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
Ahmed, Farzana
Office Administrator August 2017 to December 2017.
Agnew, Jane
Early Member.
Andel, Lucille
Councillor 1985-1995, Vice President 1993-1995.
Agnew, M.E.
Early Member.
Anderson, Margaret
Bage, Mary Charlotte
Early Member.
Bassett, Marnie (Flora Marjorie)
Lady Bassett. Fellow 1971. Early member under her maiden name Marjorie Masson.
Bermingham, Anne
Councillor 1977-1985.
Booth, Florence M.
Early member.
Broad, Helen Mary
Councillor 1988-1997, Vice President 1989-1995
Budd, M.E.
Early member.
Baker, Wendy
Secretary/Administrative Officer 1996-2002.
Bayley, Florence
Beveridge, Constantina Augusta
Early member.
Boyd, Jodie
Collections and Volunteer Coordinator June 2014 to early 2016.
Brogan, Elaine
Councillor 1990-2002, Vice President 1999-2002.
Bury, Emily
Early member.
Bakewell, Louise Eileen
Beggs Sunter, Anne
Councillor 1998-2002.
Bilszta, Judith Ann
Councillor 1983-2009. Fellow 2003
Bracey, Lucy
Councillor 2013-2015, 2018 to present
Buckrich, Judith Raphael
Councillor 2003-2004. Development Officer 2005.
Butcher, Cathy
Cameron, Rosemary
Carnegie, Margaret Frances
Councillor 1971-1975, Fellow 1983
Chapman, Caroline
Councillor 1944-1956
Cole, Margaret Morison Ward
Early Member
Cooper, Marie
Councillor 1986-2003.
Creswick, Helen
Early Member.
Campbell, Annie Jane Hope
Carolan, Jane
Councillor 2010 to 2018
Chennells, Mary
Councillor 1987-1995
Cole, Valda
Fellow 2003.
Cooze, Chris
Collections and Volunteer Coordinator 2009 – June 2014.
Crossman, Eleanor M.
Early Member
Campbell, Joan
Councillor 1974-1977.
Clay, Amy
Office Administrator 2018-2019
Colligan, Mimi
Councillor 1989-1998. Fellow 2006.
Court, Vicki
It Manager 2005-2008. Local History Officer 2004-2011.
Damousi, Joy
Councillor 1995-1998
Deane, Mathilde Elzabeth
Early Member. Represented HSV at the Anglo-American History Conference in London.
D'arlot, Christian Mehetabel Elizabeth
Early member.
Diffey, Rhonda
Councillor 2003-2005.
Davies, Alice
Early member.
Evans, Catherine Mclean
Early Member.
Falk, Barbara
Councillor 1980-1983
Fornari, Lena May
Fellow 1979.
Ferrier, Marcia (Later Marcia Maxwell)
Administrative Officer / Director 1967-1970, 1972. Fellow 1979.
Foster, Leonie June
Executive Officer / Director 1991-1993
Forbes, Alice Jeannette
Frost, Lenore
Councillor 2007-2015. Vice President 2013. Fellow 2013. HVSG Convenor to November 2013. Manager of the Bookshop October 2014 to present.
Gillison, Joan Mary
Fellow 1982.
Grant, Katie
Early Member
Griffin, Cheryl
Councillor 2015-2017. HVSG Convenor 2016- August 2017. History Writer Group Convenor 2020.
Gleadell, Lottie
Early Member
Gray, Christine
Councillor 1985-1990: Vice Present 1989-1990
Grace, Mrs N.
Early Member
Green, Nanette
Councillor 1993-1997.
Hancock, Marguerite
Councillor 2000-2003.
Harrison, Kate W.
Early Member
Henderson, Mrs J.C.
Early Member
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.
Hanson, Alma
Early Member
Harrison, Nora
Assistant Secretary 1960-1967
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
Harrison, Jessie B
Early Member
Hebden, Elizabeth Spence
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.
Jackson, Elisabeth
Councillor 2013. Vice President 2017 to present.
Chair of Collections Committee 2013 to present.
Fellow 2020
Kilpatrick, K.
Early Member
Latham, Annette
Early Member.
Lidwill, Matilda Florance
Early Member
Lazarus, Mary Ellen
Councillor 1972-1975.
Long, Nonie
Councillor 1999-2003, 2005-2007.
