{{Short description|Australian academic (1869–1952)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Isabel Fidler | image = File:BOWRING Walter IsabelFidlerARCHIE1929SydUniUSU2009-3.jpg.800x879 q85.jpg | image_size = | caption = Portrait of Fidler, 1929 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1869|3|21}} | birth_place = Sydney, Colony of New South Wales | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1952|6|5|1869|3|21}} | death_place = Lindfield, New South Wales, Australia | fields = | employer = University of Sydney, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney | alma_mater = University of Sydney | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | known_for = | awards = | children = }}
'''Isabel Margaret Fidler''' {{postnominals|country=AUS|MBE}} (21 March 1869 – 5 June 1952) was an Australian academic and advocate for women's education. She held various roles at the University of Sydney: principally tutor to women, president and vice-president of the Sydney University Women's Association (later known as the Women's Union). She also represented the interests of women in education on the education committee of the National Council of Women and at international conferences. She has been recognised by the university with a room in Manning House, and a nearby lawn named in her honour. She was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1939.
== Early life and education == Fidler was born on 21 March 1869 in Wollongong, the second child of Alice Maude Bedford and William Fidler, a Wesleyan minister.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Jacobs |first=Marjorie |title=Isabel Margaret Fidler (1869–1952) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fidler-isabel-margaret-6166 |access-date=29 October 2025 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}</ref> She was educated at Emily Baxter's Argyle School in Surry Hills, where she won academic prizes.<ref name=":0" />
In 1895 Fidler began her studies for a Bachelor of Arts in English, French and Latin at the University of Sydney, and graduated with first-class honours in 1898.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
== Career == Immediately after graduating, Fidler taught for two years at Presbyterian Ladies College, Croydon.<ref name=":4">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17547245 |title=MISS I. M. FIDLER. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=31,541 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=2 February 1939 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
Fidler was employed by the University of Sydney as "tutor to women students" in 1900.<ref name=":4" /> She also served many terms as president of the University of Sydney Women's Union, first in 1903,<ref name=":0" /> including when the Union occupied Manning House from 1917, and continued in that role for much of the rest of her career.<ref name=":3" /> She was president of the Sydney University Women Graduates' Association.<ref name=":3" /> She chaired the Sydney University Women's Social Service Society, through which she led the formation of the University Women's Settlement House in Chippendale. She also chaired the committee on International Relations of the Australian Federation of University Women.<ref name=":3" /> She also served a long term as vice-president of the University Women's Sports Association.<ref name=":4" /> The number of female students at the University of Sydney rose from around 70 when she was first employed, to over 800 at the time of her retirement in 1939.<ref name=":4" />
Fidler was one of the most prominent advocates for women's education in the university system in New South Wales.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |date=19 March 1930 |title=Miss Isabel Fidler |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article256301099 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |newspaper=The Dawn |location=Western Australia |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=11 |issue=9}}</ref> Outside the university, Fidler was a long term committee member of education committee of the National Council of Women, and was involved in founding the Good Film League and the Board of Social Study and Training.<ref name=":2" /> In 1930, she attended the conference of the International Council of Women in Vienna,<ref name=":2" /> and the conference of the British National Council of Women at Portsmouth.<ref name=":4" /> == Death == Fidler died on 5 June 1952 in hospital at Lindfield. She was cremated with Baptist forms.<ref name=":0" />
== Recognition == thumb|Official Party at the Unveiling of the Portrait of Isabel Fidler in Manning House in 1931
A portrait of Fidler by Walter Armiger Bowring was exhibited in the Archibald Prize,<ref name=":3">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16619717 |title=FOR WOMEN MISS ISABEL FIDLER. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=28,720 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=22 January 1930 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> and presented to the university by a group of subscribers in honour of her contributions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Archibald Prize Archibald 1929 work: Miss Isabel Fidler, BA by Walter Armiger Bowring |url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/1929/14868/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250921193646/https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/1929/14868/ |archive-date=2025-09-21 |access-date=29 October 2025 |website=www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au |language=en}}</ref> It was unveiled in 1931, and hangs in Manning House.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 April 1931 |title=UNVEILING OF MISS ISABEL FIDLER'S PORTRAIT. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16769461 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=New South Wales, Australia |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia |issue=29,104}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=16 April 1931 |title=WOMAN PIONEER AT 'VARSITY |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246321161 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=New South Wales, Australia |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=1 |issue=52}}</ref>
After her retirement the reading room in Manning House was named the Isabel Fidler Room.<ref name=":0" />
Fidler was honoured as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1939.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17612248 |title=HONOURED BY THE KING. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=31,649 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=8 June 1939 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
A holiday home associated with the University Settlement was also named after Fidler on her retirement from that organisation in 1945.<ref>{{cite news |date=9 May 1945 |title=Holiday Home As Memorial |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248010174 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=New South Wales, Australia |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=X |issue=41}}</ref>
After her death, a memorial garden was created in her honour, consisting of an oval lawn with a rising embankment designed by Professor Denis Winston.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18508393 |title=Isabel Fidler Memorial |newspaper=The Sunday Herald (Sydney) |issue=240 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=30 August 1953 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18286203 |title=Social News And Gossip |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=35,824 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 October 1952 |accessdate=31 October 2025 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fidler, Isabel}} Category:University of Sydney people Category:Academic staff of the University of Sydney Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:1869 births Category:1952 deaths Category:20th-century Australian women educators Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire