{{short description|Australian writer and historian}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb|Margaret Kiddle '''Margaret (Loch) Kiddle''' (10 September 1914 — 3 May 1958) was an Australian writer and historian. She wrote ''Moonbeam Stairs'' (1945),<ref>{{citation |author1=Kiddle, Margaret |title=Moonbeam stairs |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18802278 |publication-date=1945 |edition=First Australian |publisher=Australasian Publishing Co. Pty. Ltd |access-date=4 April 2019 |others=Montgomery, Anne, (illustrator.)}}</ref> ''West of Sunset'' (1949),<ref>{{Citation|author1=Kiddle, Margaret|title=West of sunset|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21066489|publication-date=1961|edition=Paperback|publisher=Melbourne University Press|access-date=4 April 2019|author2=Montgomery, Anne}}</ref> ''Caroline Chisholm'' (1950),<ref>{{Citation|author1=Kiddle, Margaret|title=Caroline Chisholm|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/209622284|publication-date=1950|edition=1st|publisher=Melbourne University Press}}</ref> ''The Candle'' (1950),<ref>{{Citation|author1=Kiddle, Margaret|title=The candle|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10832547|publication-date=1958|publisher=[s.n.]|access-date=4 April 2019}}</ref> and ''Men of Yesterday: A Social History of the Western District of Victoria 1834–1890'', which was published posthumously in 1961.<ref>{{Citation|author1=Kiddle, Margaret|title=Men of yesterday : a social history of the Western District of Victoria, 1834-1890|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6076357|publication-date=1961|publisher=Melbourne U.P.; Cambridge U.P|access-date=4 April 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |last=Patrick|first=Alison|date=|title=Margaret Loch Kiddle|id2=kiddle-margaret-loch-10734|access-date=4 April 2019}}</ref>
== Early life == Kiddle was born on 10 September 1914 at South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia. She was the eldest of four children of John Beacham Kiddle and Mauna Loa (née Burnett). She attended St Catherine's School, Toorak from 1921 to 1926 and Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School from 1927 to 1933.<ref name=":0" />
== Career == Kiddle attended the University of Melbourne, receiving her B.A. in 1938 and her M.A. in 1947. After graduation, she worked in the history department, first as a tutor and later as a senior tutor. She did research in Britain and was a research fellow at the Australian National University.<ref name=":0" />
Kiddle died on 3 May 1958 at Richmond, Melbourne. She spent her last moments working on the manuscript of what would, after her death, be published as ''Men of Yesterday''. This posthumous masterpiece is considered her best memorial. The idea of writing this book came in 1949 from a family friend suggestion for her to write about the Western District. Kiddle was mesmerised about the idea of answering questions about the settlers' origins and colonial experiences by having access to their diaries and letters. She worked on the manuscript on and off throughout her life. She planned to write other books, but by 1957 was too ill to begin other projects. After her death, friends prepared the draft for publication.<ref name=":0" />
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Australian Women and Leadership|WLE0494b|Margaret Loch Kiddle}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiddle, Margaret}} Category:1914 births Category:1958 deaths Category:Australian National University people Category:University of Melbourne alumni Category:20th-century Australian historians Category:People educated at Melbourne Girls Grammar Category:20th-century Australian women writers Category:People from South Yarra, Victoria Category:People educated at St Catherine's School, Toorak Category:Writers from Melbourne Category:Australian women historians