Educationist, classicist, suffragist.

10 December 1858 – 28 November 1949

Education

Educated at home by a tutor and her elder sisters, followed by two years of finishing school in London.

1880-1886 Studied Ancient Greek, Latin, English and the philosophy of mind and logic at University College London (UCL).

1881 Matriculated through the University of London.

1888-1889 Studied political economy and archaeology at UCL.

Some Key Achievements and Interests

1884 Graduated with a BA gaining first-class honours in Classics and honours in German from the University of London.

1886 Graduated with a MA in Classics from the University of London.

Lectured and provided private tuition to students of College Hall, London, preparing women for London University examinations and the higher women’s examinations of Oxford and Cambridge.

Catalogued pots in the British Museum before moving to Sydney.

Vice-chairman of the council of College Hall.

1888 Made Fellow of University College London.

1889 Lectured with Clara Collet on economics and history at Westbourne Park Institute.

1892 Took up position as the founding Principal of The Women’s College of Sydney where she remained until 1919.

Founder of Sydney University Women’s Association and University Women’s Society.

1895 Member of Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies.

Legacy

1924 Louisa May Memorial Hall dedicated to her at University of Sydney.

Issues

The University of Edinburgh did not allow women to take degrees; even though Louisa was at the top of the list of candidates, she had to matriculate at University College London.

The Women’s College Sydney was not taken seriously and as a result she had to struggle for funding though eventually succeeded.

Connection to Bloomsbury

Studied at UCL.

1881 While attending UCL lived in Russell House Students’ Home.

1884-86 Lived at College Hall.

Worked at the British Museum.

On the resignation of Eleanor Grove and Rosa Morison, presented a vote of thanks to the women. Referencing life at the Hall she reflected:

‘At first we had very little inward life, but gradually it grew, and students began to feel that the Hall was a place where the best kind of life might be going on, the life of workers together, helping each other to perfect work.’

1891 Is recorded as living at 62 Gower Street.

Female Networks

Clara Collett, Evelyn Dickinson, fellow resident of College Hall, who she took with her to Sydney as her secretary, Helen Pattinson.

Selected Writings / Publications

Letters, 1892-98 (State Library of New South Wales).

A history of Sydney Women’s College.

Memoir of Eleanor Grove, the first head of College Hall.

References

H. Alexander in Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/macdonald-louisa-7340 accessed 6 February 2023.

Mitchell, Charlotte: ‘Women students at UCL in the early 1880s’ chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-project/articles/events/conference2008/mitchell.pdf last accessed 6 February 2023.

Wikipedia contributors (6 February 2023). Louisa Macdonald. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:57, 6 February 2923, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisa_Macdonald

Louisa Macdonald – Beyond Notability (wikibase.cloud)

Biography – Louisa Macdonald – Australian Dictionary of Biography (anu.edu.au)