office Administrator August 2017 to December 2017.

Armytage, Ada Elizabeth

Early Member

Agnew, Jane

Early Member.

Andel, Lucille

Councillor 1985-1995, Vice President 1993-1995.

Bage, Mary Charlotte

Early Member.

Banton, Margaret Matilda

Early Member

Bassett, Marnie (Flora Marjorie)

Lady Bassett. Fellow 1971. Early member under her maiden name Marjorie Masson.

Beveridge, Constantia Augusta

Early member.

Booth, Florence M.

Early member.

Broad, Helen Mary

Councillor 1988-1997, Vice President 1989-1995

Buckrich, Judith Raphael

Councillor 2003-2004. Development Officer 2005.

Butcher, Cathy

Councillor 2019 to present

Baker, Wendy

Secretary/Administrative Officer 1996-2002.

Bayles, Ada

Early Member

Beggs Sunter, Anne

Councillor 1998-2002.

Bilszta, Judith Ann

Councillor 1983-2009. Fellow 2003

Boyd, Jodie

Collections and Volunteer Coordinator June 2014 to early 2016.

Brogan, Elaine

Councillor 1990-2002, Vice President 1999-2002.

Budd, Mary Elizabeth

Early member.

Bakewell, Louise Eileen

Councillor 1942-1948.

Bayley, Florence

(Paid) Assistant to the Secretary October 1912 to September 1914.

Bermingham, Anne

Councillor 1977-1985.

Blythe, Mathilda

Early member.

Bracey, Lucy

Councillor 2013-2015, 2018 to present

Brookes, Ivy

Councillor 2013-2015, 2018 to present

Bury, Emily

Early member.

Cameron, Rosemary

Executive Officer November 2017 to present.

Carnegie, Margaret Frances

Councillor 1971-1975, Fellow 1983

Chapman, Caroline

Councillor 1944-1956

Clay, Amy

Office Administrator 2018-2019

Cole, Valda

Fellow 2003.

Cooper, Marie

Councillor 1986-2003.

Craig, Winifred Frances

Early Member

Cumming, Nellie Cecilia Seymour

Early Member

Campbell, Annie Jane Hope

Foundation Member

Carolan, Jane

Councillor 2010 to 2018

Chennells, Mary

Councillor 1987-1995

Clayton, Nellie Road

Early Member

Colligan, Mimi

Councillor 1989-1998. Fellow 2006.

Cooze, Chris

Collections and Volunteer Coordinator 2009 – June 2014.

Creswick, Helen

Early Member.

Cumming, Margaret Britton

Early Member.

Campbell, Joan

Councillor 1974-1977.

Cato, Frances (Fanny)

Councillor 1974-1977.

Clapp, Addie

Early Member

Cole, Margaret Morison Ward

Early Member

Collingridge, J.

Early Member

Court, Vicki

It Manager 2005-2008. Local History Officer 2004-2011.

Crossman, Eleanor Mary

Early Member

Cuthbertson, Margaret Gardiner

Early Member

Dale, Salma

Early Member

Davies, Alice

Early member.

Douglass, Amy Buswell

Early member.

Damousi, Joy

Councillor 1995-1998

Deane, Mathilde Elzabeth

Early Member. Represented HSV at the Anglo-American History Conference in London.

Dyason, Anne Elizabeth

Early member

D'arlot, Christian Mehetabel Elizabeth

Early member.

Diffey, Rhonda

Councillor 2003-2005.

Elliott, Jean Rebecca

Early Member.

Enwall, Jean

Early Member.

Evans, Catherine Mclean

Early Member.

Falk, Barbara

Councillor 1980-1983

Forbes, Alice Jeannette

Foundation Member

Foster, Lilian Avice

Early Member

Frost, Lenore

Councillor 2007-2015. Vice President 2013. Fellow 2013. HVSG Convenor to November 2013. Manager of the Bookshop October 2014 to present.

Ferguson, L

Early member

Fornari, Lena May

Fellow 1979.

Fowler, Fanny Albreda

Early member

Ferrier, Marcia (Later Marcia Maxwell)

Administrative Officer / Director 1967-1970, 1972. Fellow 1979.

Foster, Leonie June

Executive Officer / Director 1991-1993

Freame, Maggie Eudora

Early member

Gillison, Joan Mary

Fellow 1982.

Grace, Nell

Early Member

Green, Nanette

Councillor 1993-1997.

