Litchfield, Jessie Sinclair (1883-1956)

Also known as
Litchfield, J. S. (Jessie Sinclair) (1883-1956)
Litchfield, Jessie (1883-1956)
Phillips, Jessie Sinclair (1883-1956)
Field of activity
Journalist; autobiographer/memoirist; essayist; journalist; magazine/journal editor; newspaper editor; short story writer
Libraries Australia
http://nla.gov.au/anbd.aut-an36076726
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-613132

Biographies

LITCHFIELD, JESSIE SINCLAIR (1883-1956), Northern Territory pioneer and author, was born on 18 February 1883 at Ashfield, Sydney, second child of John Phillips, contractor, and his wife Jean Sinclair, née Reid. The family lived in various country towns until 1895 when they returned to Sydney. Jessie attended Neutral Bay Public School, where one of her teachers was Mary Cameron, later Dame Mary Gilmore.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Moving around parts of the Northern Territory while her husband worked in the diamond mines, Jessie Litchfield raised her family and worked as a journalist. She published Far North Memories in 1930. After the death of her husband, she worked as editor of the Northern Territory Times and Government Gazette. In 1955 she became the first woman in the Territory to be appointed a justice of the peace.

It is said that a letter Jessie Litchfield wrote in 1909, which somehow ended up in John Flynn's hands, was instrumental to his involvement in the Australian Inland Mission. Had he not seen it, might well have become 'Flynn of Korea' rather than 'Flynn of the Inland' once he had completed his training to become a Resbyterian minister.

Litchfield's letter pleaded for the Pressbyterian Church to send a married, male Presbyterian missionary to the Northern Territory, so that he and his wife might start to 'civilise' it. Her greatest concern was the extent of informal and abusive interracial relationships that had been established between indigenous women and non-indigenous men, but she was also concerned about the impact of drink and drugs on public health. The place needed a missionary 'to teach the people right from wrong'.

Flynn used the letter to encourage women he knew in Melbourne to support initiatives to help women in remote, inland regions. The initiatives were, of course, highly racialised.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Related people and organisations

Resources for Jessie Sinclair Litchfield

Selected resources (7)

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Australian Women's Register

  1. Flynn's Outback Angels: Casting the Mantle - 1901 to World War II
    Rudolph, Ivan
    [2001]
    Published: Central Queensland University Press
  2. Far-North Memories: Being the account of ten years spent on the diamond-drills, and of things that happened in those days
    Litchfield, Jessie
    [1930]
    Published: Angus & Robertson
  3. The Women's Pages: Australian Women and Journalism since 1850
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2008]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
    Series: http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/cal/cal-home.html
  4. Jessie Litchfield: Grand Old Lady of the Territory
    Dickinson, Janet
    [1982]
    Published: J. Dickinson
  5. 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology
    Radi, Heather
    [1988]
    Published: Women's Redress Press
  6. Litchfield, Jessie Sinclair (1883-1956)Australian Dictionary of Biography Online : Litchfield, Jessie Sinclair (1883-1956)
    James, Barbara
    [2006]
    Published: Australian National University
    Series: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100107b.htm

Resources by Jessie Sinclair Litchfield (286)

  1. Far-North memories : being the account of ten years spent on the diamond-drills, and of things that happened in those days / by J.S. Litchfield
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Book : 1930 ]
    At 15 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 13.116)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 13.116)

  2. Aeroplane
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph : 1919-1934 ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 12.266)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 12.266)

  3. Men
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph, Art work : 1934 ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 10.378)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 10.378)

  4. Bomb damage
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph : 1942-1947 ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 8.357)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 8.357)

  5. Corroboree
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.768)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.768)

  6. Cyclone damage / Jessie Litchfield
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph, Art work : 1937 ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.492)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.492)

  7. House
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph, Art work : 1929 ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.489)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.489)

  8. Papers
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Unpublished : 1967 ]
    At State Library of VIC
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 6.901)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 6.901)

  9. Lugger
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 6.573)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 6.573)

  10. Float
    Litchfield, Jessie, 1883-1956
    [ Photograph : 1924 ]
    View online
    At NT Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 6.472)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 6.472)

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  1. Website: 200 Australian Women
    www.200australianwomen.com
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    www.womenaustralia.info
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    www.nla.gov.au
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  1. ALL-LEAGUE SOFTBALL.(SPORTS)
    The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
    [ Article : 2008 ]
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  2. DACULA HIGH SCHOOL\ THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION CLASS OF 2001: GWINNETT.(Gwinnett Extra)
    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, GA)
    [ Article : 2001 ]
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  1. Aeroplane
    Litchfield, Jes...
    [ Photograph : 1919-1934 ]
  2. Men
    Litchfield, Jes...
    [ Photograph, Art work : 1934 ]
  3. Bomb damage
    Litchfield, Jes...
    [ Photograph : 1942-1947 ]
  4. Cyclone damage / Jessie Litchfield
    Litchfield, Jes...
    [ Photograph, Art work : 1937 ]
  5. House
    Litchfield, Jes...
    [ Photograph, Art work : 1929 ]
  6. Man
    Litchfield, Jes...
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  1. Jessie Litchfield, grand old lady of the Territory / Janet Dickinson
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    [ Book : 1982 ]
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  1. [Biographical cuttings on Jessie Sinclair Litchfield, author and newspaper editor, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
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  2. Papers of William Morris Hughes
    Hughes, W. M. (William Morris), 1862-1952
    [ Unpublished : 1865-1958 ]
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  1. NOTICE
    Northern Territory Times (Darwin, NT : 1927 - 1932) Friday 4 December 1931 p 4 Article
    ... NOTICE J. all unsigned comments and paragraphs graphs requiring a signature under the Electoral Act, I, Jessie Sinclair Litchfield, Editor of Northern Territory Times, accept iuil responsibility. J. S. LITCHFIELD., Myilly point, Darwin ... 33 words
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.021)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.021)

  2. NOTICE
    Northern Territory Times (Darwin, NT : 1927 - 1932) Friday 18 December 1931 p 4 Article
    ... NOTICE For all unsigned comments and paragraphs requiring requiring' a signature .under the Electoral Act, I, Jessie Sinclair Litchfield» Editor of Northern Territory Times-, accept fuii responsibility S. S. LITCHFIELD.. Myilly Point, Darwin» ... 33 words
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.021)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.021)

  3. Family Notices
    Northern Territory Times (Darwin, NT : 1927 - 1932) Tuesday 12 May 1931 p 2 Family Notices
    ... DEATH LITCHFIELD.-At the Hospital Darwin on May 9th. Valentine Augustus Litchfield aged 47 years: husband of Jessie Sinclair and father of Valentine. Boyne, Bethany. Francis, Christabel. Kenneth and Grace. 'His sun has gone down whiIe it is yet day. ... 39 words
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.019)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.019)