Breaking the Bias: Celebrating International Women's Day

This International Women's Day, we celebrate all the women in our College community who are paving the way for the next generation and are breaking the bias around gender inequality.   

St Catherine's was founded as a women's only College in 1928 (becoming co-educational in 2014) with a mission to support women pursuing higher education in Western Australia. Since then, the College has been home to many inspiring women, including:   

  • Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence (1965 – 1968), who became the first female premier of an Australian state in 1990 

  • Professor Lesley Cala (1960 - 1964), a pioneer in Neuroradiology who secured the first CT scan machine in the southern hemisphere for Perth in 1975  

  • Fulbright Scholar Francesca Cary (2017 - 2019), is currently exploring life on other planets through planetary geology and astrobiology 

Later generations of St Catherine's women continue to follow in the footsteps of our alumni, with our current residents taking advantage of the opportunities available to them every day in science, sports, business and academia.  

Through continuing to strive for excellence, our St Catherine's women are always breaking down barriers.  

Hon Carmen Lawrence

Hon Dr Carmen Lawrence

Professor Lesley Cala, UWA

Professor Lesley Cala

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