Annie Montgomerie Martin

Anna Montgomerie Martin^[a] (8 November 1841 – 9 August 1918),^[1] was a teacher and headmistress who founded Miss Martin's Girls School in Adelaide, Australia. When the University of Adelaide opened, she focussed on preparing her students for higher education, leading to them being among the first women to graduate with degrees. She played an active role in the suffrage movement.

Martin was always known as "Annie", but often signing her name "A. Montgomerie Martin"

Early life

Martin was born in Birmingham, England, the third child and second daughter of Ann Martin née Thornton (1809–1901), and Edward Martin (1807–1894), distantly related to Charles Darwin. She first attended school at Highgate, Birmingham, then in 1850 migrated to Adelaide with her parents on the Anglia, arriving at Port Adelaide on 5 March 1851. The Martins soon met up with Francis Clark and his family, fellow-Unitarians.^{[citation needed]}

The Clarks and the Martins were to have a remarkably close relationship, culminating in four Clarks marrying four Martins. Martin's education continued with Emily Clark as tutor at "Hazelwood", the Clark family home, and Martin in turn acted as tutor to her younger brothers. Her older sister Lucy married the literate

Almost immediately after returning to Adelaide, she and Henry Septimus Clark, one of the founders of Stonyfell vineyards and winery, were engaged to be married. The date was set for 18 February 1864, but it turned out to be the day Henry died of tuberculosis, a disease that killed several others of the Clark family.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Martin began her career as a tutor for the children in Adelaide. Subsequently, around 1870, she opened a morning school on the upper floor of a house in

Many of Martin's students did well academically: Edith Cook was, in 1877, the first woman to pass the University's entrance examination. She became a noted educator in her own right, and after the death of her husband supported herself and her family by conducting Mrs Hübbe's School for forty years. Laura Fowler was the first, in 1891, to graduate in medicine. Caroline Clark, a niece, was one of the first women to graduate M.A. from Adelaide University. These, and to a greater extent, graduates of the Advanced School for Girls, were crucial in public acceptance of women's suffrage. Martin played a part in the campaign for the movement, addressing meetings with Mary Lee^[6]

Last years

Martin had always been considered a little eccentric – she was little bothered with fashion, and neglected such household chores as cleaning and cooking, but would not, or could not, employ a maid. She was suspicious of modern plumbing, and when sewerage was introduced to the west side of Osmond Terrace, Norwood, where she lived, she moved over the road to No. 12. She was 60 years old when her mother died, and the small inheritance enabled her to indulge in European travel. She left the school in the capable hands of her niece Caroline "Cara" (pronounced "carer") Clark. She settled in Viterbo where, increasingly feeble and with failing eyesight, she lived her last days.^{[citation needed]}

Obituary

"The late Miss Anna Montgomerie Martin, who died in Rome on 9 August, will be remembered by many old pupils, as she founded and carried on for many years one of the leading schools in Adelaide. Her methods of instruction, although successful, were quite unconventional. Miss Martin was of English birth, and arrived in Australia in the early fifties. She was young at the time, but was already imbued with English ideas and sympathies, having been nurtured among those liberal thinkers who took an active part in repealing the corn laws and introducing that freedom of trade which placed a check on the gains of the profiteer, destroyed the unhallowed joys of the smuggler, and has contributed to an accumulation of wealth which is now freely used in the worldwide struggle against despotism. Miss Martin was a student of languages from an early age, and loved to acquire knowledge, as she loved to impart it to others. In the early eighties of last century she helped to build up a prosperous and influential school on North Terrace, Adelaide, then conducted by Mr. Marval and his accomplished wife. In vain did the Education Department tempt her with a high salary and a fine position. Mortified and impoverished by Government competition, Miss Martin returned to her native land, where she made a study of new methods of teaching. Some developments of educational methods met with her strong disfavour. She was always opposed to cramming, forcing, and pushing of the youthful intelligence. Miss Martin returned to Australia in 1884, and established a new school in the very teeth of governmental opposition. She retired finally from the profession about 17 years ago, and since that time she has lived mostly in Italy, the land she loved. So far as she was able, she helped the Italians in their time of trial by supplying poor homeless refugees and others with food and necessaries. She came from a long-lived family. It was probable that the constant demand on her keen sympathy and active help shortened a life that was useful and valuable, even in old age."^[7]

Recognition

The Annie Montgomerie Martin Prizes for French and History were inaugurated by the Old Scholars of Miss Martin's School and presented annually to the top student, whether male or female, in the Leaving Examination conducted by Adelaide University.^[8]

Notes

Sources

• Hardy, Anne; Annie, a chapter in The Hatbox Letters, published by The Martin/Clark Book Committee, Adelaide, 1999
  ISBN 0 646 36207 0