Mary Booth

In **Mary Booth** by **Bruce Scates**, a vivid work of **Australian history** brings back into focus one of the country’s most fascinating public figures: a trailblazing doctor and feminist who was also a committed conservative and empire loyalist. It’s a biography that relishes complexity, showing how Booth shaped debates about womanhood, citizenship and belonging in a nation still defining itself.

Drawing on newly uncovered correspondence, Woollacott follows Booth from medical and social reform into the heart of wartime Australia, where she became celebrated as the “Queen of Anzac”. Along the way, the book explores **female-led activism**, **Anzac commemoration**, infant welfare, environmental reform, and the racial and gender assumptions that structured public life—without smoothing over the contradictions.

Perfect for readers of **biography**, **women’s history**, and anyone curious about the making of Australian national identity and the myths we inherit.

Add it to your shelf and rediscover a life that helped build a nation’s story.