Esmé "Ezzie" Fenston (29 July 1908 – 16 April 1972) was an Australian journalist. She was editor of ''

The Australian Women's Weekly ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', sometimes known simply as ''The Weekly'', is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by Are Media in Sydney and founded in 1933. For many years it was the number one magazine in Australia before bein ...

'' for 22 years.

Early life and education

Fenston was born Esmé Woolacott on 29 July 1908 in Annandale, New South Wales. She was the youngest child of furniture salesman Henry Lovell Woolacott and Jane Kate (née Wilmot). She completed her secondary education at

Sydney Girls High School Sydney Girls High School (abbreviated as SGHS or Sydney Girls) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex school, single-sex Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondar ...

Career

She was employed by '' The Land'' to write "The Countrywoman" and the "Beehive" supplements for the paper, following her marriage in 1930 to Jack Fenston. Fenston joined ''The Australian Women's Weekly'' in 1938, where she wrote book reviews before becoming a sub-editor soon afterwards. She took over as editor in 1950 when Alice Mabel Jackson moved to ''The Weekly's'' main rival, ''

Woman's Day ''Woman's Day'' is an American women's magazine that covers such topics as homemaking, food, nutrition, physical fitness, physical attractiveness, and fashion. The print edition is one of the Seven Sisters (magazines), Seven Sisters magazines. ...

''. Fenston remained editor of ''The Weekly'' until her death on 16 April 1972, following a short illness.

Awards and recognition

In the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours Fenston was made an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

for "service to journalism". Fenston Place, in the Canberra suburb of Gilmore, is named in her honour. In 2023 the Esme Fenston Fellowship was inaugurated to celebrate the 90th anniversary of ''The Women's Weekly'' and in recognition of her contribution to it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenston, Esme 1908 births 1972 deaths Australian women journalists Australian magazine editors Australian women magazine editors 20th-century Australian journalists Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire