Lecture: ‘A continuous thread’ 

‘A continuous thread: the economic contribution of Syrian/Lebanese women in Brisbane from the 1880s’  

Speaker: Dr Anne Monsour

Time: 1.30 pm for 2 pm start

Cost: $10 Members/ $15 non-Members. Afternoon tea is included.

RSVP: Please contact the Secretary on 0408 355 198 or email qwha.miegunyah@gmail.com

Since its beginnings in the early 1880s, Syrian/Lebanese migration to Brisbane included a significant proportion of women, yet their presence and contribution is generally understated. Examining the lives of Syrian/Lebanese women in Brisbane reveals that, just as they had in their homeland, women continued to play a crucial role. As the immigrant families established themselves in Brisbane, women did not retreat into the domestic sphere. The acceptability of women working in public occupations solidified in the second generation with both daughters and sons working in the family business or establishing a business of their own.

Dr Anne Monsour has a PhD from the University of Queensland in History and has been an advocate for the promotion of history and heritage throughout her professional life. As a teacher and historian, she has been involved in research projects and, in particular, has been researching, writing and speaking about the Lebanese in Australia, producing many articles and publications. In 2019, Anne was awarded the Brisbane City Council Helen Taylor Award for local history research. She was also awarded a Centenary Medal by the Royal Historical Society (QLD) in 2021. Anne is currently President of the Australian Lebanese Historical Society and editor of the newsletter.