Edith Searle Grossmann
| Edith Searle Grossmann | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Edith Howitt Searle September 8, 1863 Beechworth, Australia |
| Died | February 27, 1931 (aged 68) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Novelist, freelance journalist |
Edith Howitt Searle Grossmann (née Searle, 8 September 1863 – 27 February 1931) was a New Zealand teacher, novelist, journalist and feminist.
Grossmann was born in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia on 8 September 1863, to Mary Ann Beeby and George Smales Searle. She was the fourth of their five children. Grossmann's parents were acquaintances of the parents of Alfred William Howitt, an explorer who rescued the sole survivor of Robert O'Hara Burke's ill-fated expedition of 1861. As Grossmann was born almost exactly two years after this rescue, they gave their daughter the middle name "Howitt".
Her father was initially a wine merchant in Australia, before becoming a newspaper editor. The family moved to Melbourne and then, in 1878, to Invercargill, where Searle became editor of The Southland Times newspaper.
In Invercargill, Grossmann attended Invercargill Grammar School for a year, before being sent to Christchurch Girls' High School. The principal, Helen Connon, encouraged Grossmann to continue her studies to the end of secondary school, and to apply for a university scholarship. In her final year, Grossmann was head girl of the school.
Grossmann studied at Canterbury College from 1880 to 1885, during which time she received a number of prizes and honours, and was also an active participant in student life. She had received a junior scholarship to enter the College, and in 1882 also received a senior scholarship. In 1881, she won second prize in the Bowen Essay Competition, and in 1882, the first prize. Grossmann was also a member of the university debating society and participated in debates on contemporary issues such as the Married Women's Property Bill of 1884, and the higher education of women.
When Grossmann completed her studies, she held both a B.A. degree and an M.A. degree with first class honours in Latin and English, and third class honours in political science.
After her graduation, Grossmann taught at Wellington Girls' College until 1890, initially as assistant mistress, then later as second assistant.
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