Lillian de Lissa, women teachers and teacher education in the twentieth century

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Beginning with Lillian de Lissa’s role as foundation principal of the Adelaide Kindergarten Training College (1907–1917) and Gipsy Hill Training College in London (1917–1947), this book explores the transnational exchange of knowledge in teacher education and early childhood education throughout the twentieth century. Under de Lissa’s leadership, students experienced a progressive culture and thorough preparation for careers as kindergarten, nursery, and infant teachers, amidst societal anxieties about modern women's roles and the status of educators. Utilizing a wide array of archival materials, the study delves into the professional and personal lives of graduates, examining their leisure activities and civic engagement from their early teaching days to their later years. The interwar marriage bar led many women to resign from teaching after marriage to become mothers, while others continued their careers across various educational fields globally. Although most graduates remained in Australia or England, de Lissa’s extensive networks connected individuals and educational ideas across the British dominions, colonies, Europe, and the USA, fostering intriguing global relationships.