Frances E. Newton (born 1865) was an American early childhood educator who had a strong influence on the development of

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

s in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. She was trained in the teaching methods of

John Dewey John Dewey (; October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and Education reform, educational reformer. He was one of the most prominent American scholars in the first half of the twentieth century. The overridi ...

in her native Chicago and with four other ladies founded "Gertrude House" of the Chicago Kindergarten Institute. She was brought out to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in November 1902 on a three-year contract as principal of the Kindergarten Training Centre, Roslyn Street,

Darlinghurst Darlinghurst is an inner-city suburb in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the Ci ...

. She laid the foundation for the success of the Sydney Kindergarten Training College, Waverley. Her disciples included Harriet Alice Dumolo (1875–1944) and

Zoe Benjamin Sophia "Zoe" Benjamin (24 December 1882 – 13 April 1962) was a pioneer of early childhood education in Australia. History Zoe was born in Adelaide, South Australia to Philip Benjamin (1848–1924) and his wife Miriam "Minnie" Benjamin, née Coh ...

(1882–1962). In 1905 Newton and

Lillian Daphne de Lissa Lillian Daphne de Lissa (25 October 1885 – 1967) was an early childhood educator and educational theorist in Adelaide, South Australia and the United Kingdom in the twentieth century. She was head hunted to lead ''Gipsy Hill College'' in South ...

were invited by Bertram Hawker to report on kindergartens in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. It would appear that Newton died some time between 1910 and 1920. The Frances Newton Memorial Free Kindergarten at 287 Bourke-street, Darlinghurst, founded by Dumolo and opened in 1922, was named for her. In 1902,

began studying at the Sydney Kindergarten Teachers College, where she was influenced by Frances Newton, and was a leading figure in kindergarten development in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newton, Frances Early childhood education in Australia 1865 births 1910s deaths Year of death uncertain American expatriates in Australia Educators from Chicago