Norma Ford (née O'Connor) joined the Bar in 1951 and was one of the first women barristers to practise in areas of law other than matrimonial law.
"Being at the Bar was a very pleasant and satisfying experience for me. It was a happy period of my life. I felt quite included and accepted by barristers and judges." Norma Ford
Allayne Kiddle joined the Bar in 1959. She encountered support from her fellow barristers, but also some peculiar assumptions.
 Allayne Kiddle |
"By and large, being at the Victorian Bar was a lonely experience when I was doing my reading... For the most part, my work consisted of writing opinions for my master [William Kaye], statements of claim and other matters relevant thereto... When I was first interviewed by Mr Kaye, he said 'My name's Bill' and then asked me what my name was. The clerk on the other hand called me 'Snooks' or anything else he fancied at the time." - Allayne Kiddle, sixth woman to sign Victorian Bar Roll |
"Although there were no overt prejudices, nevertheless we were well aware that the Bar was seen to be a man's domain. I really think this has deterred a lot of women from going to the Bar." - Mary (Molly) Kingston, seventh woman to sign Victorian Bar Roll "Being a woman was never an advantage to me; one always had to prove one's worth no matter what the circumstances." - Molly Kingston |
 Molly Kingston |
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"I was a bit like a striped and spotted dog. There was nobody else around my age who actually wore a skirt, [who was] available. So there was no one to share with, other than other men." - Lynnette Schiftan, ninth woman to sign Victorian Bar Roll  Margery King, third woman to sign Victorian Bar Roll
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Lynnette Schiftan
Gladys Hain, fifth woman to sign Victorian Bar Roll |
Click here to see "The First 60 Women to Sign Victorian Bar Roll". Click here to see an article on "Allayne Kiddle's reflections on her life at the bar". You will need Adobe PDF reader to view these documents, click here to download if you do not already have it. |
