Alexandra Hasluck (1908–1993)

Alexandra Hasluck, née Darker, was born in Perth, Australia and educated at Perth College. She graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1929 and taught in private schools in her native city. She was one of the founding staff of St. Hilda's, one of the top academic girls' schools in Western Australia. In 1932, she married Paul Hasluck, who later served as Governor-General of Australia, with whom she had two sons. He was knighted in 1969, making her Lady Hasluck. She became the author of 11 books on various aspects of Australian social history, including Unwilling Emigrants: A Study of the Convict Period in Western Australia (1959); a book of short stories; and an autobiography, Portrait in a Mirror (1981). Among her works was a short biography of her mother, Evelyn Hill, one of the first female graduates of the University of Sydney. While her husband was in office, she served as national president of the Girl Guides Association and the Australian Red Cross. She was also active in the Order of St. John. In 1978, she was appointed the first Dame of the Order of Australia for "pre-eminent achievement in the fields of literature and history and for extraordinary and meritorious public service to Australia," after which she was known as Dame Alexandra Hasluck.