Elizabeth Eggleston

Eggleston attended the Presbyterian Ladies' College and Tintern Church of England Girls' Grammar School.[4]

In 1956, Eggleston graduated with an LL.B degree from the University of Melbourne with second-class honors (division B).[2] In 1958 she graduated with an LL.M. degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and in 1964 she finished an arts degree at the University of Melbourne.[2] In 1964 she became the first doctoral candidate in the faculty of law at Monash University, from which she obtained her Ph.D. in 1970; she wrote her thesis on Aborigines and the administration of justice.[2]

During her studies, Eggleston was an active member of the Australian Student Christian Movement, Students' Representative Council, legal-aid volunteer and worked for the legal journal, Res Judicatae.[1]

In 1969, Eggleston became a lecturer in the faculty of law at Monash University, and after two years she was promoted to senior lecturer.[2] After 1971 she also served as part-time director of Monash's Centre for Research into Aboriginal Affairs.[2] During her time as director, she established a course titled, Black Australian Studies and provided resources to Aboriginal groups.[4]

In 1972, she became a founder of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.[2] In founding the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Eggleston conducted discussions with Aborigines in Pentridge prison and advised Aboriginal communities.[4] She also pursued discrimination and made submissions to government inquiries.[4] Eggleston was actively involved in trying to address Aboriginal land rights and cultural heritage.[4]

In 1972-1973, she had study leave in North America where she did research into Indian communities.[2] Her visit to the Navajo Indian country inspired her to write her thesis on Aboriginals and the administration of justice.[4] This led to her conducting research in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.[4]

The Elizabeth Eggleston Memorial Collection is located in the Koorie Research Unit of the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre.[6] The collection was named after Eggleston due to her role as a former director of the then Centre for Research into Aboriginal Studies and her renown as the premiere expert of Aborigines and the law.[6]

Eggleston donated her collection of books, papers and various materials to the Centre.[6] The collection currently holds over 5000 materials relating to Aboriginal affairs.[6] The library is currently accessible at the Monash Clayton campus, Menzies Building 11.[6]

In 1973, she co-authored Cases and Materials on Industrial Law in Australia.[2]

Two months before she died, her book Fear, Favour or Affection was published, in 1976; it was based on her doctoral thesis.[2] Reviewers praised it for bringing to light systemic discrimination against Aborigines in the administering of criminal justice.[2]

• Aborigines and the Law: Essays in Memory of Elizabeth Eggleston by Peter Hanks (author and editor), and Bryan Keon-Cohen (editor), published in 1984 by Allen & Unwin.