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Ellen Joy Todd

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Ellen Joy Todd née Orr (16 May 1860 - 24 February 1948) was an Australian feminist, journalist and editor best known as a contributor to The Dawn and other feminist publications as well as being the founding editor of the Women's Budget, a women's magazine.[1][2]

Biography

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Todd was born at the Woolwich Arsenal in Greenwich and was the daughter of a captain of the Royal Artillery, Andrew Orr and wife wife Lucy Erskine. Her father died when she was only 10 years old, in 1870, and her mother and siblings moved in with her grandfather, an Anglican clergyman, and where educated at home and learned to speak Italian.[1]

On 14 June 1887 Todd married Robert Henry Todd, who went on to become a medical administrator, and after their wedding they sailed together to Sydney where he worked as a doctor. In Sydney Todd founded the Ladies' Club in 1889. Soon after, also in 1889, the pair moved to Maclean in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales where she became secretary of the local St John Ambulance Association.[1]

Todd and her husband would return to Sydney in 1892 where she began working as a journalist and made contributions to various publications including The Dawn, a feminist magazine, which was then led by Louisa Lawson with whom she became good friends.[3] In the Dawn she wrote under the names EJ Todd or Mrs RH Todd and regularly shared poetry and short stories.[4][5][6][7] Todd would also report back on talks she had either attended or given.[8][9][10][11]

She then joined the staff of the Australian Town and Country Journal where she primarily wrote book, theatre and music reviews as well of social notes.[1]

In 1906 she became the founding editor of a weekly magazine, the Women's Budget, which was published by Samuel Bennett's company, and it claimed to be "written by women for women".[12] The magazine featured the expected content of a women's magazine, including cooking, dressmaking and fashion, but also included more general content. In 1917, while editor, Todd published "Rhymes at Random" as a charity fundraiser for the War Chest during World War I.[13]

Todd remained in this role until 1923 and which point the circulation was estimated at 150,000 people each week and a later editor, from 1930 to 1936, was Constance Robertson.[1][14] This magazine was a predecessor of The Australian Women's Weekly, which was launched in 1933, and became one of its main competitors.[15]

During her career Todd became good friends with Alexina Maude Wildman.[16][17]

Todd's husband, Robert, died in 1931 and, from 1933 until 1940, she contributed to the Empire Gazette which was edited by Adela Pankhurst. In 1938 she also published her memoirs "Looking Back" in which she shared anecdotes of her life in Sydney and her interactions with "society people" as well as artists and other people of note; she also spoke about her earlier life, travel to Australia and time in Mclean.[1][18][19][20]

Todd died on 24 February 1948 in Double Bay.[1][21][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Bettison, Margaret, "Ellen Joy Todd (1860–1948)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 6 May 2025
  2. ^ "Todd, Ellen Joy (1861-1948)". AWR. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  3. ^ Radi, Heather, "Louisa Lawson (1848–1920)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 6 May 2025
  4. ^ "At rest". The Dawn. Vol. 5, no. 7. New South Wales, Australia. 1 November 1892. p. 20. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Birthday Wishes". The Dawn. Vol. 7, no. 5. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1894. p. 22. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "The New Year". The Dawn. Vol. 5, no. 9. New South Wales, Australia. 4 January 1893. p. 18. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "The Queen of the Fairies". The Dawn. Vol. 5, no. 8. New South Wales, Australia. 4 December 1892. p. 23. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Home Nursing". The Dawn. Vol. 6, no. 1. New South Wales, Australia. 1 May 1893. p. 8. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "The Triennial Convention of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Australasia". The Dawn. Vol. 7, no. 1. New South Wales, Australia. 1 May 1894. p. 11. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Womanhood suffrage league". The Dawn. Vol. 6, no. 3. New South Wales, Australia. 1 July 1893. p. 10. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Womanhood suffrage meeting". The Dawn. Vol. 5, no. 6. New South Wales, Australia. 4 October 1892. p. 11. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ a b "Death of editress". The Sun. No. 11, 883. New South Wales, Australia. 26 February 1948. p. 7 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ Todd, Ellen Joy (1917), Rhymes at random / by the editor of The woman's budget, Harold Murray, retrieved 6 May 2025
  14. ^ Horne, Julia, "Constance (Connie) Robertson (1895–1964)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 6 May 2025
  15. ^ "The Australian Women's Weekly". Australian Women's Register. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Biography - Ellen Joy Todd - People Australia". peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  17. ^ Roe, Jill, "Alexina Maude (Ina) Wildman (1867–1896)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 6 May 2025
  18. ^ Todd, Ellen Joy; Brock, Ossie (1938), Looking back : some early recollections of Mrs. R.H. Todd, [E.J. Todd?], retrieved 6 May 2025
  19. ^ ""Looking back"". Tweed Daily. Vol. XXVI, no. 26. New South Wales, Australia. 31 January 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ ""Looking back"". Daily Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 9 December 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "RE will (and two codicils thereto) of ELLEN JOY TODD, late". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 97. New South Wales, Australia. 20 August 1948. p. 2177. Retrieved 6 May 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
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