Alison Gent (1920-2009)
Papers 1937-2004

MSS 0205

Biographical Note

Alison Gent, née Hogben, was born at Rose Park, Adelaide and brought up by her widowed working mother. She attended Walford School and went on to gain an MA at Adelaide University. She thrived in the University environment, achieving double First Class Honours in French and English under Professors Cornell, Jury and J.I.M. Stewart. She joined in amateur dramatics, was a member of the Student Union, and was active in the University Anglican Society.

Alison married John Gent, an Anglican priest, in 1947 and they had five children. She had a deep interest in the church and an awareness of inequalities for women.  In 1970, Alison returned to part-time tutoring at Adelaide University in the French and English Departments, and sought publicity about the proposed Women's Liberation Movement. She became heavily involved in its activities.

In 1980, the year that Alison and her husband separated, she began a discussion group about the ordination of women, her interest stemming in part from her personal frustration. She became involved and was a foundation member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women, which began in Adelaide in 1984, and served many years on the MOWatch Committee as a Vice-President.

Alison Gent died on 13th November, 2009.

Adapted from the Australian Women’s Register, Trove (National Library of Australia) and MOWatching, May 2010.

These papers were donated to the Library by Rev. Yvonne Lesley McLean in January 2016.

Contents Listing

Series 1: University of Adelaide - Lecture notes    37 cm.

Includes undergraduate student manuscript notebooks and folders with loose-leaf hand written notes.

• Ancient history. 1937 (1x notebook)
• French I and II. 1938 (2x notebooks)
• Latin I. 1938 (1x notebook)
• Latin I and II exam papers with annotations. 1938 (1x notebook)
• Old and Middle French I. 1939 (1x notebook)
• English – English novel. 1939 (1x notebook)
• English I, II, III and IV. 1940-1941 (2x notebooks)
• Honours English. 1940-1941 (3x notebooks)
• Honours French. 1941-1942 (2x notebooks)
• English I. 1942 (1x notebook)
• French III. Le Parnasse. 1943-1944 (20 loose-leaf pages)
• English notes – “Aspects of the novel”. 1944 (1x notebook)
• French II. 1945 (6 loose-leaf pages)
• Thomas Hardy notes and photocopies of poems. 1958 (loose-leaf)
• Notebook in French. 1960 (loose-leaf)
• Studies in Middle English and Middle French. 1968 (1 notebook)
• Anthropology I. 1984  (1x notebook and loose-leaf pages)
• French II. 1989 (loose-leaf)
• Notebook on English plays. Undated (loose-leaf)
• Old English vocabulary notebook. Undated (10 x 16cm notebook)
• Modern History notebook. Undated (1 notebook)
• English notes on languages, e.g. Argan languages. Undated (1x notebook)
• French III. Litterature. Undated (1x notebook)
• Honours English. 1942 (1x notebook)

Series 2: University of Adelaide Tutoring, etc. to 1978    23 cm.

These papers are Gent’s tutoring notes with hand written annotations for class lectures.

• English I. Tutorials, etc. 1963-1967 (1 notebook and loose-leaf notes)
• English I. Notes on essays, etc. 1965 (loose-leaf notes)
• English II. Essays topics, exam papers. 1965
• Literary projects notebook and Milton article. 1967 (2x items)
• English I tutorial notebook with handwritten notes. 1967.
• Sanskrit course. Linguistics Society. Notes. 1967-1968 (1x notebook)
• English II lecture notes, syllabus outline, exam papers, etc. 1968, 1970-1972 (loose-leaf notes)
• Troilus and Criseyde. Department of English notebook. 1969 (1x notebook and loose-leaf notes)
• Old and Middle English I-III notes – “Patience”. 1969 and 1971 (1x notebook)
• Old English – Transcriptions. 1970
• Beowulf notes. 1971
• Trinity College, Melbourne conference notes. 1972
• English II and Australian Literary Studies notes. 1973 (loose-leaf notes)
• Ninian Smart Conference Lectures notes and hand written notes. 1974
• Aulla XVI, University of Adelaide, 21st-27th August, 1974 Congress (booklet and hand written notes)
• Tutors Association, University of Adelaide notes
• Australian Literature Studies II and English II tutoring notes. 1974 (1x notebook)
• Philosophy notes. 1978
• Lectures on metaphysical poetry 1, 2 & 3 given by Alison Gent. Undated.
• Metaphysical poetry with hand written notes presented by Alison Gent.

Series 3: Correspondence, etc.    0.5 cm.

Includes correspondence, letters, newsletters, and meeting minutes from various group associations.

• University of Adelaide Women’s Liberation Group letter. 1970
• University of Adelaide Club membership letter. 22/1/1985
• University of Adelaide Club newsletter. March 1988
• University of Adelaide Alumni Association confirming attendance to commemoration ceremony letter. 18 September 1992
• The Australian Federation of University Women 31st Triennial Conference program and scribbled notes on program. 19th April 2000
• The English Association (Literature written in English) meeting minutes. 1988, 2002 and 2004

Series 4: Newspaper Cuttings    0.5 cm.

Newspaper articles collected by Alison Gent.

• Alison Gent article “With Style and Effect”, The Advertiser, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 1977
• The Adelaide Review, September, 1993
• Photocopies of obituary for JIM Stewart from the London Times and the Weekly Telegraph.

Series 5: Miscellaneous, etc.    9 cm.

Includes lectures by other associates, translation notes, essays, index cards and Requiem Mass.

• Six lectures hand written by Alison Gent for Professor Cornwell. 1947 (loose-leaf)
• Old French for translation – Alison was translating research for Athol Anderson (loose-leaf)
• Old and Middle English translation: 1. English language and literature (Honours); 2. Lecture notes. 1941; 3. Lecture notes – metaphysical poetry (John Donne) (loose-leaf)
• John Gent’s essay. History IIIB, Term 1. 1968
• Latin I hand written notes “ Assumptions of the Roman character…” on index cards (0.5 cm)
• English I and II “Essay” on index cards (5 cm)
• Alison Gent’s essay on John Donne
• Copy of Gent's Requiem Mass at St Peter's Cathedral, 17 November 2009
• Composite photograph of the "Jury Poetry" group at the Charles Jury Centenary - commemorative party and poetry reading, Sunday September 12, 1993. Group includes Peter Ward, Phyllis Whyte, Frank Weston, Brian Medlin, Jean Whyte, David Dodwell, Douglas Muecke, Margaret Magarey, Margaret Nerlich, Upi (Peter) Weston, Graham Nerlich, Kevin Magarey, Barbara Wall, Alison Gent and Lilo Weston. Housed in MAP CABINET

 

Jordana Feek
8th March 2016