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
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
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
Bakewell, Louise Eileen
Bayley, Florence
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
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
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
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.
Falk, Barbara
Councillor 1980-1983
Forbes, Alice Jeannette
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
Griffiths, Lexie
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
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
Hitchins, Pauline
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.
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
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)
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
Triolo, Rosalie
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
Traill, Elsie Margaret
Early member
Turnbull, Emily
Early Member.
Tyers, Grace B.
Early Member.
Virgoe, Jean Bizzett
Early Member.
Wagner, Lottie (Charlotte)
Early Member
Watt, Phillipa
Councillor 1995 – 1996.
Webster, Mary Emma
Wilson, Euphemia
Early Member
Worthington, Christine
Volunteer and Collections Manager 2016-2017.
Wanliss, Eliza
Early Member
Weaver, Marjorie
Whitehead, Jan
Executive Officer/ Director 1970-1971
Withers, Margaret
Early Member.
Watt, Blanche Muriel E. Ross
Webb, Jessie Stobo Watson
Wilkie, Patricia (see also Reynolds)
Fellow 1975.
Woods, Carole
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
239 A'Beckett Street Melbourne, Victoria, 3000 
03 9326 9288 
office@historyvictoria.org.au 
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