First female lawyer practices in Geelong: 1974

In 1974 Margaret Fargie is one of the first females to practice law in Geelong. She became a partner in the law firm Wightons & Macdonald as it was known then and became one of the first women in Victoria to chair a building society (The Barwon Permanent Building Society) despite disabilities associated with her contracting polio-myelitis at 7 years of age.

She matriculated in 1948 and had been Dux of the senior class at Morongo College Geelong. She graduated with a law degree from Melbourne University in 1952.

 Source: http://www.deakin.edu.au/library/geelonglawyers/fargie/mf17a.html

Link here to a portrait of Margaret Fargie: http://www.deakin.edu.au/alfreddeakin/spc/manuscript-collections/geelonglawyers/fargie/mf14.php

Geelong Firsts in Education

Geelong Church of England Girls' Grammar School, The Hermitage (Helen Garner’s school) was the first Australian girl’s school to have a uniform & to have compulsory team sports.  (Cnr of Hermitage Road & Skene St, Geelong).

More information about The Hermitage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hermitage_(Australia)

Geelong Firsts: Hilda Tansey

Hilda Tansey 1901 – 1975. 

Australia’s First Woman Conductor of a Brass Band.

Follow the links below for more information about Hilda. 

This site is written by one of Hilda's nieces and includes lots of photos:

• http://users.tpg.com.au/users/btur/tansey/hilda.htm

This link is from the Australian Women's History site:

• http://www.womenshistory.com.au/image.asp?iID=199

Geelong Firsts

Fanny Brownbill (1890 – 1948). 

Politician & Member for Geelong (1938 – 1948). 

She was the first female local labour Member for Victoria.

Link for more information to The Australian Women's Register

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE1158b.htm

Geelong Firsts: First Female Mayor of Geelong

Barbara Abley was Geelong's first and to date only Mayor of Geelong. She held this position for two years. Barbara has been the ward councillor for the Brownbill ward which was named after Fanny Brownbill, another Geelong First - the first female Labor member of Parliament (1938 - 1948).

She has several awards for community service to date:

• a Paul Harris Fellow
• investiture as a Dame of Grace Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller; 
• Lions International Medal of Merit
• Geelong 2003 Zonta Woman of the Year.

Learn more about Barbara Abley here

1978. Women Against Rape, Geelong was formed by a group of Geelong women following a woman being treated extremely badly after a rape. This group changed their name to Geelong Rape Crisis Centre & ran as an unfunded collective until 1982. The Geelong Rape Crisis Service (now Barwon CASA) was the second funded service to be established in Victoria in 1982 & it resulted by active & strong campaigning by Women Against Rape collective. It was allocated a small private space within the Casualty Section of the Geelong Hospital where medical examinations could be undertaken. In addition, rape victims & their families & friends were offered support by the Geelong Rape Crisis Collective.

Priscilla Zillah Crawcour

Priscilla (Zillah) Crawcour first woman to become a mayor in Australia.

Priscilla (Zillah) Crawcour had strong connections to the Former Jewish synagogue in Geelong (South-east corner of Yarra & McKillop Streets) & has played a huge role in the Geelong community. Zillah was the first woman to become a mayor in Australia & also served as a councillor for the City of Newtown from 1957 until 1975. Zillah founded the Australian Local Government Women’s Association. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her contribution to the community. A park adjacent to the Queens Park Bridge was named after Zillah.

Women ambulance drivers

1941. Saturday 20 December 40 young Geelong women registered as emergency Ambulance drivers & the majority had already obtained their transport license. (The Argues, Saturday 20 December 1941, p. 2)

Dr. Mary Clementina De Garis

1916 (approx.). Dr Mary Clementina De Garis (1881-1963)
Geelong’s first female medical practitioner and the first woman doctor to drive a car around Geelong. She pioneered feeding high protein diets to pregnant women.