ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ

First woman Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade First woman Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.

Frances Adamson graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in 1985, and was the first female captain of the ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ University Boat Club in 1984.

Her distinguished career has seen her as

• Representative to the Australian Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei (2001 – 2005),
• Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (2005 – 2008),
• Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2011 – 2015) and
• from 2016 Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Ms Adamson has served as Chief of Staff to the Honourable Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence (2009 – 2010) and as International Adviser to the Australian Prime Minister the Honourable Malcolm Turnbull MP from November 2015.

1914 - 2006

Librarian, Barr Smith Library Benefactor to the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ and cultural institutions.

Swedish born, Miss Andersen majored in history, politics and French, graduating BA in 1934. She worked at the Barr Smith Library from 1938 to1978, being in charge of the Reading Room, Readers’ Services Librarian and finally Information Services Librarian.

Miss Andersen introduced reader education to the Library in the early 1950s and was a familiar and much-admired figure in the Library and University community. She was a great reader, in English, Swedish, French, German, Italian and Spanish: biographies, poetry, novels, crime and journals. She left $976,000 for the Library and the Elder Conservatorium, and very generous bequests to the State Library, State Theatre Company, Art Gallery of South Australia, Musica Viva and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

1871 - 1917

First woman academic at the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ.

Educator and botanist, Ellen Benham graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1892. She attended the Advanced School for Girls and after graduation, taught at girls’ schools in ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ and in the UK, undertaking education studies at Oxford.

She was appointed to give botany lectures at the University from 1901 to 1912. She reorganized the botany curriculum, extending the study of native flora and included field visits.

An advocate for women students, she was a foundation member of the Women Students’ Club (1909) and the Women Graduates’ Club (1914).

In 1912 she purchased Walford School, Malvern, which she directed until her death in 1917.

1912 - 2005

First woman parliamentarian in South Australia.

Dame Nancy Buttfield studied psychology, music and logic at the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ and later, economics.

A senator from 1955, she often had to fight against prejudice. The machinations of male Liberal Party colleagues saw her lose this position from mid 1965 until mid 1968. She regained her position and remained a senator until 1974.

She supported equal opportunities for women and was keenly interested in migration, foreign affairs and tourism, visiting many countries in the Asia-Pacific. In 1972, she became a Dame of the British Empire. She endowed the Dame Nancy Buttfield Biennial Prize for the Decorative Arts and established an outdoor recreation centre for youth.

Academic, author, consultant, activist
Founding Member of the Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council Inc

Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli graduated from the University with a BA, Dip Ed in 1980, MA (1992), and a PhD (UTS) in 2001. She has been a teacher, is a consultant for government, health and education sectors and Senior Lecturer in Social Diversity in Health and Education at Deakin University.

She works on cultural diversity and gender / sexual / family diversity. Her research and writing address academic audiences, young adults and general audiences and seeks to inform and validate cultural, sexual and gender diversities. Her first book, Someone You Know (1991) is described as Australia’s first AIDS biography and a moving documentary of the times. She received two Lambda Literary Awards in the US, in 2010 and 2011.

1896 - 1993

First Aboriginal student at the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ Aboriginal community activist

A Ngarrindjeri woman, Olga Fudge was born at Point MacLeay. After some brief schooling she went out to domestic service, aged 13 years. Running away, she found work as a shearer’s cook.

She was the University’s first Indigenous student, taking singing lessons at the Elder Conservatorium in 1926 to 1927, but discontinued due to discrimination. Gaining an exemption certificate in 1943, she advocated on Aboriginal issues in the press and to the Aboriginal Protection Board. In 1956, she unsuccessfully sought to establish a city hostel for Indigenous students, housing many Aboriginal girls in her own home. The Olga Fudge Lodge for Aboriginal girls was established in 2006.

Company Director
Advocate for gender equity in