Gleadell, Lottie

Early Member

Grant, Katie

Early Member

Griffin, Cheryl

Councillor 2015-2017. HVSG Convenor 2016- August 2017. History Writer Group Convenor 2020.

Gotch, Carrie

Early Member

Gray, Christine

Councillor 1985-1990: Vice Present 1989-1990

Griffiths, Lexie

Early member

Hamilton, Annie Harriet

Early Member

Harrison, Jessie Balleny

Early Member

Hebden, Elizabeth Spencer

Early Member

Hill, Mrs M.

Research Officer 1969

Hocking, Patricia

Councillor 1974-1975.

Horgan, Gerardine

Secretary / Administrative Officer 2003 to August 2017.

Howitt, Mary Edith Boothby

Early Member.

Hyde, Emily Hansley

Early Member

Hancock, Marguerite

Councillor 2000-2003.

Harrison, Kate Wills

Early Member

Henderson, Anne Janet

Early Member

Hiscock, Jillian

Volunteer Coordinator and Collections Manager 2017 to present

Hockley, Alleyne

Councillor 2016 to Jan 2020. HVSG Convenor 2017-2019

Horner, Lillian

Early Member

Hunt, Joan

councillor 1988-1994, 2002-2014. Vice President 2002-2009. HVSG Convenor 2005-2009. Fellow 2008.

Hansen, Alma

Early Member

Harrison, Nora

Assistant Secretary 1960-1967

Hicken, Olive Annie

Early member

Hitchins, Pauline

Councillor 2020 to present

HVSG Convenor 2020 to present

Hopkins, Miss

Assistant Secretary October 1967 to June 1969

Hoskin, Greeba

Executive Officer / Director 1973

Hunter, Margaret

Councillor 2001-2005.

Jackson, Elisabeth

Councillor 2013. Vice President 2017 to present.

Chair of Collections Committee 2013 to present.
Fellow 2020

Jones, Kate

Distinguished Service Award 2014

Kelly, Farley

Publication Committee 2009

Kilvington, Lucy May

Early Member

Kirkpatrick, Katherine

Early Member

Latham, Annette

Early Member.

Leggett, Lucretia Teasher

Early Member.

Lidwill, Matilda Florance

Early Member

Lazarus, Mary Ellen

Councillor 1972-1975.

Lenox, Vida

Early Member.

Long, Nonie

Councillor 1999-2003, 2005-2007.

Lee, Ethel Margaret

Early Member.

Levy, Nerva

Early Member

Lyell, Mary Emma

Councillor 1935-1942.

Mackay, Flora Macdonald

Early Member

Masson, Marjorie

Early Member. See also Marie Bassett.

McDuff, Laura

Councillor 1986-1987. Award of Merit 1991.

McKellar, Jane Campbell

Early Member.

Miller, Blanche Evelyn

Early Member.

Moss, J. H

Early Member

Murray, Clara

Early Member

Marsden, Isabel Sheila

Early member

McCallum, Amy Blanche

Early Member

McEwan, Kathleen Agnes Rose (Kitty)

Councillor 1952-1967.

McKellar, Nesta

Early Member

Moore, Edith Eliza Harrison

Early Member.

Murdoch, Elisabeth

Member 1940s then 1980s. Benefactor

Murray, Elizabeth

Early Member

Marquand, Fanny

Early Member

McDonald, Agnes Grant

Early Member

McEwan, Mary Maria

Early Member

McLaren, Miss

Early Employee – Typist.

Moore, Vada

Fellow 1984.

Murphy, Joan M

Secretary / Administrative Officer 1983-1995.

Nicholson, Joyce

Councillor 1966-1975. Fellow 1977.

Nicholson, Margaret Georgina

Early Member.

Nixon, Barbara Dorothy

Councillor 1975-1979. Fellow 1982. Hon Librarian from 1975. Cr 1975-79.

Oakes, Bertha Ellen

Early Member. Later Mrs W.H. Seamons

Panton, Alice Julie

Early Member

Penrose, Judith

Project Officer ‘Making Tracks’ 2005.

Pooley, Grace Hendy

Early Member.

Pullin, Ellie V.

Councillor 1970-1973. Executive Officer / Director 1973-1977. Fellow 1977.

Parker, Kathleen Kerr

Early Member

Peterson, Lucinda

(City of Melbourne) Councillor 2002-2004.

