Blaze e-catalogue - Catalog - Page 14
Introduction
Equal status/Equal pay
Today in the NSW public sphere, pay levels based on seniority are largely consistent
across gender lines. This was first brought about in 1958 with the introduction of the
NSW Industrial Arbitration (Female Rates) Amendment Act. But such equity was not the case
in earlier times. For Phyllis Shillito (1895–1980), Head of Design, and for many years the
sole full-time female staff member at the National Art School, attaining seniority that truly
reflected the responsibilities she was charged with and a salary to match, proved elusive
despite making many submissions to her superiors to have this rectified.
The case for seniority and salary according to skills, knowledge and capabilities—not sex—
was a prominent and consistent narrative in the career of the State’s first woman Mitchell
Librarian, Ida Leeson (1885–1964). That she was a woman was the reason she was not able
to progress to the level of seniority she desired and was qualified for. Lucy Garvin
(1851–1938), the founding headmistress of Sydney Girls High School had status and
responsibility equal to headmasters, but was paid one-third less. This inequity was also
reflected in the situation of her female teachers, despite Garvin’s protests to the Department
of Education. So, too, for Belle Golding (1864–1940), who was the first woman inspector
appointed under the NSW Early Closing Act, 1899. As a Senior Inspector, her salary was £278.
Men in the same position earned £320, and junior male inspectors up to £299.
Achieving status and pay equal to men at the same level of seniority in the public sphere
is not an issue with the present Blaze women, as discrimination on the basis of sex has been
removed from the laws and regulations that govern the public sector. However, unofficial
or unconscious bias on the grounds of sex has been present in other ways.
Gendered workplaces
Architect Dr Dearing and Engineer, Dr Marlene Kanga AM, have each had distinguished careers
spanning more than three decades. Working in the more traditionally male fields of STEAM,
the bias that they experienced in their early careers was clearly visible.
Dr Dearing has recalled one particular experience:
I was involved in guiding a project in far north Queensland. My plane was late,
and I came into the meeting after it had already started. I sat down at the table,
and I listened to the discussion and I asked some questions. One of the engineers sitting
next to me said, ‘You just be quiet, love. We’ll be bringing morning tea soon.’ And I was
a bit surprised, so I then very quietly pulled out my business card and handed it to him
and the tone changed pretty quickly.
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