Edith Emily Raymond (1865-1945)

Edith Emily Raymond
Edith Emily Raymond (nee Dornwell) [SLSA B25677/38]
Born	Edith Emily Dornwell 31 August 1865 New Zealand
Died	18 November 1945 New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	British Subject

Edith Emily Dornwell BSc (31 August 1865 – 18 November 1945) (later Raymond) was the first woman in Australia to graduate with a science degree, the first woman to graduate from the University of Adelaide, and the first person, male or female, to graduate with a science degree at the University of Adelaide.

Biography

Author: Based on Wikipedia Article for Edith Emily Dornwell particularly Salamanda14 and subsequently revised by Benjamin Hollister. This text is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Edith, born in New Zealand, was the eldest child of Bernhardt Carl Friedrich Dornwell (known as Bernard) and his wife Sarah Ann Phillips. Bernard and Sarah Ann had met and married in Adelaide before migrating to New Zealand in 1865. While in Auckland, Bernard worked as a butcher in his father's business, before becoming a ships master of coastal traders.

In 1869, when Edith was 4years old, the family, now with three children, returned to Adelaide. The family initially lived at The Freemason's Tavern in Pirie Street while Bernard advertised as a freight and passenger agent for New Zealand shipping, but by March 1870 the family had moved to Norwood where Bernard returned to the butcher's trade. This was a shortlived exercise, with Bernard soon assigning a trustee to his estate in November of the same year, leading to sale of all business and some domestic chattels. What lead to this significant turn of events is unclear, but is possibly the reason for Edith's grandfather, August, returning to South Australia from New Zealand and resuming his butcher's business in Tynte Street, North Adelaide in April 1871. August returned to New Zealand in 1875, and Bernard was working as an auctioneer and agent until his death in 1885. The family continued to live at the Tynte Street/Margaret Street area until 1890 with Edith's mother offering music lessons, until her remarriage in 1890.

Edith's mother Sarah was a successful teacher, operating her own classes in North Adelaide and Queenstown before being offered the post of teacher at the Port Adelaide Free Industrial School. There is no indication where Edith began her schooling, or whether she was tutored by her mother. Her younger brother Phillip was enrolled at the Port Adelaide Grammar School in 1875 and by 1877 Edith was at the Grote Street Model School. In December 1879, Edith passed the examination to be granted free admission to the Advanced School for Girls, the only public high school available at the time, and followed this up with a £20 bursary in 1880, coming top in both years. She matriculated in 1882 with honours in French, German, animal physiology and modern history.

University education

Dornwell was accepted into a Bachelor of Science program at The University of Adelaide in 1883, just two years after the university amended its charter to enrol women. She was one of the first women to enrol at the university and their first student, male or female, to enrol in a science program. Dornwell excelled in her studies. In April 1883 she received the Sir Thomas Elder Prize in Physiology, for which she received a microscope. In 1889, a representative of the University of Adelaide stated that "[t]he most brilliant student in the science course, up to the present, has been a woman— Miss E Dornwell, who passed the first, second, and third year of that course first class in elementary physiology. As will be seen by reference to the winners of Sir T. Elder's prizes the women have been distinctly superior to the men." Encouraged by her physiology teacher, Professor Edward Stirling, Dornwell stated "Dr Stirling said that if I were successful, and he was convinced that I would be, I would gain the distinction of being the first woman graduate of the university, and the first woman to graduate in science in Australia."

Dornwell graduated in 1885 with first class honours in physics and physiology, the same year as her father and paternal grandmother. At her graduation the university's chancellor, Chief Justice Sir Samuel Way said "In your distinguished undergraduate career, and in the manner in which you have taken that degree, you have not merely done honour to the University, but you have vindicated the right of your sex to compete, and to compete on equal terms, with other undergraduates for the honours and distinctions of the University."

Teaching career

Following her graduation Dornwell taught mathematics, physics, Latin and physiology at her former school, the Advanced School for Girls. In 1887 she moved to Hawthorn, Victoria and became the resident teacher at the Methodist Ladies College and in 1890 she accepted the post as headmistress at the private Riviere Ladies' College in Woollahra, New South Wales. Whilst at Riviere, Dornwell applied for the position of principal at the newly established Women's College at Sydney University, a post she did not win.

Marriage, family, and later life

Dornwell married Lionel Charles Raymond at St Andrew's Church, Walkerville on 13 February 1895. Following their marriage Dornwell moved to Fiji where Raymond had accepted a post with the Commonwealth Sugar Refineries. The couple went on to raise two sons, Oliver and Roland, who were sent back to Sydney to continue their secondary education in Australia. Upon her husband's retirement Dornwell returned to Sydney where she was active in the Lyceum Club and the National Council of Women.

Dornwell died in Sydney 18 November 1945, aged 80.

Residences in the City

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Work in the City

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