An exhibition of Geelong women's art and craft

1907 (Sept).

A Women’s Work Exhibition was held to raise money for the Infectious Diseases Hospital Fund. It included over 200 paintings, fancy work, cookery, perseveres & sweets.

It was opened Lady Madern & the Vice-regal party travelled by train from Melbourne to Geelong.
(Source: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) Thursday 26 September 1907 p.3).

On the 23 October 1907 The Australian Exhibition of Women's Work opened in Melbourne. Pattie Deakin ran a model creche during the five-week exhibition which showcased the work of women musicians, artists and craftswomen.  You can link here to information about it and images of the Medal for the exhibition winner:

• http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/75813/medal-women-s-work-exhibition-prize-victoria-australia-1907?startType=ItemSimilar&start=10 

Helen Peters a Geelong artist and art teacher exhibited in the Melbourne exhibit.  A separate entry on Helen Peters is included in HerStory. (Link to her for detailed information about Helen - http://daaouat.library.unsw.edu.au:81/main/read/5062)

Women join the Women's Volunteer Police Force

1942. 

Geelong women sworn in at the Public Offices as members of the Women’s Volunteer Police Force.

 (The Argus, Thursday 12 Feb, 1942, p. 4)

Women's right to vote forfeited because electoral offices in Geelong can't cope with the demand

Women in Geelong risked forfeiting their long fought for right to vote because the process for registering to vote is underfunded. This report from The Argus (30th April 1909) highlights the issue.

Corio Shire Council discusses women's suffrage

Wednesday 30 August, 1899 a discussion about women's suffrage at the Corio Shire Council is reported in The Argus. It is clear from the report that women in Geelong had quite a struggle to change attitudes to women's suffrage - the tenor of the discussion is that it was 'undesirable' to give women the vote.

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 buildings of significance to women in Geelong: Geneva House

32 (3 Flats) Myers Street, the former Presbyterian Residence, now Geneva House

From 1915 to 1973 this building was a YWCA hostel , described as “ a home away from home for the spiritual welfare of girls.”

Link here to Google Map of its location:
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=32+Myers+St+Geelong&hl=en&ll=-38.150572,144.354837&spn=0.016317,0.024633&client=firefox-a&channel=s&hnear=32+Myers+St,+Geelong+Victoria+3220&gl=au&t=m&z=16

Helen Garner: Author

Helen Garner was born in 1942 in Geelong and she attended Manifold Heights Primary School and The Hermitage Private Girls School in Newtown.

Her first novel Monkey Grip was published in 1977. It won a National Book Council award in 1978 was filmed in 1982. Since then, Postcards from Surfers won a 1986 NSW Premier's Literary award, & her short novel The Children's Bach won a SA Premier's Literary Award in 1986. Her novel Cosmo Cosmolino was nominated for a Miles Franklin Award in 1993. In 1993 she won a Walkley Award for feature journalism for her story in Time magazine about the Daniel Valerio case. Her first non-fiction book, The First Stone (1995) was highly controversial. It explored a sexual harassment case at the University of Melbourne which led to the sacking of the Master of Ormond college. She was widely criticised by many feminists for being too sympathetic to the Master and angered supporters of the two female students who bought the case against him.

Link here to more information about Helen Garner: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Garner

Several YouTube videos of Helen discussing her work are available.