Search the collections
Similar items over time
Position Description - Conchologist (Female) Class 'D', Public Library, National Gallery & National Museums Branch, Victoria, 1945
Reg. No: HT 30755
- Summary:
- Position description for Conchologist (female) Class 'D' Public Library, National Gallery, and National Museums Branch, Department of Chief Secretary, detailing salary, duties and qualifications required, with applications to be lodged by 9 November 1945. Hope Macpherson successfully applied for this position becoming the first female curator at National Museum of Victoria (now Museum Victoria).
Hope along with Isobel Bennett, Susan Ingham and Mary Gillham were the first women to visit the Antarctic in their December 1959 expedition. - Description:
- Beige paper containing three fold marks.
- Statement Of Significance:
- The Hope (Macpherson) Black Collection is a significant addition to Museum Victoria's working lives collection, it reveals the journey of a woman from depression era Melbourne and illustrates the power of education. It also reveals the often discriminatory policies in place in Victoria before the equal opportunity developments of the late 20th century. In balance though it also exposes the somewhat free expression possible for empowered women in this period. Hope Macpherson clearly states that in her day to day work she never felt discrimination and believes she was given great opportunity to pursue her career and aspirations. However, on analysis her role was often shaped by her gender and its perceived strengths and weaknesses; she was dissuaded from applying to become a taxidermist as it was 'an unsuitable job for a woman', although part of the first group of female scientists allowed to travel to Macquarie Island they were not permitted to camp on land with the male crew for fear of inciting passions. And finally after a distinguished career she was forced to resign her tenure as Australia's first female Curator when she married late in life, as a consequence of the Marriage bar.
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Mrs Hope Black (nee Macpherson), 2011
| Discipline: | History |
| Dimensions: | 335 mm (Height), 209 mm (Width) |
More information
| Tagged with: | museum history, education |
| Themes this item is part of: | Hope Black nee Macpherson, Curator of Molluscs (1919 - ), Public Life & Institutions Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection |
| Primary Classification: | MUSEUM HISTORY |
| Secondary Classification: | Working Life |
| Tertiary Classification: | staff |
| Inscriptions: | Handwritten text in black ink. |
| Issued By: | National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1945 |
| User: | Miss Hope Macpherson - National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1945 |
Themes
This item is part of the following themes:
Related items
There are 1 other items that specifically relate to this item
Previous Page
Next Page
Add your question or comment