People Australia

Mavis Robertson, n.d.

Mavis June Robertson, née Moten (1930-2015) feminist, writer, community activist and Communist

Birth: 1 June 1930 at Melbourne, Victoria, daughter of native-born parents John James Moten (1895-1965), railway labourer, and Clara Adeline, née Tilley (1894-1974). Marriage: 1953 in Sydney, New South Wales, to Alec Robertson junior (1918-1974), journalist, Communist and editor of Tribune. They had one son. Death: 20 February 2015 in Melbourne. Religion: parents were Catholic. 

• Educated at Kew Secondary School, Victoria, on a scholarship at Tintern Church of England Girls Grammar School, Melbourne, and was a dropout from the University of Melbourne.
• Was a clerk, living at Maroubra, Sydney, New South Wales, in 1954.
• National secretary of the Eureka Youth League from 1958 to 1967. Attended various international youth meetings.
• From 1966 was a member of the editorial group for Australian Left Review. Member of Executive Committee of Australian Peace Liaison Committee, 1966. From 1967, attended several international anti-war and political conferences.
• First women member of the national executive of the Communist Party of Australia 1970.
• Co-organiser of International Women’s Day, 1975. Co-founder first ‘Women’s House’ in Alberta Street, Sydney.
• First woman joint national secretary of CPA in 1976-1979. Secretary of the Committee for Solidarity with Chilean People from 1973. From 1975, organised several cultural tours to Australia by Chilean artists.
• Research interest was the life of Russian revolutionary and feminist, Alexandra Kollontai.
• Contributor to E. Windschuttle (ed.), Women, Class and History, 1980. Co-producer of documentary film on Vietnam.
• Wrote many articles for Australian Left Review and Tribune, and women’s movement publications. Pioneer of the movement for compulsory superannuation.
• Left the CPA in 1984. Became a leader of the campaign for national superannuation.
• In January 1994 was living at Armadale, Victoria, when she was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the superannuation industry and peace and disarmament.

Sources
Who’s Who of Australian Women, 1982; Alec and Mavis Robertson papers at ANU Noel Butlin Archives Centre, NBAC N437; Peter Robertson, Alec Robertson – search foundation: https://www.search.org.au/alec_robertson