Kathleen Fitzpatrick

Who was Kathleen Fitzpatrick?

Kathleen Elizabeth Fitzpatrick AO was an Australian academic and historian.

Fitzpatrick was born in the town of Omeo, Victoria in 1905. She was educated at Loreto Convent in South Melbourne and Portland, Presentation Convent in Windsor, and Lauriston Girls' School in Armadale. From there, Fitzpatrick entered the University of Melbourne, enrolling in English, following on from her love of literature in high school. However, the honours program in English did not appeal to her, so she enrolled also in history, studying under Ernest Scott; this second subject would become her favourite after a holiday to Tasmania at the end of her first year, when she was inspired by a visit to the ruins of Port Arthur.

From 1925, she was a member of the Lyceum Club. She graduated from Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts in 1926, and with financial support from her parents, obtained another Bachelor of Arts at Oxford University in 1928, completing the three-year degree in two years.

On her return to Australia in 1929, Fitzpatrick was employed as a temporary lecturer at the University of Sydney, teaching history. The following year she became a tutor in English at her alma mater, a position she held until 28 August 1932, when she married journalist Brian Fitzpatrick and was consequently forced to leave her job, as was required of all female academics at the time.