Rosemary Milne(1926-2010)
- Writer
- Soundtrack
The third sibling born to Muriel and Victor Broman in Melbourne, she won a scholarship to Box Hill Grammar School where she came into contact with the theories and practice of progressive education. This not only influenced her own work but contributed later - after she had married architect David Milne in 1953 and had five children - to her decision to enrol her children at Swinburne Community School, one of the small group of alternative schools established in Melbourne in the 1970s. Her support both as a parent and a critical friend was a major factor in the development of the community school. She graduated first from the Melbourne Kindergarten Training College in 1946. After several years as a kindergarten and primary school teacher, including a year in London schools, a period of teaching in Presbyterian council kindergartens culminated in her appointment as director of the council in 1956.
From 1957, Milne worked for the ABC as a writer and presenter on a variety of radio and television projects for young children. In 1966, she wrote the first scripts and well-known lyrics for the ABC's long-running Play School program which started that year.
While raising a young family and continuing her professional activities, Milne returned to study at Melbourne University, where she completed a degree in psychology.
While studying for her MA, she was awarded a Forster Trust research grant to study moral education in young children. The grant enabled her to spend time at Oxford University and on return she completed a PhD thesis on moral development in young children.
Her career in teacher education began in 1967 with joint appointments at Lincoln Institute (child development) and the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College (psychology), where in 1973 she was appointed head of the advanced diploma in early childhood education. She was an inspirational leader, challenging educators to think more broadly and to develop a critique of current theories and orthodoxies.
Milne was a long-time member of the World Organisation of Early Childhood Education (OMEP). In 1974, she wrote the script for the film Learning through Play which was the Australian contribution to OMEP's international conference in Venezuela.
When the organisation met for the first time in Australia in 1978, she presented a major paper on the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, and 17 years later, in 1995, she wrote a discussion paper titled Tolerance that was published by OMEP and widely distributed in member countries.
In 1974, Milne's international standing also led to her participate in the highly regarded Kohlberg workshop on moral education at Harvard University, a major international conference that was attended by 80 participants.
Her work attracted a number of awards and prizes, including Melbourne University's Harold Cohen prize in 1971 for outstanding course work in education, the Vera Scantlebury Brown scholarship in 1973, and the Jean Adamson Memorial Trust award in 1984 for alternative approaches to planning programs in early childhood care and education.
From 1957, Milne worked for the ABC as a writer and presenter on a variety of radio and television projects for young children. In 1966, she wrote the first scripts and well-known lyrics for the ABC's long-running Play School program which started that year.
While raising a young family and continuing her professional activities, Milne returned to study at Melbourne University, where she completed a degree in psychology.
While studying for her MA, she was awarded a Forster Trust research grant to study moral education in young children. The grant enabled her to spend time at Oxford University and on return she completed a PhD thesis on moral development in young children.
Her career in teacher education began in 1967 with joint appointments at Lincoln Institute (child development) and the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College (psychology), where in 1973 she was appointed head of the advanced diploma in early childhood education. She was an inspirational leader, challenging educators to think more broadly and to develop a critique of current theories and orthodoxies.
Milne was a long-time member of the World Organisation of Early Childhood Education (OMEP). In 1974, she wrote the script for the film Learning through Play which was the Australian contribution to OMEP's international conference in Venezuela.
When the organisation met for the first time in Australia in 1978, she presented a major paper on the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, and 17 years later, in 1995, she wrote a discussion paper titled Tolerance that was published by OMEP and widely distributed in member countries.
In 1974, Milne's international standing also led to her participate in the highly regarded Kohlberg workshop on moral education at Harvard University, a major international conference that was attended by 80 participants.
Her work attracted a number of awards and prizes, including Melbourne University's Harold Cohen prize in 1971 for outstanding course work in education, the Vera Scantlebury Brown scholarship in 1973, and the Jean Adamson Memorial Trust award in 1984 for alternative approaches to planning programs in early childhood care and education.
