Biographical entry à Beckett, Ada Mary (1872 - 1948)

Summary

Ada à Beckett was the second woman to graduate in science at the University of Melbourne (1895) and their first appointed female lecturer (1901). She began her science teaching career in 1893 and by 1900 had taught at seven schools. à Beckett had also taught and demonstrated at the Working Men's College and at the University of Melbourne. From 1903 to 1911 her career was suspended as she gave birth to and raised three children. Ada á Beckett returned to teaching and demonstrating in 1912, and was appointed the inaugural Head of Biology at Scotch College in 1921. She retired from that post in 1937. Throughout her career, à Beckett was heavily involved in the kindergarten movement and pre-school education. She was elected foundation vice-president (then president and life-president) of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria, made great contributions to the establishment of the Kindergarten Training College, Kew and founded the Australian Association for Pre-School Child Development. She was also member of many women's organisations including the National Council of Women and the Lyceum Club - a club for women graduates and those women who distinguished themselves in art, music, literature, philanthropy or public service.

Details

Events

1892 - 1893

Career position - Annie Grice Scholar at the University of Melbourne in Victoria

1893

Career position - Science Teacher at Merton Hall (later Melbourne Church of England Girl's Grammar School), Victoria

1893 - 1900

Career position - Teacher at several girls' schools in Melbourne and Geelong

1895

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) completed at the University of Melbourne

c. 1896 - 1897

Career position - Biology Demonstrator at the University of Melbourne

1897

Education - Master of Science (MSc) completed at the University of Melbourne

1898

Career position - Senior Demonstrator in Biology at the University of Melbourne

1898 - 1899

Career position - Botany Lecturer at the Working Men's College in Melbourne

1901

Career position - Demonstrator and Assistant Lecturer in Biology at the University of Melbourne

19 February 1903

Life event - Married Thomas Archibald à Beckett at Sandringham Presbyterian Church in Victoria

1908

Career position - Foundation Vice-President of Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria

1912 - 1920

Career position - Teacher, mainly at Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School

c. 1915 - c. 1919

Career position - Biology Demonstrator at the University of Melbourne

1916

Career position - Helped establish the Kindergarten Training College in Kew, Victoria

1920 - 1923

Career position - Joint course designer and lecturer in physiology and hygiene at the Kindergarten Training College in Kew

1920 - 1939

Career position - President of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria

1921 - 1937

Career position - Head of the Biology Department at Scotch College, Victoria

1923 - 1926

Career position - Chair of the Janet Clarke Hall Committee, Victoria

1926 - 1928

Career position - President of the Lyceum Club

1926 - 1939

Career position - President of the Kindergarten Training College Council in Kew

1935

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

1936

Career position - Founder of the Australian Association for Pre-School Child Development

1937

Career position - Retired

1940 -

Career position - Life-President of the Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria

1942

Life event - Naming of kindergarten at Fisherman's Bend after her

Archival resources

The University of Melbourne Archives

• Ada Mary A'Beckett - Records, 1872 - 1948; The University of Melbourne Archives. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science Exhibitions

• McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, 2003, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Books

• a'Beckett, Ada, A Historical Sketch: the Growth and Development of the Free Kindergarten Movement in Victoria, Free Kindergarten Union, Melbourne, 1939, 19 pp. Details

Book Sections

• a'Beckett, Ada, 'Introduction', in J. Cumpston and Christine Heinig (eds), Pre-School Centres in Australia: Building, Equipment and Programme, Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Health, Canberra, 1945, p. 232. Details
• Marginson, Julie, 'à Beckett, Ada Mary (1872-1948)', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 7, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1979, pp. 4-5. Also available at http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/a-beckett-ada-mary-4963. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Obituary: Ada A'Beckett', Australian Journal of Science, vol. 11, no. 2, 1948, p. 56. Details

Online Resources

• 'A'Beckett, Ada Mary (1872-1948), Biographical Entry', in Australian Women's Archives Project, National Foundation for Australian Women, 2002, http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0053b.htm. Details
• 'à Beckett, Ada Mary (18720518-19480520)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-720068. Details

See also

• Alexander, John A. (ed.), Who's Who in Australia 1944, vol. 12, The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, Melbourne, 1944, 906 pp. Details