Janine Callanan is a Master of History student at the University of New England and resides in Melbourne. This article was taken from her minor research thesis which utilised Victorian inquest records, among other primary sources. Janine’s areas of interest include the history of Australian domestic and family life, and the changing agency of women in Australian history. The author is currently using will and probate records held by Public Record Office Victoria to research the testation patterns of single women in Victoria in the early twentieth century as a reflection of developing female agency in Australian social and political life.

Author email: janinecallanan5@gmail.com