Susannah Jane Williams (15 September 1875 – 27 May 1942), better known as Susie Williams, was an Australian educator. She served for 16 years as principal of The Women's College at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

Early life and education

Williams was born at Castlemaine in Victoria on 15 September 1875. Her parents were Jane (née Jones) and Welsh-born grocer

Edward David Williams Edward David Williams (24 September 1842 – 17 October 1909) was a former Australian politician. He was the Independent member for Castlemaine in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1894 to 1904. Career Williams was born in Wales a ...

. Her father was Member for Castlemaine in the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...

from 1894 to 1904. She completed her secondary education at Castlemaine Grammar School, then attended the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, living at Trinity College Hostel while she studied for a Bachelor of Arts. She graduated in 1897 with first-class honours. She went to England and enrolled at

Newnham College Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicen ...

, Cambridge reading classics (1897–1901) and also read archaeology at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

(1897–1898).

Career

Williams returned to Australia where she tutored in classics at the University of Melbourne. She joined Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School in 1902 as an English and classics teacher and was promoted to head of staff in 1908. In 1914 she returned tutor in classics at Trinity College and became acting principal of Trinity College Hostel in 1919. In June 1919 Williams was appointed the second principal of The Women's College (TWC) at the University of Sydney, taking over from

Louisa Macdonald Louisa Macdonald (10 December 1858 – 28 November 1949) was an educationist and women's suffragist. Early life and education Louisa Macdonald was born in 1858 in Arbroath, Scotland, the eleventh child of Ann (née Kid) and John Macdonald, tow ...

who had served in the role since it opened in 1892. Under her management, the college grew from 40 to 70 students. Following her retirement from TWC in 1935 she was appointed principal of University Women's College at the University of Melbourne, overseeing its opening in 1937. She was succeeded by

Greta Hort Grethe Hjort (1903–1967) was a Danish-born professor of Danish and English literature. After graduating from the University of Copenhagen, she moved to Cambridge where she studied at Newnham College, earning a Ph.D. in 1931 and subsequently be ...

in 1938.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Susie 1875 births 1942 deaths Australian women educators University of Melbourne alumni Academic staff of the University of Melbourne People from Castlemaine, Victoria University of Sydney people