Ellen Ida Benham (12 March 1871 – 27 April 1917) was a science teacher, headmistress and education pioneer in South Australia.

History

Ellen was born at "Talarno", Kapunda, South Australia to solicitor William Hoare Benham (27 November 1833 – ), who arrived in South Australia aboard ''The Gipsy'' in August 1853, and his second wife Amie Benham née Huggins. Her father worked as a

shearer A shearer is someone who shears, such as a cloth shearer, or a sheep shearer. Origins of the name include from near Bergen in Norway 1600s weden of that periodas ''Skea'' (pronounced "Skeg" meaning "beard") and Heddle (meaning market place) as mig ...

for three years and drove bullocks before settling down as a lawyer's clerk and studying law. :W. H. Benham was born in

Hayes Hayes may refer to: * Hayes (surname), including a list of people with the name ** Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States * Hayes (given name) Businesses * Hayes Brake, an American designer and manufacturer of disc brakes * Ha ...

, near Uxbridge, Middlesex. At age 12 he embarked on a four-year apprenticeship to John Boyce, a chemist of Chertsey, Surrey, but in 1849 his parents moved to Brook Green,

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...

, London, and he was obliged to break his contract, and he found employment as office boy for a lawyer in Essex Street,

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

. His health broke down and he was advised to seek the warmer climate of South Australia, and emigrated aboard ''Gipsy'' which arrived in August 1853. Fellow passengers included Lionel Pelham, who was drowned in the SS ''Gothenburg'' disaster, A. J. Tolley, and Mr. Holden. With most of the able-bodied men at the Victorian goldfields seeking their fortune, there was little call for a lawyer's clerk, but he found work on Edward Stirling's sheep and cattle station at Lake Alexandrina. He found later work at Langhorne's Creek with Carter Potts, then experienced wheat farming in Strathalbyn, which entailed trialling Ridley's first header. By 1856 his parents and siblings had migrated to the colony, and he joined them in Adelaide, finding employment in the legal office of Matthew Smith, then with Hanson & Hicks. Then an opportunity arose for Benham to advance in the legal profession by taking his articles with James Huggins in Kapunda. In 1860 he married Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Rev. William Wood of

Penwortham Penwortham () is a town in South Ribble, Lancashire, England, on the south bank of the River Ribble facing the city of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The town is at the most westerly crossing point of the river, with major road and rail links cr ...

. They had a son Frank in 1861. On 21 June 1864, just a few days before his final examinations, his wife died. On 26 June 1864 he was admitted a practitioner of the Supreme Court of South Australia, and was taken into partnership with Huggins. In April 1867 he married again, to Amie Huggins, eldest daughter of his partner; they had around twelve children, of whom eight survived to adulthood. Ellen was educated privately, then at the

Advanced School for Girls The Advanced School for Girls was a South Australian State school whose purpose was to prepare girls to qualify for entry to the University of Adelaide. Founded in 1879, the school merged with Adelaide High School in 1907. History From its ince ...

before taking the science course at the

Adelaide University The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

, graduating BSc with honours in 1892.Helen Jones, 'Benham, Ellen Ida (1871–1917)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, , published first in hardcopy 1979, accessed online 24 July 2016. She taught science at the Christ Church Anglican school in Kapunda for a short time before taking a study tour of England and Europe. She took an assistant position at Dryburgh School, then taught at

Tormore House School Tormore School was a private boarding and day school for girls in North Adelaide, South Australia. History Tormore House had its origins in a small school for girls set up by Elizabeth McMinn (c. 1840 – 26 December 1937) and her two sisters Sa ...

for a little over twelve years. During this time she travelled to England, where she earned her Oxford Diploma of Education. After the death of Professor Tate she taught botany at Adelaide University and was appointed lecturer ''pro tem'' while awaiting the arrival of Professor Osborn Thus she was, under similar circumstances to Ada Mary Lambert at Melbourne University, the first woman appointed to an academic post at the university. In December 1912 she purchased Walford School, Fisher Street,

Malvern Malvern or Malverne may refer to: Places Australia * Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne * City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne * Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...

, from Lydia Adamson, its founder in 1893. She reformed its teaching methods and course content, notably introducing science to the curriculum. In 1917 she sold the school to Mabel Jewell Baker, who then led the school for almost 40 years.

Recognition

In 1922 the Ellen Benham Scholarship was established at Walford in recognition of her contribution to the development of the school. The Benham Wing, which incorporated science classrooms, in what became the Walford Church of England Girls' Grammar School, was also named for her. She was a co-founder and longtime supporter of Adelaide University's Women's Students' Society, and its president for several years. Benham Street, in the Canberra suburb of Chisholm, is named in her honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benham, Ellen 1871 births 1917 deaths Australian women academics Academic staff of the University of Adelaide Australian headmistresses 19th-century Australian educators 20th-century Australian educators 19th-century Australian women scientists 20th-century Australian women scientists 19th-century Australian women educators 20th-century Australian women educators University of Adelaide alumni People educated at the Advanced School for Girls Australian people of English descent