1930s

1933Life at College

Helping out has always been a tradition at Women’s. This photo shows residents gardening in the 1930s.

1935Women's in the news

This article is from the Courier-Mail published on Monday 18 February 1935. The article stated that The Women’s College would celebrate its 21st birthday in March, and went on to describe life at the College before showcasing some ex-students, and detailing some prize winners.

1935The College's 21st Birthday

This is the celebratory photo that was taken in front of Chislehurst for the College’s 21st birthday. 

On the evening of 15 March 1935, students presented a masque that had originally been presented at the 21st anniversary of The Women’s College in Sydney. The masque had been designed by Women’s College Sydney’s Head of College, Louisa Macdonald, with verses by poets Christopher Brennan and John le Gay Brereton. 

Accompanied by an orchestra and string quartet, about 25 Brisbane Women’s College students represented famous women from legend and history – from Helen of Troy to Marie Curie.

1938Henrietta Wilmore memorial

Henrietta Willmore (1842 – 1938) – also known as Madame Mallalieu – was a pre-eminent musical pioneer and suffragette. Born in London, she settled in Brisbane in 1864 where she established a major career as pianist, organist and teacher. She was a member and Toowong branch president of the Queensland Women’s Electoral League, the Queensland Women’s Suffrage League, and a founding member of the Brisbane Women’s Club.

An advocate for the advancement of women, Henrietta was one of many people in Queensland who called for – and assisted with – the establishment of a residential university college for women in Brisbane, which ultimately became The Women’s College. In a similar vein, her family later bequeatherd their Toowong home to the Queensland Country Women’s Association to be used as a hostel for non-metropolitan female music students, some of whom attended The University of Queensland.

After Henrietta's death in Brisbane in August 1938 at age 96, the Willmore Discussion Club donated a ceremonial chair in her memory to The Women's College. This chair was carved by Brisbane-based artist and teacher Lewis Jarvis Harvey, and was made of maple wood in a 15th century design. The chair was presented to Freda Bage, the first Principal of the College. The chair now sits in the Dining Hall at the Head Table and is traditionally used by the Head of College at Formal Dinners.

In 2015, Emeritus Professor Peter Roennfeldt published a biography of Henrietta and visited the College during his research and writing process for the book. He returned to the College in October 2024 with a descendant of one of Henrietta’s brothers, Jean Alexander, who visited Australia from her home in the United Kingdom. Jean was accompanied by her husband, Howard, and their friend, Evelyn, who assisted with the research for Peter’s book. 

Pictured (left to right): Head of College & CEO Flo Kearney, Emeritus Professor Peter Roennfeldt, Jean Alexander, College Council President Emeritus Professor Carol Dickenson AM and Evelyn Kruger.