Bella Guerin

Julia Margaret Guerin Halloran Lavender was born the 23rd April 1858 in Victoria in Williamstown, Australia. This is her full name however she goes by the shorter name of Bella Guerin.
She lived in Victoria and Adelaide for 65 years and she died on the 26th July 1923 in Adelaide, Australia. She was homeschooled by her mother. She was the first women to enter an Australian University and she received her Bachelor of Art degree in December 1883, then she received her Master of Art in 1885 from the University of Melbourne. She then taught at Loreto Convent Ballarat and pushed for higher education scholarships for Catholic girls because she strongly believed that if girls came together they could all use their intelligences to implement good in society.

Entertainment
The Phonograph was invented in the early 1900s by Thomas Edison. It was the first machine that could play back already ready recorded music.                                                            The television hadn’t been invented yet, so people used the radio everyday to listen to new comedy shows, live events, jazz music and operas. The first radio broadcaster came out November 1920.

Transport
Transport in the early 1900s : People used automobiles which were invented in 1885 by Karl Benz a German. The only way to travel across the sea was by boat because air transport hadn’t been invented yet. Animal power (mainly horses and bullocks) was still being used in 1900 to move people and supplies. The rail transport was the most used. People used to travel on the rail when they couldn’t use their automobiles or when the journey was too long.

Music
People loved the blues and jazz genres of music. Some very popular songs during this time period were :
Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love by Billie Holiday.
The Bagman and the mug by W.T. Goodge in 1900.
The Banks of the Riverine by J.R.R.St. Helen’s in 1994.

Clothes
In the early 1900s, people covered up more than we do today. Women and girls never wore trousers and women kept their legs hidden with long dresses or skirts. Men and boys often kept their coats or jackets and ties on even in hot weather. People from every social class usually wore hats when they were outside.

Work
Bella Guerin was a feminist and political activist and a teacher at the Ballarat School of Mines University. She taught first at Loreto Convent Ballarat and also pushed for higher education scholarships for Catholic girl because she strongly believed that girls were very intelligent and they too could work and have a real education.
A woman’s role in the 1870s was to simply take care of her husband, children and their house.

Education
Bella didn’t go to primary school because she was educated by her mother. She became the first woman to graduate from an Australian University in 1881. Bella received her Bachelor of Art degree from the University of Melbourne in December 1883 and after her Master of Arts in 1885. Bella Guerin was appointed to teach the art and matriculation students at SMB. There wasn’t a lot of all girls’ schools because they thought that girls didn’t have to have an education because their husbands could teach them. All a women had to do was to take care of her husband, her children and make sure her house was neat and tidy. This is why Bella wanted girls to have a better education.

Important events
Bella was born the 23rd of April 1858. Bella became the first woman to graduate from an Australian University when she won her B.A from the University of Melbourne in December 1883. She must of had a lot of courage to pass the test being the first woman to graduate from an Australian University. After that she became an M.A upon application in 1885. At this moment she must of persisted a lot to think that she could do it and always strive for accuracy at all times. Her first real job was teaching at Loreto Convent Ballarat to Catholic girls. She helped them to think independently and possibly go to a university. Bella then became lady principal of Ballarat School of Mines University class. She must have taken a lot of responsible risks for the whole school. Then she resigned upon this job and went to marry a civil servant and poet Henry Halloran. This must of been very hard for her because she was leaving a job of 4 years of really hard work.Then the 9th of May 1893 her husband Henry died in Sydney leaving her with an infant son, Henry Marco. She did her best to manage her beliefs, passions, her family and also her job. Then she had a second marriage at Christ Church St Kilda Melbourne on the 1 October 1909 to George D’Arcie Lavender. Bella was very happy that somebody came and helped her. She would have questioned herself about what she would do for work. From 1914 she wrote and spoke for the Labor and Victorian Socialist parties and the League of Socialist. At this moment she tried to strive for accuracy.
Bella Guerin died the 23rd of july 1923.