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Rosamond Agnes Taylor Rosamond Agnes Taylor i(A20778 works by) (birth name: Rosamond Benham) (a.k.a. Benham Taylor; Mrs Thomas Gilbert Taylor)
Also writes as: Lalage
Born: Established: 10 Oct 1874 Adelaide, South Australia, ; Died: Ceased: 11 Dec 1923 Melbourne, Victoria,
Gender: Female
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BiographyHistory

Rosamond was the second child of Jack and Agnes Benham. Her mother, Agnes (Nesbit) was the daughter of Edward Planta Nesbit and Ann Pariss, and was a cousin of Edith Bland (née Nesbit), an English writer of children's books in the nineteenth century. Her father had come to Australia in the early 1850s, and had walked to SA overland from Queensland. Both of her parents were considered 'radical' by SA society.

Rosamond began her education at Mrs Kelsey's Dryburgh House School and then in 1891 spent a year at the Advanced School for Girls. For the next two years she had private tuition from Mr F. A. D'Arenburg and in 1894 she passed her Senior Public exams in English, French, Latin and Pure Maths. She studied Medicine at Adelaide University 1896-1902 (transferred to Melbourne for part of this time as a result of the Adelaide Hospital row). During this time she wrote poetry, some of which was published in The Bulletin. Her poetry was radical for its time in openly acknowledging women's passionate sexual desires, and in highlighting sexual double standards. She married Thomas Gilbert Taylor in 1903, and had two daughters, Lalage (1904) and Anthea (1906).

In 1905 she published a pamphlet 'Sense About Sex' on the subject of marriage, sex and childbearing. In 1906 she registered to practise medicine in Victoria, and from 1908-1914 practised in various country towns in Queensland. At some stage during this time in Queensland she separated from her husband. In 1918 she returned to Victoria, largely so her daughters could attend the Presbyterian Ladies' College there. She set up private practice at Essendon and later at Brighton but the practices didn't thrive and she was forced to take salaried positions, working at the Sunbury Asylum and later at the Kew Asylum. She died in 1923 after a long illness.

Most Referenced Works

Affiliation Notes

  • South Australian
Last amended 23 Oct 2001 17:10:41
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