Ethel Castilla facts for kids

Ethel Castilla (born June 19, 1861 – died March 27, 1937) was an Australian writer. She worked as a journalist, wrote poems, and created short stories. She helped start a special club called the Austral Salon. Ethel is most famous for her poem, "The Australian Girl."

Growing Up in Victoria

Ethelrita Ramos de Castilla was born in Kyneton, Victoria. This was on June 19, 1861. Her parents were May (or Mary) and Frederic Ramos de Castilla. Her father was from Spain and worked as a merchant. Her mother was Scottish.

Ethel had a younger sister named Amy Castilla. Amy became a doctor. She even helped create the Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne. In 1884, Ethel passed an important exam. This exam allowed her to study at the University of Melbourne.

A Life of Writing

Ethel Castilla loved to write. She sent news from Melbourne to a newspaper called The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. She also worked for the Daily Telegraph and the Weekly Times in Melbourne.

Ethel wrote about art using a special pen name, "Viva." She also wrote many short stories and poems. These appeared in newspapers like The Leader and The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. Later, she wrote poems for The Australasian. She also wrote articles for The Sydney Morning Herald. One series was about "The Flower of the Month."

The Austral Salon: A Place for Women Writers

In 1890, Ethel helped start the Austral Salon. This was a special club in Melbourne. It was a place where smart women could meet and share ideas. Ethel often gave talks at these meetings.

She once spoke about "The Payment of Women." She shared facts about how women were paid. She believed women workers should form a union. Ethel even gave the club a funny nickname: "The Hen Roost." In 1895, Ethel and the other founders became special life members of the Austral Salon.

"The Australian Girl": A Famous Poem

Ethel's most well-known poem is "The Australian Girl." It was first printed in The Weekly Times in 1887. People in London even talked about it. A professor from the University of Sydney quoted it there.

The poem was put into an English book called Australian Ballads. It also gave its name to Ethel's own book of poems in 1900. A famous writer named Rolf Boldrewood wrote a very nice introduction for her book. The Governor of Victoria, Lord Brassey, sent the book to London. Queen Victoria herself accepted it as a gift!

Two of her poems, "The Australian Girl" and "A Song of Sydney," were included in a book called An Anthology of Australian verse in 1907.

Later Years and Community Work

In the 1920s, Ethel helped her local library. She was the honorary secretary for the Camberwell Municipal Library Committee. She wrote letters to newspapers like The Age, The Argus, and the Box Hill Reporter. She did this to get support for the library.

Passing Away

Ethel Castilla passed away in Camberwell, Victoria. This was on March 27, 1937.

Her Important Works

• "Sara Champion: A tale of the early days of Melbourne"
• "A Bush Violet"
• "The Australian Girl" (1887)