Hester Hornbrook Academy

The Hester Hornbrook and Her Ladies Podcast

History EN ↓ 3 episodes

Hester Hornbrook and Her Ladies is a compelling 3-episode podcast series exploring Dr Roslyn Otzen's groundbreaking historical book about Melbourne's most important forgotten hero. Through meticulous research, Dr Otzen uncovers how Hester Hornbrook—a frail, elderly widow on a tiny army pension—and her network of remarkable women created Melbourne's first social support systems and established nine schools during the chaotic 1850s-1870s gold rush, when government provided nothing and 300,000 people descended on an unprepared settlement. The first two episodes reveal this extraordinary untold st...

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Hester Hornbrook Academy

Episodes

Episode 3 - Hester Hornbrook Academy: Hope Reborn 10.03.2026 41:32

The remarkable conclusion brings Hester Hornbrook's 1860s vision into 2026. Dr Roslyn Otzen and Sally Lasslett, Executive Principal of Hester Hornbrook Academy, reveal stunning parallels: the same commitment to disadvantaged youth, the same innovative spirit, the same refusal to give up. Sally describes the modern reality—15-25-year-olds with trauma, justice involvement, social anxiety so severe t...

Episode 2 - The Ladies Who Built Schools 10.03.2026 45:40

How does one elderly widow establish nine schools in under three years? Dr. Roslyn Otzen reveals the extraordinary network of women who made Hester Hornbrook's vision reality—from Margaret Peppers, an army widow who married a convict, to Maryanne Badco, who manipulated legal restrictions by having her bank manager husband "stand in" so she could build an orphanage. These weren't wealthy philanthro...

Episode 1 - Hester Hornbrook - Forgotten Founder of Melbourne's Social Care 10.03.2026 46:16

Discover the extraordinary story of Hester Hornbrook, a frail widow on a tiny army pension who became Melbourne's unsung hero. Dr Roslyn Otzen, educator, former principal, and author, reveals years of detective-like research uncovering how Hester established nine schools in just a few years during the chaotic 1850s gold rush—when Melbourne's population exploded from thousands to 300,000 with virtu...