Liz Eldridge (1974)
Fifty years ago, Queen’s College had a terrific student body and through Owen Parnaby and Jack Clarke low-key but effective pastoral care. Queen’s provided me with a great circle of friends, support and a lot of fun when I transitioned from school to university. I still remember the day I arrived at Queen’s and the students waiting to welcome my father and I and carry all my bags up three flights of stairs. Queen’s largely means friendship.
Queen’s was a big part of my university experience which enabled me to get a couple of degrees. Queen’s didn’t help me professionally but I never expected it to help in this way. On a personal level Queen’s provided me with wonderful lifelong friends- a group of friends who have caught up regularly and shared the joys and sometimes trials of life for almost 50 years.
When I look back to 1974 the women at Queen’s were bright, confident, had dreams and ambitions and were fun to be around. From what I can see that’s pretty much like the women of Queen’s today.
Young women entering Queen’s today enter a College with at least 50% women students. They expect and have access to mentoring and counselling services. Women are well represented on the General Committee and often hold the position of President. Queen’s is no longer a male college with female students.
Professionally it was not always easy for women in the late 70s and early 80s.
In the last 50 years opportunities and support for professional women in the workforce have improved significantly While there is room for improvement women now hold senior positions in the workplace, sit on and Chair boards, are members of Parliament and work in industries that were once the domain of men.
This improvement is due to both important cultural changes that recognised the importance of the role of women in both the workplace and society, the determination of women and the sheer weight of numbers. I hope opportunities for women continue to improve and they can achieve a happy work/life balance.
I am retired and my husband Alfie Anderson and I spread our time between Northcote, Flinders and Alfie’s family in the UK and apartment in Portugal. I keep busy playing golf, skiing, diving, gardening and learning the piano. After retiring from the Victorian Public Service, I had several board appointments, including being a member of the Queen’s College Council.