Women's History Month: The Founders of St Catherine's College
Today, St Catherine’s College is home to more than 440 students, female and male. We are constantly growing and developing to create new spaces for our residents to flourish and enjoy the best of College life. We cater to the needs of metropolitan, regional, international and exchange students. However, in the beginning, the College was significantly smaller.
St Catherine’s College when it first opened in 1960
In 1928 a small group of women formed the Women’s College Fund Committee (WCFC). Amongst these women were Dr Roberta Jull, H.E Whitfield and M.E Wood, whose names you will still see on our walls today. This committee aimed to establish a residence for women from Western Australia and beyond to live and study together, at a time where women faced significant barriers in achieving an education.
Dr Roberta Jull, a driving force behind the WCFC, was one of the first women to graduate with a degree in Medicine from the University of Glasgow. She became a prolific activist, writer and lecturer. She began writing about the accommodation needs of female students in Western Australia as early as 1914.
The task ahead of these women required massive amounts of fundraising. The WCFC’s fundraiser of choice were very popular bridge parties.
“We feel that we are working for our grand children, if not their children. Our efforts so far have produced very small amounts, but at least they advertise our movement.” M.E Wood, 1929
Fundraising efforts were suspended in 1931 due to the Great Depression, but the push to establish the College did not cease. In 1933, the College received £9000 from the estate of Sir John Winthrop Hackett. Despite this generous bequest, the cost of establishing the College envisioned by the committee, and required by the community, continued to rise.
WWII again halted the progress of the College. However, the war created significant social change for women in Australia. This change helped to bolster the women’s academics movement. After 18 long years, spanning war and economic disaster, the University Women’s College was opened on March 6th, 1946 with 32 residents. The University Women’s College was located in the old Crawley Army barracks.
The College continued to face difficulties, such as inadequate facilities and lack of funding. M.E Wood, warden at the time, created several initiatives and programs to help establish the University Women’s College as a respectable and safe environment to help young women succeed in academics.
Residents having a tea break in Upper Whitfield break-out area
The temporary home of the women’s college came to an end in 1959. Through continued fundraising efforts, the University Women’s College was able to build a better facility that still stands today on Stirling Highway.
The College was renamed after St Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of female scholars but remained non-denominational as per the intention of Dr Roberta Jull.
Residents gathered outside the main entrance to the College.
Over 32 years, the dedication of a group of people who believed a woman’s right to education resulted in the establishment of a College that continues to allow students to thrive. St Catherine’s is more diverse than ever, and the College remains an advocate of promoting education to the disadvantaged by providing the most scholarships out of all the residential colleges in Perth. We are about to become the first independent college to open a second campus, as we are set to expand with St Catherine’s at Curtin University opening in 2022.
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