Catherine Helen Spence

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Catherin Helen Spence, 1890s

Catherine Helen Spence (born October 31, 1825 in Melrose , Scotland , † April 3, 1910 ) was an Australian writer , feminist and social reformer who wrote the first novel about life in Australia written by a woman in 1854 with Clare Morrison .

Life

Portrait of Catherine Helen Spence on a $ 5 bill (2001)

Catherine Helen Spence emigrated with her family from Scotland to Australia in 1839 and in 1854, together with Clare Morrison, wrote the first novel about life in Australia to be written by a woman .

She subsequently wrote five more novels, the last of which, Handfasted (1884), was only published posthumously . Her interest in the social issue in Australia led her to give a lecture tour of the UK and USA .

She described her commitment to proportional gender distribution in public representations in her book A Plea for Pure Democracy (1861). She was also the author of the first textbook on social studies in Australia, published in 1880 under the title The Laws We Live Under .

In the mid- 1890s she advocated the establishment of the Australian Confederation , which was established on January 1, 1901. After the establishment of the Australian House of Representatives on the basis of the Australian Constitution , she was the first woman to run for this parliament, albeit unsuccessfully.

In 1910 her autobiography , entitled Catherine Helen Spence: an Autobiography , was published posthumously , completed and edited by Jeanne Young.

For the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Australian Confederation, she was honored in 2001 with a special banknote of the Australian dollar : Together with the "father of the Australian Confederation" and five-time Prime Minister of New South Wales Sir Henry Parkes , her portrait appeared on a five dollar bill.

Background literature

  • Jeanne Young: Catherine Helen Spence: a Study and an Appreciation , 1937

Web links and sources

personal data
SURNAME Spence, Catherine Helen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian writer, feminist and social reformer
DATE OF BIRTH October 31, 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH Melrose , Scotland
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 1910