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Mitchell, Roma (Dame) (1913-2000)

Also known as
Mitchell, Roma Flinders
Mitchell, Roma Flinders (1913-2000)
Mitchell, Roma Flinders (Dame) (1913-)
Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-555947

Biographies

Australian Women's Register

The Honourable Dame Roma Mitchell was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 1 January 2000. During her life Dame Roma achieved a number of firsts. She was the first woman Governor of an Australian State (South Australia, 1991-1996), the first woman Chancellor of a university in Australia (University of Adelaide 1983-1990) and the first Australian woman Queen’s Counsel (1962).

Dame Roma Mitchell's father (Harold Mitchell) was killed in World War I. At the time her mother (Maude, née Wickham) had two children under the age of 10. Like many women of her time she had not been trained in any profession and she struggled to bring up her daughters.

Dame Roma was educated at St Aloysius College, Adelaide. She won the David Murray scholarship which enabled her to study law at the University of Adelaide, receiving her degree in 1934. Dame Roma supported the issues of equal pay for women and for women to sit on juries (legislated in 1966). She was recommended by Don Dunstan (Attorney-General SA) to be appointed a Supreme Court Judge of South Australia in 1965, the first woman to be so appointed. Dame Roma was still the only women judge of the Supreme Court in Australia when she retired after 18 years in the position in 1983, aged 70.

Dame Roma became the first woman Chancellor (1983-1990) in an Australian university when she was appointed to the position at the University of Adelaide. In all Dame Roma was associated with the university for over 60 years; first as a student and then a part-time lecturer in Matrimonial and Family Law for five years during the 1960s. In 1965 she became a member of the University Council. She was Senior Deputy Chancellor for 11 years from 1972. Dame Roma was awarded the degree of Doctor of the University for her distinguished service to the University in 1985. In January 1991 Dame Roma took up her appointment as Governor of South Australia (1991-1996). As well as being a member of the Queen Adelaide Club and Lyceum Club, Dame Roma was a member of the Council for the Order of Australia. Her interests included theatre, music and the visual arts and she was Vice-President of the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (De Vries).

In her chapter on Roma Flinders Mitchell in Great Australian Women, author Susanna De Vries wrote: 'In June 1999, [the then] Hon. Governor-General Sir William Deane unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Dame Roma "as a permanent tribute to her lifetime achievement in South Australia". The statue stands in Prince Henry Gardens, in front of Government House on North Terrace.'

