Let's hear it for a remarkable woman!

 

Many formidable and inspirational women who forged a way forward call Rookwood "home".

There are many who participated in Women's Suffrage and those who were actively leaders of the movement.

One I wish to honour today, if not completely forgotten, is a woman we need to be reminded of in regard to the influence she had to be able to bring about real change for the benefit of women.

So, in honour of International Women's Day, I hereby bring you.

ROSE SCOTT

Rose was born in October1847, one of eight children to Helenus Scott and his wife Sarah Anne "Suranna" nee Rusden in the Singleton area. She lived in barracks at Newcastle where her father was the Police Magistrate from 1857. Rose was home-schooled and groomed to marry but she had other ideas. Rose stated that her independent views came about early and were cemented by a reading of Shakespeare's “The Taming of the Shrew”. From then the play shaped her attitudes to men and marriage. She often took the steamer to Sydney to visit relatives and spent a great deal of time visiting her cousin, David Scott Mitchell, whose vast collection of books, etc. upon his death, formed the basis of the NSW State Library. (He also calls Rookwood "home" but his wonderful story will be the subject of another blog later down the line).

A young Rose Scott - Wikipedia

The poor health of her mother kept her occupied at home. When her father died in 1879, she inherited £500 per annum and sole care of her mother. After her beloved sister's Gussie's death in 1880, she adopted her 2-year-old son, Helenus Hope "Nene" Scott Wallace (known as Harry) and moved him and her mother to Sydney.

From 1882, Rose began a weekly Friday evening salon in her home, "Lynton" in Woollahra. She invited Politicians, Judges, Philanthropists, Artists and Poets for discussions on matters of the day. In 1889 she helped to found the Women's Literary Society which grew into the Womanhood Suffrage League in 1891.

After her mother's death in 1896, Rose diversified her activities. Her interest in votes for women led to intense scrutiny of the position of women in society. She found that young girls were working in shops from 8am until 9pm on ordinary days and until 11pm on Saturdays. In order to effect change she invited some of these girls to her home on Sunday afternoons to describe their working conditions to her gathered audience of Judges and Politicians. This led to the drafting of the Bill that became the Early Closing Act of 1899.

Commemorative scarf - author's own

Other reforms advocated included the appointment of Matrons at Police Stations and women Inspectors in factories and shops.

Scott founded the Women's Political Education League in 1902 and was its President until 1910. The League campaigned for the raising of the age of consent to 16. Rose worked with Sir Charles Mackellar offering him tactical advice for the Infant Protection Act (1904) which allowed an unmarried pregnant woman to sue the putative father for pre-natal expenses, maintenance for six months after the birth and for the child until adolescence.

Other post-suffrage feminist reforms she participated in included the Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants (1916), Women's Legal Status (1918) and First Offenders (Women)1918 Acts.

All her life Rose Scott worked for measures to reduce men's power over women. Sometimes she went perhaps too far the other way, for instance, stepping aside as the President of the NSW Ladies' Amateur Swimming Association in 1911 when she clashed with the swimmer, Fanny Durack, over her competing at the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games. Scott objected to the Olympics on pacifist grounds as well as women appearing in competitions when men were present.

Rose Scott later in life - Dictionary of Sydney with thanks

She advocated mobility for women and some independence by seeking women's access to Public Office and provision of public space for women's uses (such as rest room and parcel cloakrooms).

Rose Scott died of cancer in April 1925 and was buried in the Anglican Section of the Cemetery. She was a great believer in cremation and active in the Cremation Society of NSW that had been formed in 1908. In her will she requested that if she should die before the Rookwood Crematorium was opened, she should be buried and once operational, have her body be exhumed and cremated. Her wish was granted later that year after the Crematorium's official opening.

Rose Scoott's marker at Rookwood Crematorium - photo author's own

There are many articles and vast chapters of books devoted to Rose Scott. A simple Google search will produce many. I have used that search engine as well as consulting a number of books; one being "Book Life - The life and times of David Scott Mitchell" by Eileen Chanin available still (I believe) from the NSW State Library. A great, intensive read.

If you have any comments about this blog please include them below or at the Facebook group found under

rookwoodcemeterydiscoveries

or send me a message at

lorainepunch@gmail.com

Until next week!