Freda Bage - Infinite Women

Born: 11 April 1883, Australia
Died: 23 October 1970
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: Anna Frederika Bage

This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Freda Bage OBE MSc FLS, was lecturer in charge of biology at the University of Queensland from 1913-1946, Principal of the Women’s College 1914-1946 and the first woman elected a Member of Senate 1923-1949. Before then she was a junior demonstrator in biology, University of Melbourne 1907-1909 and later a senior demonstrator.
Bage is commemorated at the Women’s College by a portrait by William Dargie and by the Freda Bage room, and in the University of Queensland by a grotesque depicting her in characteristic pose behind the wheel of a car.

Chronology
1904: Education – Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Melbourne
1906: Education – Master of Science (MSc), University of Melbourne
1906 – 1909: Career position – Junior Demonstrator in Biology, University of Melbourne
1907: Award – McBain Research Scholarship, University of Melbourne
1908: Award – Victorian Government Research Scholarship
1910 – 1911: Award – King’s College London research studentship
1912: Career position – Senior Demonstrator in Biology, University of Melbourne
1913 – 1922: Career position – Member, Field Naturalists’ Club of Queensland
1913 – 1946: Career position – Lecturer in Biology, University of Queensland
1914 – 1946: Career position – Principal, Women’s College, University of Queensland
1915: Career position – President, Field Naturalists’ Club of Queensland
c. 1920: Award – Fellow, The Linnean Society of London (FLS)
1922 – 1923: Career position – President, Lyceum Club, Brisbane
1922 – 1962: Career position – Member, Queensland Naturalists’ Club
1923 – 1949: Career position – Member of Senate, University of Queensland [First woman to be elected to the Senate]
1925 – 1931: Career position – President, Queensland Women’s Hockey Association
1941: Award – Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) – In recognition of service to the public service
1946: Life event – Retired
1951: Award – Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Queensland
1962 – 1970: Award – Life Member, Queensland Naturalists’ Club