What do a war correspondent who seemingly rose from the dead, a dangerous alien interned in Australia, and the creator of a spider dance have in common?

These pioneering women will all be the subject of a public event, Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History, at the Gold Museum on Sunday 21st February at 2pm.

Following on from the event’s success at the Melbourne Museum, the event will be staged for the first time in Ballarat, in partnership with the Professional Historians Association of Victoria, with four professional historians presenting lightening talks on the lives of four extraordinary women, who each challenged the social norms of the times in which they lived.                                                                                                                    

The following speakers, all from the Professional Historians Association of Victoria, will be in attendance:

Anna Kyi, Ballarat historian, celebrates the life of Lola Montez, the whip-wielding, original badass of Ballarat’s goldfields.

Alicia Cerreto, historian, will deliver the story of Alice Meyer von Forell, one of the ‘most dangerous aliens interned in Australia’ during World War Two; a cautionary tale about shining too brightly in war-time Australia.

Dr Rachel Buchanan journalist, historian and author of Stop Press: The Last Days of Newspapers and more recently her own artist newspaper, Melbourne Sirius, is drawn to fellow journalist Ettie Rout. Rout is not forgotten in the ANZAC story but as neither a wife nor prostitute, her interest in the sexual health of soldiers was considered controversial during World War I.

Dr Richard Trembath, co-author of Witnesses to War: the History of Australian Conflict Reporting, explores the life and work of war correspondent Kate Webb, a no-nonsense correspondent during the Vietnam War who was reported to have been captured, killed and cremated in Cambodia - only to emerge from the jungle alive 23 days later.

Ideal for anyone interested in politics, gender issues and hearing about pioneering women who played a part in history, this free event will be hosted by Michelle Rayner from ABC Radio. There will also be a special guest appearance by feminist and Ballarat blogger, Liana Skewes, reflecting on the theme for women today.

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Email: rsvp@sovereignhill.com.au
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