Ida Leeson: Trailblazer of libraries and women’s rights

Early life and academic excellence  

Ida Leeson was born on 11 February 1885 in the inner-Sydney suburb of Leichhardt. An academically gifted student, she began her education at Kegworth Public School, where she won a prize for general proficiency in 1894. In 1898, The Evening News reported that she had earned a state bursary to attend Sydney Girls’ High School. By March 1902, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that she had passed the University of Sydney Matriculation Examination and secured a scholarship to study in the Faculty of Arts.

In 1906, Ida graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts, receiving second class honours in History. After a brief period teaching at private schools, she was appointed Library Assistant at the Public Library of New South Wales in August that same year. This marked the beginning of her long and successful career as a librarian.

The making of a library pioneer

In 1909, the library acquired an extensive collection of Australian and Pacific materials that had been bequeathed by the late David Scott Mitchell, a prominent book collector. Following this, Ida was transferred to the state library’s new division, the Mitchell Library, where she was tasked with sorting and classifying the collection. She was promoted to senior cataloguer in July 1916 and, in 1919, was promoted to the senior position of Principal Accession Officer. In this position, Ida was responsible for acquiring books for the Mitchell Library. During this time, she continued to maintain and expand her interest in the Australian and Pacific material.

In 1927, she travelled to Britain to report on manuscripts from the Australia Pacific region held at the Public Record Office and other repositories. During this visit, she discovered the original copy of the long-missing volume of Matthew Flinders’ 1801 to 1808 log. Throughout the 1930s, largely due to Ida’s dedication and leadership, the Mitchell Library became the pre-eminent repository of Australian and Pacific documents.

In 1931, Smith’s Weekly described Ida Leeson as “One of Australia’s highest authorities on Bibliography is a woman – Ida Leeson, ‘Acquisition Officer” at Sydney Public Library… She knows every Australian artist and man of letters by reputation and most of them personally. Though she affects a somewhat masculine taste in hats and coats, she is essentially feminine. Especially in championing equal rights for women”.  This champion of rights for women was about to fight her own battle for equal rights in the next step of her career.

Not a job for a woman

In 1932, the Library Board of Trustees recommended to the Minister of Education (responsible for the library) that Ida be promoted to the position of Mitchell Librarian following the retirement of Mr. Hugh Wright. The recommendation caused speculation in newspapers and placed the Minister of Education in a difficult position due to Ida’s gender. The Daily Telegraph on 4 October 1932 asked, “What would that sometimes very crusty bachelor, David Scott Mitchell, have said if he had been told that a quarter of a century after his death that Mitchell Library would be in the hands of a woman?” 

The following week, The Daily Telegraph reported that the Minister, Mr. Drummond, “will first have to decide whether he agrees with the view held by the trustees that the Mitchell Librarianship is a woman’s job.” Meanwhile, The Sun noted on 1 December that “a considerable section of opinion held that the important post of Mitchell Librarian should be filled by a man.”

One of the objections cited was that the Mitchell Librarian had traditionally acted in senior roles, such as Principal Librarian, suggesting that it was inappropriate for a woman to act in this position or be considered a successor to this position. To resolve the Minister’s dilemma, the library’s senior management was reorganised reducing the status and salary of the Mitchell Librarian, the position which Ida was recommended for.  Ida was eventually appointed Mitchell Librarian, but a new position, Deputy-Principal Librarian, was created for Mr. J. W. Metcalfe, who would act as Principal Librarian when required.

A librarian at war

The outbreak of war in 1939 put an end to plans that had been made to send Ida overseas to film records relating to the South Pacific that were stored in British and European repositories. As the war progressed, library opening hours and staffing were restricted. However, due to a scarcity of intelligence on the Pacific region, library resources and staff were called upon to assist sections of the Allied Intelligence Bureau.

In April 1944, Ida was seconded by Lieutenant-Colonel A. A. Conlon to serve as a research officer in the Directorate of Research (and Civil Affairs), holding the rank of Captain and later Major in the Australian Military Forces. Her extensive knowledge of the Pacific region made her a key member of Conlon’s think tank. Towards the end of the war, she was appointed archivist-librarian for the School of Civil Affairs, which in 1946 became the Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA). ASOPA was located at Middle Head, Mosman in a former army building that is now managed by the Harbour Trust.

Ida did not return to the Mitchell Library. After leaving ASOPA, she travelled to Noumea to establish the library for the South Pacific Commission and later continued to work for the Commission in Sydney until 1956.  After leaving the South Pacific Commission, Leeson undertook freelance research positions for universities and private bodies. 

A lasting legacy

Ida Leeson passed away on 22 January 1964 at Castlecrag. She outlived her partner, Florence Birch, whom she met in 1909. Despite being described as complete opposites, the two women remained inseparable until Florence’s death in 1957. It is speculated that Ida’s appointment as Mitchell Librarian, was opposed, not only because of her gender, but also because of her working-class background and her choice of partner. While Ida’s professional achievements are well documented, most of her personal papers were destroyed by her family after her death.

Today, Ida is celebrated for her groundbreaking work at the Mitchell Library, particularly in developing its renowned collection of Australian and Pacific documents. Her expertise in the Pacific region contributed to intelligence efforts during the Second World War and played a key role in the establishment of ASOPA. She is also recognised as a trailblazing advocate for women’s rights.

In December 2020, the Inner West Council dedicated a space at Marrickville Library to Ida Leeson, honouring her as a “trailblazer for women, librarians and a champion of the lively literary culture of Australia in the 1930s and 1940s.” In 2025, the NSW Government installed a blue plaque at the Mitchell Library commemorating Ida as an LGBTQIA+ luminary. The NSW Minister for Heritage, Penny Sharpe, noted that “Ida Leeson stood tall in the face of sexism and discrimination to win the recognition she deserved and moved the dial of progress for all women.” 

 References

• Australian Dictionary of Biography. Ida Emily Leeson (1885-1964). Biography - Ida Emily Leeson - Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed 24 February 2026
• Campbell, I. C. “The ASOPA Controversy: A Pivot of Australian Policy for Papua and New Guinea, 1945-49.” The Journal of Pacific History, vol. 35, no. 1, 2000, pp. 83–99. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25169467. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
• Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 4 October 1932, page 6.
• Daily Telegraph, Thursday 13 October 1932, page 4
• Daily Telegraph, Friday 2 December 1932, page 13
• Evening News, Saturday 15 December 1894, page 5.
• Evening News, Wednesday 12 January 1898, page5
• Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, Friday 11 August 1916, Issue No. 114 (Supplement), page 4682
• Inner West Council, Mardi Gras – Dedication to Ida Leeson. Accessed 2 March 2026
• The Labor Daily, Friday 2 December 1932, page 6.
• NSW Government, Environment and Heritage. Ministerial media release. Inspiring icons Ida Leeson and Bobby Goldsmith honoured.  30 June 2025  Inspiring icons Ida Leeson and Bobby Goldsmith honoured | Media release | Environment and Heritage  Accessed 2 March 2026
• Patton Maggie, Billington Lynne, Women of the State Library. Women of the Library | State Library of New South Wales.  Accessed 24 February 2026
• Smith’s Weekly, Saturday 11 April 1931, page 11.
• State Library of NSW, Collection Item, Ida Leeson. Ida Leeson | State Library of New South Wales.  Accessed 24 February 2026
• The Sun, Thursday 1 December 1932, page 23
• Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 21 March 1902, page 7
• Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 12 April 1906, page 3.
• Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 18 August 1906, page 10

Article was originally published on 16 March 2026 and written by Volunteer Researcher, Michele Harper.