Bennett, Mary Montgomerie (1881–1961)
Bennett, Mary Montgomerie (1881–1961)
English-born writer, reformer and educator. Born Mary Montgomerie Christison in London, England, July 8, 1881; died at Kalgoorlie, Australia, Oct 6, 1961; eldest of 3 children of Robert (pastoralist and meatworks owner) and Mary (Goodsall) Christison; attended Royal Academy of the Arts, 1903–08; matriculated at University of London, 1944; married Charles Douglas Bennett (ship's captain), Aug 18, 1914.
Crusader for Aboriginal rights, was 29 before making 1st trip to Australia, accompanying father to Queensland; returned to England, where she married and took up residence in London; widowed (1927), set out to teach the Aborigines, using crafts as a medium; learned spinning and weaving before embarking for Australia (1930), where, after extensive travel through Aboriginal territories, she applied her teaching theories with some success at the Mt. Margaret Mission, near Laverton; publicized the exploitation of Aboriginal pastoral workers, who suffered with no wage laws and were required to ask permission to leave their place of employment; also opposed the policy of removing Aboriginal children from their mothers; writings include The Australian Aboriginal as a Human Being (1930), Teaching the Aborigines: Data from Mount Margaret Mission, W.A. (1935), Hunt or Die (1950) and Human Rights for Australian Aborigines (1957).