About

You may know Jill Blee as a writer, historian, and teacher—but before all that, she was a scientist working in the field of synthetic fibres. Her early writing was technical and utilitarian: operating manuals and patent applications that disappeared into company archives, never intended for public eyes.

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Jill’s scientific career ended abruptly when she married and became pregnant—an act deemed unacceptable by the British-run company she worked for in Melbourne. At the time, it seemed a manageable shift, and soon there were three young children who demanded her full attention.

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In 1973, Jill moved to the outer suburbs of Sydney just as her eldest child was starting school. It was a turning point. Realising how little she knew about the city’s geography and history, she resolved to learn more. Thanks to Gough Whitlam’s reforms, tertiary education was free, and her scientific background earned her a place in the Bachelor of Arts program at Macquarie University.

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Balancing study with single parenthood was challenging, but Jill’s passion for understanding Australia’s past—its formation, its waves of migration, and the displacement of its First Nations peoples—kept her going. She went on to earn a Master’s in History at Macquarie University, a Master’s in Writing at the University of Western Sydney, and ultimately, a PhD at Ballarat University (now Federation University).