Priestley, Susan

Councillor 1991-2009. Vice President 1995-1997. President 1997-2002. Fellow 2001.

Paterson, Isobel

Early Member

Phelps, Anna Josepha

Early Member

Prinsley, Kate

Executive Officer / Director 2005 to August 2017.

Rasmussen, Carolyn

Review Editor. Member of Publications Committee

Richards, Agne

Early Member

Roberts, Frances Harriet

Early Member

Rushen, Elizabeth

Executive Officer / Director 2001-2004.

Reilly, Dianne

Fellow 2017.

Ritchie, Agnes Margaret

Early Member.

Ross, S.C. ( Jane)

Early Member.

Reynolds, Patricia (see also Wilkie)

Councillor 1966-1970. Fellow 1975 (as Patricia Wilkie).

Ritchie, Millicent Frances

Early Member

Russell, Annie Lucy Sybil

Early Member

Sanderson, Mary Frew

Early member

Schäfer, Louise

Foundation Member

Scott, Louisa

Project Officer ‘Making Tracks’ 2005.

Southcombe, Mary

Early Member

Stewart, Annie Elizabeth

Councillor 2008 – May 2017. Editor Victorian Historical Journal 2005 to present. Fellow 2012

Savill, Barbara Jean

Fellow 1981. hon. Reserach Officer 1990-1991

Seamons, Bertha Ellen

See Oakes

Scott, Patricia (Patricia Lindsay Russell Scott)

Early Member

Smart, Judith

Councillor 2008 – May 2017. Editor Victorian Historical Journal 2005 to present. Fellow 2012

Sayle, Julia Osier

Early Member

Scott, Jessica

Marketing Manager 2019 to present

Simson, Margaret

Early Member

Starke, Monica

Councillor 1979-1983

Thompson, Joyce A.

Councillor 1979-1983.

Tipping, Marjorie Jean

Councillor 1959-1968, 1970-1985. Fellow 1968. President 1972-1975. Vice President 1966-1968.

Triolo, Rosalie

Councillor 2014 to present.

Convenor of Membership Committee.

Fellow 2020

Turner Shaw, Mary (Mollie)

Councillor 1971-1974. Fellow 1974

Thomson, Frances Anne

Early Member.

Toohey, Rebecca

Admin Officer, 2020 to present

Trotter, Elizabeth

Secretary / Administrative Officer 2002 – 2003.

Twining, Elizabeth

Early Member

Thomson, Mary

Foundation Member

Traill, Elsie Margaret

Early member

Turnbull, Emily

Early Member.

Tyers, Grace B.

Early Member.

Uhl, Jean

Councillor 1962-1966.

Virgoe, Jean Bizzett

Early Member.

Wagner, Lottie (Charlotte)

Early Member

Watt, Phillipa

Councillor 1995 – 1996.

Webster, Mary Emma

Councillor 1932-1946. Librarian 1932-1946.

Wilson, Euphemia

Early Member

Worthington, Christine

Volunteer and Collections Manager 2016-2017.

Wanliss, Eliza

Early Member

Weaver, Marjorie

Early Member

Whitehead, Jan

Executive Officer/ Director 1970-1971

Withers, Margaret

Early Member.

Watt, Blanche Muriel E. Ross

Early Member

Webb, Jessie Stobo Watson

Foundation Member.

Wilkie, Patricia (see also Reynolds)

Fellow 1975.

Woods, Carole

Councillor 2009 to present.

Hon Secretary 2009 to present.

Victorian Community History Awards (VCHA) 2000 to present.

Fellow 2008.

Yelland, Eleanor Mary

Member.

Zada, Susie

Councillor 2003-2005.

Project co-ordinator:

Cheryl Griffin

Committee:

Margaret Anderson

Rosemary Cameron

Cheryl Griffin

Elisabeth Jackson

Judith Smart

Katrin Strohl

Carole Woods

The project co-ordinator, in consultation with the Committee, is responsible for selecting and prioritising entries for inclusion.

How you can be involved:

By providing biographical material and images (as long as this material has copyright clearance)

By providing suggestions for source material, such as books, newspapers, journals, magazines, manuscripts

By sending copies of published material such as obituaries and newspaper articles

By contacting us if you find mistakes in an entry

The Royal Historical Society of Victoria holds the copyright on these entries. Please contact us for permission to use the information.

We welcome your feedback.

Please email us with your comments, questions and suggestions for future inclusions.

Contact:

women@historyvictoria.org.au