Person

Howard, Margaret Laura de Visme, 1912-1990

• Gipps, Margaret Laura de Visme
• Graham, Margaret
• Lenore

1912-1990

Margaret Laura de Visme Gipps was born in 1912. She attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School and the University of Queensland. She was the winner of the 1933 Thomas Morrow essay Prize awarded by the University of Queensland. From her mid-teens she published poetry in local newspapers, her school magazine and the University of Queensland’s magazines Semper Floreat and Galmahra. In 1934 she also published the text of a radio broadcast Poetry Concerning the Pioneers. She wrote under the pseudonyms of Margaret Graham and Lenore for the Queensland Pastoral News between 1936 and 1940, and continued to use that pseudonym after her marriage. In 1941 she self-published a book of poetry titled Faun, her only book publication. On 9 February 1943 at the Albert Street Methodist Church, Brisbane, she married the writer, journalist and war correspondent Frederick James Howard. She was the art critic for The Telegraph for several years before her marriage and from 1943 described herself as a ‘social writer for The Telegraph’. She was also the Press and Publicity convenor for the National Council of Women and wrote scripts for 4BH radio about the Council and its work. She moved to Heidelberg, Victoria with her husband after his return from military service and continued to submit work to newspapers and literary journals. She died in 1990. The bequest from her estate to the University of Queensland provided funds for the establishment of the Margaret Howard Small Animal Hospital.

Revised

Revised, Linda Justo, 30-Apr-2020

Information for this biography taken from AustLit, the UQ website and internal evidence from this collection (from the pdf finding aid)