Teresa Wardell: Gender, Catholicism and social welfare in Melbourne

Teresa Wardell was a leading figure in Catholic social welfare provision in Melbourne during the mid-20th century. She was part of the push to expand the recognition of social work expertise into the field of child welfare and also helped establish standards of practice for professional Catholic social workers in Australia. This chapter places Wardell within the broader history of social welfare and examines the ways in which she contributed to the development of her profession.