HALL OF FAME

Dorothy Margaret Newman Marsden (1919 - 2020)

Teacher 1944 - 1982

Dorothy Marsden was a gifted language teacher who taught at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School (IGGS) from 1944 until 1982 and was Deputy Head Mistress from 1965 to 1980. A gentle but firm disciplinarian, she was much loved by the generations of students who benefited from her 39-year contribution to IGGS.

Dorothy Marsden was educated at Maryborough Girls’ Grammar School and gained a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours at the University of Queensland in 1940. She taught at a number of schools including St Catherine’s Warwick, before joining the Staff of IGGS in 1944. Although she also taught English and History, her special area of teaching was the French language in which she excelled.

Miss Kennedy, the sixth Headmistress of IGGS, painted the following picture of Dorothy Marsden in her centenary history of IGGS; She had a gift of imparting her knowledge to her pupils and she was painstaking in her desire to improve their knowledge of the French people and the history and customs of their country. Bastille Day was always celebrated with great revelry and a French atmosphere which delighted all.

As both a classroom teacher and a Resident Mistress at IGGS, Dorothy Marsden was a wonderful role model. She always maintained a lady-like demeanour, a strong sense of commitment to others and a love of culture. Throughout her years at school and after her retirement in 1982, she kept up an enthusiastic interest in all the girls she knew and taught and took great delight in knowing of their lives and careers.

In retirement, Dorothy was an active member of the IGGS Old Girls Association and maintained her connection with the Women’s College and the Alumni Friends of the University of Queensland. She continued to inspire and motivate those who knew and loved her.

Dorothy passed away in 2020 aged 101 years.