Patience Hawker (28 March 1900 – 9 August 1994) was a teacher who with

Mabel Hardy Mabel Phyllis Hardy (11 April 1890 – 5 October 1977) was a South Australian educator who, with Patience Hawker founded Stawell School for girls, which ran from 1927 to 1940. History Mabel was a granddaughter of Arthur Hardy (1817–1909) a ...

co-founded

Stawell School Stawell School was a short-lived (1927–1940) private school for girls founded by Mabel Hardy and Patience Hawker near the summit of Mount Lofty. History Mabel Phyllis Hardy (1890–1977) was born in Malvern, South Australia, a member of the o ...

for girls in South Australia.

History

Patience Constance Joan Hawker was a granddaughter of George Charles Hawker (1818–1895) and Elizabeth "Bessie" Hawker née Seymour ( –1901), and daughter of Edward William Hawker MHA (1850–1940) and Mary Letitia Hawker née Stawell (1870–1938). The family had a property and residence at East Bungaree, where they were closely associated with the Wachenappee people. Patience was educated at home, then boarded at Yoothamurra school in Glenelg, followed by the Geelong Grammar School, then Frensham School at Mittagong, New South Wales. She gained her BA at Bedford College, University of London, then returned to the family home "Wachenappee" in Stirling, near the Mount Lofty Railway station (later named "Olivet House"). In 1925, she was employed at

Woodlands Girls Grammar School St. Peter's Woodlands Grammar School (commonly known as St Peter's Woodlands or SPW) is an Independent school, independent Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Mixed-sex education, co-educational Pre-school education, early learning and Prima ...

in Glenelg, South Australia, where she found a friend in second mistress Mabel Hardy, with whom she shared ideas about teaching. But she was not happy with the rather spartan staff accommodation and after a discussion with headmistress Dora Gillam left at the end of the year. She served for a few months at Girton School, then received a note from Mabel Hardy, who was enjoying a year in England and on the Continent, proposing a partnership to found a girls' school in the Adelaide Hills.Barbara Wall ''A Short History of Stawell School: The forgotten school on Mount Lofty'' published for Mount Lofty Districts Historical Society by Peacock Publications 2012 Fired with enthusiasm, Patience purchased "Arthur's Seat" a large bungalow on near the summit of Mount Lofty and overlooking the Adelaide Plains. It was largely financed with a loan from her mother, and the school was named in her honour, she having been born Mary Stawell. A company, Stawell School Ltd., was incorporated on 21 December 1926 with Patience Hawker as managing director. The two women made the mansion their residence, with rooms for boarders, and had classrooms built away from the residence. They modelled Stawell School on her happy memories of Frensham, which had so inspired Patience. Part of their philosophy of teaching was

Helen Parkhurst Helen Parkhurst (March 8, 1886 – June 1, 1973) was an American educator, author, lecturer, the originator of the Dalton Plan, founder of the Dalton School and host of ''Child's World with Helen Parkhurst'' on ABC Television Network. Parkh ...

Dalton system The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst. It is inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 20th century. Educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey influenced Parkhurst while she created ...

which gives the student a great deal of control over her own work, where the teacher is a resource and adviser rather than a lecturer, and students are encouraged to aid one another's learning. Patience was not to remain long at Stawell School. She married (Charles) Roy Howard (1891 – 17 August 1935), a grandson of W. R. Cave, at Bungaree on 19 September 1928. They settled in a house on Charlick Road, some 3 km south-west of the School, and henceforth she had little to do with teaching or day-to-day decisions, though she retained the title and responsibilities of managing director. They had two daughters, Lucinda (1929– ) and Virginia (1 October 1931 – ). In 1935 her husband died of pneumonia and she sold their Crafers property and returned with her two children to East Bungaree, where she lived with her brother and father. Her daughters attended Stawell School until 1940, when it closed, and were enrolled at Girton. After her father died she returned to the city, purchasing a house in

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

. She joined the Labor Party and stood for the seat of Burnside at the 1946 by-election and for the Legislative Council (the first woman contender) in the 1953 election, Central No.2 but was unsuccessful on both occasions. She was a member of the Adelaide Lyceum Club and a keen bridge player. She helped found the Norwood branch of

Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels is a programme that delivers meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programmes, not all of which are actually named ...

and worked with that organisation for some thirty years. She maintained a close relationship with her daughters and, later, grandchildren. She changed houses one more time, to Rosslyn Park.

Sources

*Barbara Wall ''A Short History of Stawell School: The forgotten school on Mount Lofty'' published for Mount Lofty Districts Historical Society by Peacock Publications 2012

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawker, Patience Australian women educators 1900 births 1994 deaths People educated at Geelong Grammar School People educated at Frensham School