Lenox, Mrs V. (or N.)
Early Member.
Lyell, Mary Emma
Marquand, Fanny
Early Member
McDonald, Mrs A. Grant
Early Member
McEwan, Mary M.
Early Member
McLaren, Miss
Early Employee – Typist.
Lady Murdoch (Dame Elisabeth Murdoch)
Member 1940s then 1980s. Benefactor
Murray, Elizabeth
Early Member
Masson, Marjorie
Early Member. See also Marie Bassett.
McDuff, Laura
Councillor 1986-1987. Award of Merit 1991.
McKellar, Jane Campbell
Early Member.
Moore, Lady Edith Eliza Harrison
Early Member.
Murphy, Joan M
Secretary / Administrative Officer 1983-1995.
McCullum, Mrs L.C.
Early Member
McEwan, Kathleen Agnes Rose (Kitty)
Councillor 1952-1967.
McKellar, Nesta
Early Member
Moore, Vada
Fellow 1984.
Murray, Clara
Early Member
Nicholson, Joyce
Councillor 1966-1975. Fellow 1977.
Nicholson, Margaret Georgina
Early Member.
Nixon, Barbara D.
Councillor 1975-1979. Fellow 1982. Hon Librarian from 1975.
Oakes, Bertha Ellen
Early Member. Later Mrs W.H. Seamons
Panton, Alice Julia
Early Member
Peterson, Lucinda
(City of Melbourne) Councillor 2002-2004.
Priestley, Susan
Councillor 1991-2009. Vice President 1995-1997. President 1997-2002. Fellow 2001.
Parker, Mrs K.K.
Early Member
Phelps, Anna Josepha
Early Member
Prinsley, Kate
Executive Officer / Director 2005 to August 2017.
Penrose, Judith
Project Officer ‘Making Tracks’ 2005.
Poole, Grace Hendy
Early Member.
Pullin, Ellie V.
Councillor 1970-1973. Executive Officer / Director 1973-1977. Fellow 1977.
Reilly, Dianne
Fellow 2017.
Ritchie, Agnes
Early Member.
Ross, Jane
Early Member.
Reynolds, Patricia (see also Wilkie)
Councillor 1966-1970. Fellow 1975 (as Patricia Wilkie).
Ritchie, Millicent
Early Member
Rushen, Elizabeth
Executive Officer / Director 2001-2004.
Richards, Mrs W.
Early Member
Roberts, Frances H.
Early Member
Savill, Barbara Jean
Fellow 1981. hon. Reserach Officer 1990-1991
Scott, Jessica
Marketing Manager 2019 to present
Simson, Mrs John
Early Member
Starke, Monica
Councillor 1979-1983
Sayle, Mrs Julia Osier
Early Member
Scott, Mrs J.M.
Early Member
Smart, Judith
Councillor 2008 – May 2017. Editor Victorian Historical Journal 2005 to present. Fellow 2012
Stewart, Annie Eliza
Councillor 2008 – May 2017. Editor Victorian Historical Journal 2005 to present. Fellow 2012
Schäfer, Louise
Scott, Louisa
Project Officer ‘Making Tracks’ 2005.
Southcombe, Mary
Early Member
Thompson, Joyce A.
Councillor 1979-1983.
Tipping, Marjorie Jean
Councillor 1959-1968, 1970-1985. Fellow 1968. President 1972-1975. Vice President 1966-1968.
Turnbull, Emily
Early Member.
Tyers, Grace B.
Early Member.
Thomson, Mrs F.A.
Early Member.
Triolo, Rosalie
Turner Shaw, Mary (Mollie)
Councillor 1971-1974. Fellow 1974
Thomson, Mary
Trotter, Elizabeth
Secretary / Administrative Officer 2002 – 2003.
Twining, Elizabeth
Early Member
Uhl, Jean Mary
Councillor 1962-1966.
Virgoe, Jean Bizzett
Early Member.
Wanliss, Eliza
Early Member
Webster, Mary Emma
Wilson, Mrs E.
Early Member
Worthington, Christine
Volunteer and Collections Manager 2016-2017.
Watt, Phillipa
Councillor 1995 – 1996.
Whitehead, Jan
Executive Officer/ Director 1970-1971
Withers, Mrs A.R.
Early Member.
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.
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 
Office: Weekdays 9am-5pm
