ANU Women's Studies Program

The Women’s Studies Program was established at the Australian National University in 1976 as a result of activism applied by students connected to the Women's Liberation movement. Dr Ann Curthoys was appointed as a Lecturing Fellow to develop and teach the course as a full-year single unit. A second course was added in 1978, and Susan Magarey took over as lecturer. In 1984, Dr Dorothy Broom (Department of Sociology) was appointed lecturer and convenor of the program. Dr Jill Julius Matthews (Department of History) was also appointed lecturer in 1984, becoming convenor in 1987, a role which alternated between them. In September 1995 the Program was reviewed by the University Council and designated the Centre for Women’s Studies, with Matthews as Director. Dr Jan Jindy Pettman (Department of Political Science) was appointed Director and Reader from the beginning of 1997 and at this time, there were four lecturers: Dr Jill Matthews, Dr Rosanne Kennedy, Dr Fiona Paisley and Dr E Wilson. In July 2000, the Centre for Women's Studies was abolished in a general reorganisation of the Faculty of Arts. In 2001, the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program was celebrated with a seminar featuring current and former staff including Ann Curthoys, Susan Magarey and Liz O’Brien.