Notable South Australians/Catherine Helen Spence

2372914Notable South Australians — Catherine Helen SpenceGeorge E. Loyau

BORN at Melrose, Scotland, 1825. Emigrated with her family to South Australia in 1839, and has ever since been identified with most movements calculated to benefit the land of her adoption. As an authoress, Miss Spence takes no mean stand, and her contributions to English periodicals and colonial literature are marked by force and clearness exhibiting a thorough acquaintance with human nature. She has published the following works:—"Clare Morison," in 1854; "Tender and True," in 1856; "Mr. Hogarth's Will," in 1865; "The Author's Daughter," in 1868. The two last works were previously contributed to the Adelaide weeklies, and the first appeared in the Mail under the title of "Uphill Work," and the other in the Observer as "Hugh Lindsay's Guest." More recently "Gathered In" appeared simultaneously in the Adelaide Observer and the Queenslander, Miss Spence has always taken a strong interest in political and social matters, and her "Plea for Pure Democracy," published in pamphlet form in 1861, an argument from the Eadical side in favour of equal representation, will be familiar, doubtless, to many of our readers. She is the corresponding member of the "Representative Reform Association," and has taken an active share in the movement for placing out of the children of the State in ordinary homes, and their supervision in such homes. Miss Spence is the sister of the Hon. J. B. Spence, M.L.C., of the South Australian Legislature.