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Resources

Selected resources (22)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Mitchell Oration 1989 : "Looking back...looking forward".
    Mitchell, Roma
    [1989]
    Published: Equal Opportunity Commission, Adelaide
  2. The web of criminal law
    Mitchell, Roma
    [1975]
    Published: Australian Broadcasting Commission, Sydney
  3. The External Affairs power in relation to United Nations Conventions, its effect upon the balance of power between Commonwealth and States
    Mitchell, Roma
    [1995]
    Published: Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory, Canberra
  4. Women's liberation and the law
    Mitchell, Roma
    [1971]
    Published: Adult Education Board of Tasmania, [Hobart?]
  5. The Complete Book of Great Australian Women: Thirty-six women who changed the course of Australia
    De Vries, Susanna
    [2003]
    Published: HarperCollins, Sydney
  6. Conversation with Her Honour Justice Roma Mitchell [sound recording] / interviewer, Hazel de Berg.
    Mitchell, Roma, Dame
    [1978]
  7. State funeral, funeral Mass for the Honourable Dame Roma Mitchell AC DBE CVO, 1912-2000, St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide, Friday 10 March, 2000
    [2000]
    Published: [SA Government], [Adelaide]
  8. Dame Roma: glimpses of a glorious life
    Magarey, Susan
    [2002]
    Published: Axiom (in association w. John Bray Law Chptr Alumni Assn Univ. Adel.), [Adelaide]
  9. Living in South Australia : a social history
    Elizabeth Kwan
    [1987]
    Published: South Australian Government Printer, Netley, S. Aust.
  10. DAME ROMA MITCHELL
    [2002]
    Published: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  11. Greater than their knowing: a glimpse of South Australian women 1836-1986
    National Council of Women of South Australia
    [1986]
    Published: Wakefield Press, Netley, SA
  12. S.A.'s greats: the men and women of the North Terrace plaques
    Healey, John
    [2001]
    Published: Historical Society of South Australia, Adelaide
  13. Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
  14. Victorian Women's Roll of Honour: Women Shaping the Nation
    [2001]
    Published: Centurary of Federation Victoria
  15. Who's who of Australian women
    Lofthouse, Andrea
    [1982]
    Published: Methuen Australia, North Ryde (NSW)
  16. The matriarchs: twelve Australian women talk about their lives to Susan Mitchell.
    Mitchell, Susan
    [1987]
    Published: Penguin Books, Ringwood, Vic.
  17. The right to live and the right to die - Dame Roma Mitchell.
    [1992]
    The right to live and the right to die by Dame Roma Mitchell. 14 leaves.
    History of Medicine Library, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
    ASC/Quarto/ART/1
  18. Interview with Dame Roma Mitchell [sound recording] Interviewer: Yvonne Abbott
    [1984]
    Adelaide Lyceum Club Oral History Dame Roma Mitchell was born at Quambi Hospital in Adelaide. Her father was a solicitor and was killed in World War I when Dame Roma was 4 years old. She was brought up in an all female household. She attended St Aloysius College in Angas Street and then did law at university receiving her degree in 1934. Appointed a QC in 1962 and went on the bench between 1965 and 1983. Became Chairman of the Commonwealth Human Rights Commission in 1981, was on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Social Security stopping of payments to the Greeks, National Chairman of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, National President of the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation Association and Chancellor of the University of Adelaide. She was the first woman judge in Australia, Mary Kitson was the first woman admitted to practice in 1918 and Dorothy Somerville was admitted in 1922. Women in professions. Joining the Lyceum Club. Dame Roma was the first woman Chancellor of a university in Australia. Future of the Lyceum Club
    1 cassette
    State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana
    SRG 438/29/29
  19. Dame Roma Mitchell : Summary Record
    [Handwritten; typescript; photocopy; pamphlet; photoprint : 1903 - 1996]
    Papers of Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell comprising letters of congratulation, subject files, correspondence, papers relating to C.B.E., letters patent for judicial positions, notebooks, articles of agreement, programmes, certificates, printed material, passports, newspaper cuttings, papers relating to her father H.F. Mitchell & grandfather S.J. Mitchell, family biographical notes, photographs, 1994 Women's Suffrage Centenary diary, transcripts of speeches, transcripts of proceedings at farewells of Justice Mitchell, Chief Justice King and Judge Villeneuve-Smith, funeral orations for Dr J.J.Bray and discussion papers from the Human Rights Commission.
    3.2 m
    State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana
  20. Dame Roma Mitchell : Summary Record
    [1903 - 1966]
    Papers of Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell comprising letters of congratulation, subject files, correspondence, papers relating to C.B.E., letters patent for judicial positions, notebooks, articles of agreement, programmes, certificates, printed material, passports, newspaper cuttings, papers relating to her father H.F. Mitchell & grandfather S.J. Mitchell, family biographical notes, photographs, 1994 Women's Suffrage Centenary diary, transcripts of speeches, transcripts of proceedings at farewells of Justice Mitchell, Chief Justice King and Judge Villeneuve-Smith, funeral orations for Dr J.J.Bray and discussion papers from the Human Rights Commission.
    3.2 m
    State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana
    PRG 778
  21. Launch of the Barbara Hanrahan Memorial Exhibition [sound recording]
    [1994]
    A recording of the launch of the State Library of South Australia's Barbara Hanrahan Memorial Exhibition by the Governor, Dame Roma Mitchell, in the Function Room of the Institute Building. Fran Awcock, the Director of the State Library, chairs the launch, and introduces in turn Des Ross, Chair, Libraries Board of South Australia; Dr Jean Blackburn, Founding Chair, Women's Suffrage Centenary Committee; Mary Wilson, Chair, Friends of State Library Exhibitions Committee; Dame Roma Mitchell; and Sydney Buttrose, President, Friends of State Library. Recorded on 21 April 1994. 30 minutes
    1 cassette
    State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana
    OH 142/16
  22. Launch of the second stage of The Honoured Women Oral History Project [sound recording]
    [7 March 2000]
    A recording of the launch of the second stage of the State Library of South Australia's Honoured Women Oral History Project in the Lecture Theatre of the Institute Building. Bronwyn Halliday, Director of the State Library, chairs the launch and introduces the Hon. Diana Laidlaw MLC, Minister for the Status of Women, and Beth Robertson, Manager, Audio-Visual Project Team, State Library. The Minister reflects on the project's instigation and in particular her annual luncheon for new women recipients of Australia Day and Queen's Birthday honours. Ms Robertson explains the focus of the project and promotes the Library's J D Somerville Oral History Collection that now contains a substantial archive about women's community service. She plays excerpts from Honoured Women interviews. Speeches and an interview excerpt include references to recently deceased Dame Roma Mitchell. Pianist Stella Panozzo plays before and after the speeches. Speech notes for Bronwyn Halliday and Beth Robertson with interview excerpt transcripts available (7 pages.)
    1 cassette
    State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana
    OH 568

Resources By Dame Roma Mitchell (64)

  1. Dame Roma Mitchell lawyer / interviewer, Robin Hughes; producer, director, writer, Frank Heimans
    Mitchell, Roma Dame, 1913-2000
    [Video : 1993]
  2. [Dame Roma Mitchell] interviewer, Robin Hughes; writer/producer/director, Frank Heimans
    Mitchell, Roma Dame, 1913-2000
    [Video : 1993]
  3. The web of criminal law / by the Honourable Justice Mitchell
    Mitchell, Roma Dame, 1913-2000
    [Book : 1975]
  4. Roma Mitchell [sound recording]
    Mitchell, Roma Dame, 1913-2000
    [Sound : 1981]
  5. Women's liberation and the law / by Roma Mitchell
    Mitchell, Roma Dame, 1913-2000
    [Book : 1971]
  6. Human rights of the terminally ill : the right of terminally ill patients to have access to heroin for painkilling purposes / Human Rights Commission
    Australia. Human Rights Commission
    [Article : 1985]
  7. Civil disobedience and the use of arrest as punishment : some human rights issues / Human Rights Commission
    Australia. Human Rights Commission
    [Article : 1986]
  8. The human rights of Australian-born children whose parents are deported / Human Rights Commission
    Australia. Human Rights Commission
    [Article : 1986]
  9. The observance of human rights at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, August 1983 / Human Rights Commission
    Australia. Human Rights Commission
    [Article : 1983]
  10. Superannuation and insurance and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. Part 1. Superannuation / Human Rights Commission
    Australia. Human Rights Commission
    [Article : 1986]

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