Beatrice Faust
Encyclopedia
Beatrice Faust AO is an Australia
n author and women's activist. She was a co-founder of Women's Electoral Lobby
and President of the Abortion Law Repeal Association of Victoria.
, a suburb of Melbourne
, on 19 February 1939.
Her mother died shortly after having given birth. This had been predicted by doctors, who knew of a uterine canal anomaly which would lead to such however being of Roman Catholic and Irish descent the use of contraceptives was denied her parents and subsequently her mother became pregnant with Beatrice.
She was brought up by her father, three aunts and an extended Irish family, the union of two such, her Great Grandmother Boule having arrived in Australia in 1848, as a side effect of the Potato Famine and their desire to eat, and her father's having followed suit at a later date.
She attended Melbourne University in the 1950s, where she became acquainted with Germaine Greer
, and they extended their feminist inclinations through various cogitations, earning her Bachelor Degree in English, and subsequently her Master's Degree. Much later in her life, the higher degrees of Ph.D and LLD were conferred upon her, the former for her 1991 book Apprenticeship in Liberty, and the latter for her life's work in general, as a social reformist, researcher and cogitator of humanist and feminist inclination.
The first of her two marriages was to Clive Faust, compacted during her time at University. Having become known as a public figure under that surname during that time, when they later divorced, she retained that name rather than dilute knowledge of her reputation.
She has one child, Stephen David, born out of wedlock 1965, as a result of her relationship with the Finnish academic Adam (Aimo) Murtonen.
She was one of the first women to argue for civil liberties, abortion law reform and a well informed sex education for all. In 1966 she co-founded the Victorian Union of Civil Liberties, to advocate for civil rights, and in 1973 the Women's Electoral Lobby
, to agitate for legislative reform along specifically feminist lines and to give the women of Australia more of a voice in Parliament.
In 2001 Beatrice Faust was awarded the Centenary Medal
. In 2004 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for such efforts and more.
Among her early writings, she contributed to the Australian edition of The Little Red Schoolbook
and, during the 1970s, she wrote regularly as a reviewer of films, and also photography exhibitions, for The Age
newspaper, as well as contributing to The National Review and elsewhere. Later, in the late 1980s on into the '90s, she had a regular column in the Weekend Australian, one result of which was a courtcase involving Jeff Kennett
, the then Victorian Premier.
In the latter part of her career she returned to one of her earliest vocations, as a teacher, becoming a lecturer in English at, first, RMIT Institute, Melbourne, and then Monash University, Victoria, where she widened the scope her concern to include the Educational Syllabus of Australia on a more general level.
She has since retired and now lives in the Latrobe Valley
of Victoria.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author and women's activist. She was a co-founder of Women's Electoral Lobby
Women's Electoral Lobby
WEL is credited with major achievements for women in Australia in relation to anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation, equal pay decisions, the funding of women’s and children’s services.....
and President of the Abortion Law Repeal Association of Victoria.
Biography
Beatrice Faust was born Beatrice Eileen Fennessey in Glen HuntlyGlen Huntly, Victoria
Glen Huntly is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Glen Huntly had a population of 4085....
, a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, on 19 February 1939.
Her mother died shortly after having given birth. This had been predicted by doctors, who knew of a uterine canal anomaly which would lead to such however being of Roman Catholic and Irish descent the use of contraceptives was denied her parents and subsequently her mother became pregnant with Beatrice.
She was brought up by her father, three aunts and an extended Irish family, the union of two such, her Great Grandmother Boule having arrived in Australia in 1848, as a side effect of the Potato Famine and their desire to eat, and her father's having followed suit at a later date.
She attended Melbourne University in the 1950s, where she became acquainted with Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
, and they extended their feminist inclinations through various cogitations, earning her Bachelor Degree in English, and subsequently her Master's Degree. Much later in her life, the higher degrees of Ph.D and LLD were conferred upon her, the former for her 1991 book Apprenticeship in Liberty, and the latter for her life's work in general, as a social reformist, researcher and cogitator of humanist and feminist inclination.
The first of her two marriages was to Clive Faust, compacted during her time at University. Having become known as a public figure under that surname during that time, when they later divorced, she retained that name rather than dilute knowledge of her reputation.
She has one child, Stephen David, born out of wedlock 1965, as a result of her relationship with the Finnish academic Adam (Aimo) Murtonen.
She was one of the first women to argue for civil liberties, abortion law reform and a well informed sex education for all. In 1966 she co-founded the Victorian Union of Civil Liberties, to advocate for civil rights, and in 1973 the Women's Electoral Lobby
Women's Electoral Lobby
WEL is credited with major achievements for women in Australia in relation to anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation, equal pay decisions, the funding of women’s and children’s services.....
, to agitate for legislative reform along specifically feminist lines and to give the women of Australia more of a voice in Parliament.
In 2001 Beatrice Faust was awarded the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
. In 2004 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for such efforts and more.
Among her early writings, she contributed to the Australian edition of The Little Red Schoolbook
The Little Red Schoolbook
The Little Red Schoolbook is a book written by two Danish schoolteachers, Søren Hansen and Jesper Jensen in 1969, which was controversial upon its publication. The book was translated into many languages in the early 1970s.- Synopsis :...
and, during the 1970s, she wrote regularly as a reviewer of films, and also photography exhibitions, for The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
newspaper, as well as contributing to The National Review and elsewhere. Later, in the late 1980s on into the '90s, she had a regular column in the Weekend Australian, one result of which was a courtcase involving Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
, the then Victorian Premier.
In the latter part of her career she returned to one of her earliest vocations, as a teacher, becoming a lecturer in English at, first, RMIT Institute, Melbourne, and then Monash University, Victoria, where she widened the scope her concern to include the Educational Syllabus of Australia on a more general level.
She has since retired and now lives in the Latrobe Valley
Latrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical region and urban area of Gippsland in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is east of the City Of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Great Dividing Range to the north – with the highest peak to the north of the...
of Victoria.