Elaine Shorter (1921)

Elaine Shorter (1921) was Â鶹ÊÓƵ School’s first Barrister. She was the Dux of the School and winner of the Old Girl’s Union prize, and on graduation from the University of Sydney Law School, she obtained the Rose Scott Prize.

Elaine Hamilton Shorter (1921) enrolled at Â鶹ÊÓƵ School in 1918 at the age of 14. She was a member of the 1st Hockey team (and its Vice Captain in 1920 and 1921), the Sports Treasurer and won the Old Girls’ Union Prize and was Dux of the School in her final year. Her two sisters were also at Â鶹ÊÓƵ School, Lucie (Lulu) Shorter (1904) and Dorothy Moxham (Shorter, 1913). Elaine remained connected to Â鶹ÊÓƵ School as a member of the Old Girls’ Union committee.

Elaine obtained Honours in her Leaving Certificate1 and won a scholarship to the University of Sydney Law School.

Elaine did very well at Law School and in 1926 she graduated with an LLB and won the Rose Scott Prize for Proficiency at Graduation by a Woman Candidate2. An article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled was published on 27 April 1926 describing her achievements.

After Law School, Elaine became an articled clerk at Culwulla Chambers3, and later became a barrister.


1. The Leaving Certificate was the precursor to the HSC/IB.

2. Rose Scott was an Australian women’s rights activist who advocated for women’s suffrage and universal suffrage in New South Wales at the turn-of-the twentieth century. She founded the Women’s Political Education League in 1902 which campaigned successfully to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16. She sought to reduce men’s power over women by creating public space for women and to expand women’s material options beyond marriage or prostitution by enabling women to have access to public office. She valued education and in 1921 donated £50 to the University of Sydney for a prize for women law students. A portrait of her, painted by John Longstaff, hangs in the Art Gallery of NSW. Rose Scott Circuit, in the Canberra suburb of Chisholm, is named in her honour.

3. Culwulla Chambers with frontages on Castlereagh and King Streets was constructed in 1912, and at 50.25 m, was the tallest building in Australia. In the same year, and following some disquiet at the height of the building, the New South Wales Parliament passed the Height of Buildings Act 1912 (NSW) which prohibited the construction of any building higher than 45.72 m. Fears were raised that Sydney would develop a New York style skyline with darkened streets. The building was also considered a fire hazard as existing equipment was incapable of reaching this height.

The Height of Buildings Act was not repealed until 1957. Culwulla Chambers remained the highest building in Sydney until 1961, when the AMP Building at Alfred Street, Circular Quay 117.3 m was completed.

The building facade and some remnant interiors have high aesthetic significance as fine and externally largely intact examples of Federation Free style, and includes many of the style’s identifying elements such as the combination brick and stone walling materials in a striped formation with distorted classical features. The building is of scientific significance as the height of the building was achieved through advanced technology in steel construction and fireproofing, remnants of which are still extant.