Lockleys. who married on 3 November 1923.
She was educated at Lockleys Primary School and
Walford House School, where in 1942 she excelled in Ancient History and English composition. and in History and Economics at the Leaving examinations if 1943. She passed her BA (honours) in Political Science and History at the University of Adelaide in 1948, mentored by
G. V. "Jerry" Portus. She began work as a cadet at the university's
Barr Smith Library
The Barr Smith Library is the main library of the University of Adelaide, situated in the centre of the North Terrace campus. It is named after its early benefactor Robert Barr Smith and was formally established in 1882, though its history dat ...
and had begun work on her MA thesis and lecturing at the university when on 8 January 1949 she married Dr Geoffrey Jones. In 1952 she gave birth to a son
and suspended her career and studies to raise what became a family of four.
She returned to her studies in the mid-1960s, submitting her MA thesis ''The History of commercial education in South Australia with special reference to women'' in 1969. She joined the staff of the
Adelaide Kindergarten Training College (later to become De Lissa Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies of the
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1991, it is the successor of the former South Australian Institute of Technology. Its main campuses along North Terrace are ...
) as History lecturer, and following Portus's example began writing and broadcasting for the
Australian Broadcasting Commission
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is a ...
. She was consulted by the
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
to identify names, especially of significant Australian women, for inclusion in the Dictionary. She wrote many articles herself. In 1982 her thesis ''Women's education in South Australia: Institutional and social developments 1875–1915'' was accepted for her PhD.
[
]
Publications
*''Nothing Seemed Impossible: Women's Education and Social Change in South Australia 1875–1915'' (1985), developed from her MA thesis.
*''In Her Own Name: Women in South Australian History'', a detailed account of the steps that led to South Australia granting eligible women the right to be registered on the Electoral Roll of South Australia.
*ADB articles on Mary Lee, Lillian 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 ...
, Augusta Zadow, Mary Colton
Mary Colton (née Cutting; from 1891, Lady Colton; 6 December 1822, was an Australian philanthropist and suffragist.
Early life and family
Colton was born in London, the eldest of three children of Samuel Cutting, bootmaker, and his wife Hann ...
and twenty more.
Recognition
Jones was awarded an Order of Australia medal on Australia Day, 1995, in recognition of her historical research.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Helen Patricia
1926 births
2018 deaths
Academic staff of the University of South Australia
Australian women historians