Anne Elizabeth Henderson, (''née'' Keppel; born 1949) is an Australian writer, Deputy Director of The

Sydney Institute The Sydney Institute is a privately funded Australian policy forum founded in 1989. The institute took over the resources of the Sydney Institute of Public Affairs which ceased activity in the late 1980s. The institute was opened on 23 August 19 ...

, editor of The Sydney Papers and co-editor of The Sydney Institute Quarterly. Henderson was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and now lives in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. She was educated at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

. Between 1971 and 1989 she worked as a teacher for seventeen years in several Australian states. She is married to

Gerard Henderson Gerard Henderson (born 1945) is an Australian author, columnist and political commentator. He founded and is executive director of The Sydney Institute, a privately funded Australian current affairs forum. Education and earlier career Henderso ...

, the Executive Director of the Institute.Conversation: On the other side of the institute – Anne Henderson, author, wife and mother

Literary career

Anne Henderson is the author of ''Getting Even: Women MPs on Life, Power and Politics '', ''From All Corners: Six Migrant Stories'', ''Educating Johannah: A Year in Year 12'', and ''

Mary MacKillop Mary Helen MacKillop RSJ (15 January 1842 – 8 August 1909) was an Australian religious sister who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, as St Mary of the Cross. Of Scottish descent, she was born in Melbourne but is best known fo ...

's Sisters: A Life Unveiled''. She also authored ''Angel in the Court: The Life of Major Joyce Harmer'', a biography of Major Joyce Harmer,

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

major, social worker, court chaplain and advocate; and ''The Killing of Sister McCormack'', a biographical work which covers the execution of Sister

Irene McCormack Irene McCormack (21 August 1938 – 21 May 1991), an Australian nun, was a member of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart who worked as a missionary in Peru. She was executed in Peru in 1991 by members of Sendero Luminoso ("Shining Pat ...

. Among Henderson's essays of note are "Dad's Wake" in ''Fathers: In Writing'' (Tuart Press, 1997) and the biographical chapter on Prime Minister Joe Lyons for ''Australian Prime Ministers'', edited by

Michelle Grattan Michelle Grattan (born 30 June 1944) is an Australian journalist who was the first woman to become editor of an Australian metropolitan daily newspaper. Specialising in political journalism, she has written for and edited many significant Austr ...

(New Holland 2000) and the UK's ''New Dictionary of National Biography'' (OUP). She was a contributing editor with

Ross Fitzgerald Ross Andrew Fitzgerald (born in 1944) is an Australian academic, historian, novelist, secularist, and political commentator. Fitzgerald is an Emeritus Professor in History and Politics at Griffith University. He has published forty-three books ...

of ''Partners'' (HarperCollins, 1999). In 2008 Henderson published a biography of Dame

Enid Lyons Dame Enid Muriel Lyons (née Burnell; 9 July 1897 – 2 September 1981) was an Australian politician who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in federal cabinet. Prior to her own political ca ...

, titled ''Dame Enid Lyons: Leading Lady to a Nation''. In 2011 her biography of Prime Minister

Joseph Lyons Joseph Aloysius Lyons (15 September 1879 – 7 April 1939) was an Australian politician who served as the List of prime ministers of Australia by time in office, 10th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1932 until his death in 1939. He ...

, ''Joseph Lyons: The People’s Prime Minister'' (NewSouth Press), was launched by former Prime Minister

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...

. In 2014 Henderson published ''Menzies at War'' (NewSouth Press), which was shortlisted in the Prime Minister's Literary Award for History in 2015. Henderson also writes occasionally for ''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...

'', ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'', ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'', ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'', the '' Australian Book Review'', and the Australian's ''Review of Books''. At the

2015 Australia Day Honours The 2015 Australia Day Honours were announced on 26 January 2015 by the Governor General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove. The Australia Day Honours are the first of the two major annual honours lists, announced on Australia Day (26 January), with ...

, Henderson was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for significant service to literature in the field of political history, and to the community by fostering public debate and discussion.

References

1949 births Living people Australian non-fiction writers Australian women writers Members of the Order of Australia Writers from Melbourne {{Australia-writer-stub