Fay Gale’s statue honours women scholars

Members of the University community and the public gathered on the Barr Smith Lawns to memorialise not only Professor Gale’s achievements — where she paved the way for future generations in academia and beyond — but also celebrate all female scholars in the University's past, present, and future.

Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, The Honourable Catherine Branson AC SC, spoke at the event, alongside Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) Professor Jessica Gallagher and members of Professor Gale’s family. Governor of South Australia Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, was also in attendance.

The statue was an 18-month project created by figurative sculptor and bronze worker Meliesa Judge of Liquid Metal Studios. Judge has a history of memorialising strong female figures in her work and was selected following an extensive shortlisting process.

The sculpture cements the importance of female scholarship, the significance of which has often been discounted in the past. It reflects the wider lens of female scholarship at the University of Adelaide over the last 150 years.

Born in the 1930s, Professor Gale was a champion of women’s rights in Australia and a pioneering scholar in Aboriginal studies. She was the first woman to hold a senior management role at the University of Adelaide and the first female vice-chancellor of a Group of Eight university as head of the University of Western Australia.

Professor Gale was also the first woman elected president of the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, the University of Adelaide’s first Honours graduate in Geography, and the first women president of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Her impact continues through the University’s Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender, which focuses on gender equity, Indigenous rights and environmental justice.  

As part of International Women’s Day, the University of Adelaide reaffirms its long-standing leadership in gender equity. In 1881, it became the first university in Australia — and among the first in the world — to admit women to all its degree programs.

The University went on to produce trailblazers such as Australia’s first female surgeon, Laura Fowler (1891); the first woman elected to an Australian university council, Helen Mayo (1902); the first Australian woman to receive a doctorate in music, Ruby Davy (1907); and the first woman to hold several leading roles including Queen’s Counsel, Governor of an Australian state, University Chancellor, and Supreme Court judge, Dame Roma Mitchell. These women join Professor Gale among the University’s extensive list of female leaders.

Quotes to be attributed to:

The Honourable Catherine Branson AC SC, Chancellor of the University of Adelaide

“Female scholars have shaped our institution’s history with over 150 years of championing women in higher education. Professor Fay Gale was one of those remarkable women — pushing boundaries, challenging inequities, and leaving an enduring legacy.

“This statue stands as a tribute not only to her achievements but to all the women who have walked the University of Adelaide’s halls and changed the world.”

Professor Megan Warin, co-director of the Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender

“Fay Gale was an inspirational and fearless leader who was passionate about social justice. Her work on gender equity, Indigenous rights and environmental justice is foundational to our Centre's values and the research we engage in.

“Gender disparities continue to be embedded in our everyday and working lives. To have a statue of a trailblazing woman scholar and leader on campus, sends a clear message that women scholars are visible, important, recognised and admired.

“We hope that Fay's statue literally cements and generates other firsts of influential scholars, so everyone can take pride in the diversity of scholars from the past, and who are yet to come.”

Marie Gale, daughter of Professor Gale

“I feel immensely proud to see my mother honoured in this way. This University played a significant role in her life, and to have such a lasting presence is a wonderful tribute to her tireless advocacy for the rights of women and of Indigenous people.

“A driving force for change, Fay not only proved that women could be taken seriously as academics paving the way for others to follow, but also challenged the male-dominated perspective by highlighting the influence and significance of women in both Aboriginal and broader Australian history.

“This statue is a fitting tribute, marking the first statue of a woman at the University of Adelaide — just as her career was defined by many ‘firsts.’ It recognises a woman’s significant contribution to the social sciences and serves as a lasting reminder to future generations of the importance of challenging conventional thinking, and of gender equality.”

Find out more about Professor Fay Gale, and the University of Adelaide’s commitment to gender equity.