Person

Piddington, Marion Louisa (1869 - 1950)

Born
23 December 1869
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died
2 February 1950
Castlecrag, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Eugenist
Alternative Names
  • O'Reilly, Marion Louisa (maiden name)

Summary

Marion Piddington was significant in eugenic debate in Australia on a wide range of sexual and reproductive concerns, and in the growth of sex education and contraceptive information.

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Details

Marion Louisa Piddington became interested in eugenics during a visit to Britain with her husband in 1912. Wrote "Via Nuova; or science and maternity" (1916) and "The Unmarried mother and Her Child" (1923). Influenced by the works of Marie Stopes and successfully campaigned with her husband for removal of a customs ban on Stopes' "Wise Parenthood" (1923). Taught sex education from 1923 (through the Racial Hygiene Association of New South Wales, which she was involved in setting up, 1926-28 and through a rival association, the Institute of Family Relations, from 1931.) Wrote for "Smith's Weekly", "Herself", "Health and Physical Culture" late 1920s and early 1930s.

Archival resources

Wellcome Collection

  • Eugenics Education Society in New South Wales, 1912 - 1930, SA/EUG/E.2; Eugenics Society [SA/EUG]; Wellcome Collection. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

  • McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Book Sections

  • Curthoys, Ann, 'Piddington, Marion Louisa (1869-1950), Eugenist and Sex Educator' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 11: 1891 - 1939 Nes-Smi, Geoffrey Serle, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1988), pp. 226-227. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110231b.htm. Details

Resources

Rosanne Walker

Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 5 March 2018

EOAS ID: biogs/P002486b.htm

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