Vignette 74: First female academic instructs in Botany

Ellen Ida Benham (1871–1917), born in Kapunda, South Australia, was a pioneering figure in education and botany. Raised in a family that valued education, Benham attended the University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1892.

Benham took over botany lectures in 1901 from Professor Ralph Tate, who was ill. She became the University’s first female academic, holding the position of lecturer, Head of the Botany Department, and Keeper of the Herbarium from 1902 to 1911. 

In 1912, she purchased Walford School in Malvern, transforming it into a thriving institution that emphasised academic excellence, physical education, and character  development. Her educational philosophy aimed to empower girls to be ‘useful and effective women in whatever position they may have to fill’.

Benham excelled in both education and botanical research. She is remembered at the University with the Benham Lecture Theatre.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Leading for the future. p.106