Vignette 63: First female graduate leads the way

Edith Emily Dornwell (1865–1945) was the first woman to graduate from the University in 1885, and the first woman in Australia to graduate with a science degree.

Born in New Zealand, Dornwell won a bursary to attend the Advanced School for Girls in Adelaide and was later accepted into the University’s Bachelor of Science program. Dornwell excelled, receiving the Sir Thomas Elder Prize in Physiology in 1883. Her academic prowess continued, with a University representative noting in 1889 that she was the most brilliant student in the science course.

After graduating in 1885 with First Class Honours in physics and physiology, Dornwell embarked on a teaching career, initially at her alma mater and later in Victoria and New South Wales. 

Dornwell’s accomplishments extend beyond her pioneering academic achievements. In 2015, the University launched the Dornwell Framework, its first gender equity strategy for staff. The strategy embodies the merits of its namesake, emphasising leadership, an empowered workforce, and a talent pipeline for growth.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Leading for the future. p.90